The Ven at Embassy Row, Washington, D.C., A Tribute Portfolio Hotel

The heating was my main issue. In a seventh-floor petite queen room with a city view, the HVAC made a very loud, low mechanical noise, like a blower or damper, from above a ceiling tile between the closet and bathroom. It made it hard to fall asleep and woke me up. The desk agent apologized and offered to move me, but a similar room on the sixth floor had the exact same noise. I heard it from other rooms on both floors too. The agent said the hotel’s HVAC systems were all the same vintage. It was unusually cold, so the heat ran almost constantly, and I ended up using earplugs. I’d return for the location and friendly staff, but would probably avoid heating season. The location is hard to beat, right by DuPont Circle and the north entrance to the DuPont metro station, with easy access across DC by subway, bus, or on foot. Desk employees were consistently and sincerely pleasant. On two different days, an agent even went into the closed cafe to get cream for my in-room Keurig coffee. The rooms and public spaces are nicely decorated and very clean. The large fitness center was bright, clean, well equipped, and in good working order. Some smaller things could be better: there’s no N/A beer in the lobby bar or restaurant, and the bartender didn’t seem interested in suggesting it to management. There are no recycling bins in rooms or public spaces, which seems lame in a recycling-friendly city like DC. Guests can’t get coffee in the lobby before the cafe opens at 6:30 am. I also noticed minor maintenance issues, including torn hallway wallpaper and scratches or discoloration in the bathroom sink.

The restaurant’s menu was a little limited, but the four different dishes I tried were all well above average in quality and nicely prepared. The rooms were perfectly fine too.

Jorge at the bar is the reason we choose to come back. Watching him make cocktails is a thing of beauty, and his drinks balance spirits, bitters, and aromatics so well the flavors really pop. I highly recommend trying his mixology magic. Our stay at The Ven was fantastic again. The staff were friendly and accommodating, and the location is convenient while still being away from the bustle of Dupont Circle.

The only thing that bothered us was the ice machine right outside our door. Otherwise it was a wonderful stay, with lovely, friendly staff. The hotel was kind and accommodating, and made a huge fuss of my daughter for her 19th birthday. They made us feel like treasured guests.