Location: 333 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001, just blocks from the capital and the White House.
Style: A modern and classy hotel that only opened in November last year, its vibe is of comfortable efficiency and understated elegance. Pale wood decor and inset shelving are more lounge room than lobby.
Perfect for: Well-heeled couples wishing to explore the United States capital or professional business people who need a central city location.
Price: From about US$167-US$399 a night ($296-$707).
First impressions: I loved the romantic turret-style architecture (Romanesque revival style to give it its official description) of the hotel’s corner facade: the 12-storey hotel has been built around Washington’s oldest apartment building, known as the Harrison, built in 1888. The lobby is a cosy welcome warmth from the winter’s cold outside.
The automatic doors are activated by waving at a circular red light on the wall and then jumping back when the doors unexpectedly open outwards rather than inwards.
Rooms: My ninth floor home away from home had a large bedroom and good-sized bathroom plus a little office nook tucked away around the corner. It overlooked a glass-fronted office building where no workers appeared during my entire four-day stay, and offered a glimpse of the Capitol. Plenty of plugs helped keep my laptop and phone fully juiced.
An Arlo Hotel room. Photo / Supplied
Bathroom: The black-and-white tiled floor was reassuringly non-slip and the large shower came equipped with Pharmacopia body wash and shampoo and conditioner.
Food and drink: I mostly breakfasted in the bodega downstairs, choosing a different option from the cafe-style menu every day. I learned that ordering a flat white gave me a black coffee to which I was expected to add my own milk. The bodega offered a selection of drinks - including wine in a can! - but no milk so the server got used to me asking for a cup of milk to take to my room in preference over the US creamer on offer there. Arrels is a Spanish-styled dining room and the Arlo also has a roof-top bar.
Photo / Supplied
Facilities: Wi-Fi was complimentary and excellent. It has a well-equipped gym.
In the neighbourhood: The Arlo is in the heart of Washington DC’s federal quarter, across the road from the FBI and within walking distance of the city’s Smithsonian museums. It is about midway between the White House and the Capitol, both about half an hour’s walk away.
Family friendly: Families were evident and the rooms are well big enough for children.
Accessibility: All floors were accessible by lift - the kind that give you access via your room key to your own floor and locked the others - and doorways and halls are wide and well signposted.
Sustainability: The room’s coffee cups were paper and individually wrapped in plastic. Food in the bodega came in a paper bag in a plastic container with plastic cutlery. I could see many options for waste minimisation.
