Kimpton Rouge Hotel
1315 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States
Why We Like It
We love the bohemian persona of this all-out-red hotel, where fun and funky are the name of the game. Though in the end it’s a Kimpton, so you know that service and a long slate of amenities are always part of the mix. The neighborhood's residential feel is a plus as well, with shops and restaurants an easy stroll away.
Fodor's Expert Review
The name sums it up. The color red appears in every shape and form in this groovy, pop-art-filled hotel near Dupont Circle. From the scarlet lobby to the red faux-leather headboards and velvet draperies in the guest rooms to the Rouge cocktail in the Bar Rouge, you’ll be seeing red throughout your stay … in a good way. One of the ten Kimptons in the region, it has all the signature hallmarks of this favorite brand, including yoga mats in the rooms, an evening wine hour (as well as free pizza and Bloody Marys on weekends), and open-paw welcome to dogs, that keep families, businesspeople, and hipsters coming back for more.
You Should Know A daily resort fee includes upgraded Wi-Fi, coffee and tea in the morning, and car service within a mile of the hotel; wave the fee by registering for the free Kimpton Karma Rewards program.
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Room
Red is the obvious theme in the fun-spirited guest rooms, with the headboard, drapes, and accents all done up in shades of rouge. Amenities include flat-screen TVs, down comforters, the signature yoga mat, and sassy jungle-print robes.
Tip Some rooms have Xbox 360 game consoles, bunk beds and kitchenettes.
Bathroom
In a hotel of red, the bathrooms remain blandly white. They’re small but clean, with lovely, large towels and Atelier Bloem bath products.
Lobby
The smallish, low-lit lobby exudes a swanky, sexy ambiance with red-accented rugs, sultry art, and black and animal print furnishings. Maybe small gatherings convene here, but it feels more like the kind of place where you don your little black dress and sip sangrias late into the evening.
Pool
There is no pool.
Spa
There is no spa, but in-room spa services are available.
Gym
The small, 24-hour basement gym is dark and uninspiring (though remember that each room has a yoga mat).
Dining
Bar Rouge is really more of a bar, but it offers a small menu including pasta, turkey chili, BBQ pork sliders, chicken wings and bacon burgers.
Drinking
Bar Rouge is a popular neighborhood go-to, with a full cocktail menu including drinks that play up the rouge theme (the Rouge, for example, is crown royal, sour apple liquor and cranberry). Tuesdays are half-price wine nights.
What's Nearby
Getting Around
The Hotel Rouge is in a residential neighborhood near Dupont Circle, with easy access to restaurants, bars, and shops. The White House is only six blocks away. You probably don’t want a car here, if you can at all avoid it; you don’t need it to get around town, and valet parking is pricey. Metro is the best bet for public transport, with the Dupont Circle metro station just three blocks away.
Restaurants
The pan-Latin menu at the trendy Toro Toro (16-minute walk) this trendy eatery includes grilled meat skewers, small plates, and barrel-aged cocktails. Brasserie Beck (16-minute walk) is a fun Belgian brasserie with fabulous mussels and more than 100 varieties of Belgian beer; the outdoor terrace in summer is sublime.
Bars
The après-work crowd beehives to the Eighteenth Street Lounge (11-minute walk), offering five different sections on several floors of a rambling old townhouse (including a breezy rooftop deck), complete with vintage sofas, chandeliers, and stellar music programming. You’ll have to look for the poorly signed entrance; it’s a little hard to find. For walls and walls of whiskey and bourbon (and five different tasting rooms), Jack Rose Dining Saloon (20-minute walk) is making waves on the national scene with a stunning array of whiskeys. A sleek, classy bar devoted to its namesake cocktail, Dirty Martini (11-minute walk) has happy hour specials nearly every day.
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Quick Facts
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