Hotel Room Review: Henley Park Hotel Washington DC

Get tucked in at the Henley Park Hotel

I enjoyed the opportunity to spend a few days at the Henley Park Hotel in Washington D.C.  I was in the city to participate in a travel show, the Travel & Adventure show, in March held at the Washington Convention Center. For most of these events, exhibitors are given information about hotels nearby which will discount rates for the show. I normally tend to stay at chain hotels when I go to these shows. I am usually traveling alone and feel a certain security in the familiar. Boutique or specialty hotels are generally out of my budget range, too.

For this Washington DC show, I was part of a foursome representing the Maine Office of Tourism. One of the other members happened across the Henley Park Hotel online, took a look at the rates and the location, and decided to book his room there. He emailed the rest of us and after very little hesitation, the others changed their reservations. I figured that with the others there, I felt some sense of safety. The rates were lower and saved us about $200 off the four night stay and it was a couple of blocks closer to the Washington Convention Center.
 

Welcome to the Henley Park Hotel

 From my arrival at the hotel, I was both impressed and at ease. The staff opened doors, helped me with my bag, and checking in was fast and painless. Friendly too. The main lobby, though not the cavernous entries I've seen at other properties, was beautiful. Marble tile floors, immense floral arrangements, dark colonial style furnishings, it was stunning.

I've written more about the hotel property itself, the restaurant, lounge and parlor on my photography blog. This post will review the room itself.

The Henley Park Hotel was built in 1918 as an apartment building named the Tudor Hall, "a grand residence favored by senators, congressmen and other notables of Washington society."

Like many older hotels, the room I was given was pretty small. I was on a budget, went for the least expensive room available at the time, and wasn't expecting an expansive suite nor a view of the city. My room overlooked the glass topped dining room. Again, this was fine with me, just a head's up for those of you who travel with different expectations.  My only other complaint about the room was that it was a bit dark. Not too dark to hang out and watch TV and relax after a day of sightseeing, but a little dim for working. Besides that, everything else about the room was great.

Here's a little tour:

The bed, mini bar and window

Chair with lamp

The room had a closet with a safe, hangers, and a robe.

The ironing board, safe, extra coffee cups

Nice waffle cotton robe

Flat screen TV, door to bathroom

The bathroom

Work desk

Very comfy bed

 The details:

The mini fridge was stocked every day. I don't drink so I took out the beers, wine, liquor bottles. About a block away is a CVS where I got bottled waters, seltzers, and fruit and yogurt. I did open and consume the tin of smokehouse almonds, which I love, despite the $8 mini bar outrageous price. 

sodas, beer, juice, wine in the mini bar

a nice array of liquors - if you're into that sort of thing.

coffee, nuts, water and a bottle of wine.

The bathroom wasn't huge but it was bright and clean. I love the brand of toiletries they had, nice smelling from Bath and Body Works. Plenty of towels, nice fixtures and lots of hot water. 

I ran a bath the first night I was there.
Maybe the second night, too.

Not a very comfortable bathtub, really, but soaking in hot water does something for the soul. 

I ordered room service the first night and was thrilled at how fast it arrived, the friendliness of the gentleman who delivered it, and how tasty it was. A simple burger can be a wonderful thing. 

The Henley Park Hotel was a very nice hotel for my time in Washington. I would recommend it to anyone who asks. The price I had for the room was very reasonable, although I did read somewhere that prices are normally much higher but that rates were adjusted to account for the construction across the street. I didn't hear a thing, but hotel offered earplugs to help with "city noise".

The room I was in, in the center of the hotel, didn't allow much for noise. Being March, it wasn't as if I was throwing open the windows. My experience was that it was quiet, and I slept well.

I found the staff very helpful and friendly. The hotel was gorgeous and the location allowed me to walk easily to the convention center and to Chinatown. The Metro is nearby as well.

Great hotel - Worth a try!

Travel Tips: Things you might not think to pack

In this case, my husband’s fears are justified. With airlines charging more and more for overweight checked baggage, my tendency to push it to the weight limit pushes him over the edge. I’ve never been able to travel light. My husband can leave the house for the weekend with a plastic shopping bag’s worth of his belongings and not think once about a change in the weather that would have him chilled and needing a sweater or a change in dinner plans that might require a tie. His theory is that if we’re not going to a place where he can stop into a store to buy what he needs, he doesn’t need it. If the dinner plans now require a tie, either change the plan or go buy a tie – but never take one with you “in case.”

Ah, it’s always the “in case” that gets me. Maybe being a mother does that to a person. Maybe its having experienced the exhausting search for a department store in a strange town just to find men’s socks because he only packed one pair for the whole weekend and they got soaked in the rain on the first day. Maybe it’s just my nature to be prepared.

I can tell you this: my “over packing” or “preparedness” as I like to refer to it has allowed me to save the day on some of our travels. Ok, perhaps the day wouldn’t have been ruined had I not thought to bring a length of rope and some clothespins so that our swimsuits could drip dry on the patio and be ready for an evening swim after dinner.

Here’s a list of some things I always pack for a trip away from home:

1. Small kid’s safety scissors – it just so happens that not so long ago I had a small kid and we have a few pairs of these hanging around. They’re the perfect size to fit into your toiletries bag and you’ll be happy to have them when you need to cut open that plastic encased set of earphones you had to buy because the ones your brought got left in the plane.
2. Clothespins and a 3 – 4 foot length of rope – I have a zip bag in my regular suitcase with a dozen small wooden clothespins and a thin but strong rope. It’s been tied to chairs on a patio to dry our damp clothes and to lamps and a bedpost to dry travel documents that wafted into a puddle.
3. Air freshener – it could be the air freshener/disinfectant combo to pull double duty but here I’m recommending anything to freshen a stale or musty hotel room and – more importantly – the smells that occur when people are traveling on vacation, staying in a small room, being thrown off their regular routines and diets, and well . . . perhaps you know where I’m going with this. Just get some – they come in travel size. If you’re concerned about your liquids for carryon, even a candle (don’t forget matches) will do.
4. Zip bags – ALWAYS have zip bags. I have a handful of heavy duty zip bags in different sizes that I use over and over again. A larger one is used for my case of vitamins and medicine. (Have you ever had one of these open up in your luggage? I have.)  Another holds my contact lens stuff together and there’s one I use for things that have the potential of exploding in your suitcase, like lotions and hair care products. Smaller ones hold jewelry or pens or an impromptu sewing kit. I have a small drawer that I keep my travel things in and when I return from a trip and unpack my stuff, I put the bags in there as well as the travel sized products I return with. AND I always travel with a few to spare for situations that arise. I’ve used them to protect my camera, printed passes, travel documents when at theme parks on wet rides. They’ve protected dinner leftovers and keep all my tech thingamabobs from raveling everything together into one ball of cords and plugs. They’re great to use to collect seashells and also keep souvenirs and receipts dry and in one place. I can’t possibly list all their uses when traveling. Best thing ever invented.
5. Duct tape –Works to hold together a hair gel bottle that got crushed (and is now oozing) in transit. Works to identify your luggage on the airport carousel – just wrap the handle or stick it somewhere you’ll be able to see as it rounds the corner. It patches tears in clothing, shoes and bags, can be a child safety cover for the outlets in your hotel room, and can take the lint off of anything.
6. Wipes (baby or not) – my mother raised four kids and then helped raise dozens more running a daycare and loving her grandchildren. The woman was always ready with a wet facecloth in a plastic bag. From wiping our faces at a barbeque to cleaning off the trays on the kids highchairs in restaurants, they served an innumerable amount of purposes. Now I rarely leave the house without some sort of wipes within reach. Disinfectant wipes to clean, well, everything. Baby wipes for the faces and hands. In the car they can save upholstery from costly stains, clean the dusty console when you’re stopped at traffic lights, and wipe sticky fingerprints or paw prints from the windows. Lysol or other disinfecting wipes are a necessity in a hotel room, from the door knobs to the remote control (yuck!) to the bathroom counters and toilet seat. Whether you’re there for a week or a day, it’s most likely that someone was there before you. I’m not a germ freak at all, and maybe I should be given the number of things that can live on for days on the surfaces we touch, but some things need wiping.
7. Safety pins – as part of your travel sewing kit or not, safety pins are a multifunctional tool. Clasp the zippers of your day pack together to deter thieves; use in place of a missing button, zipper pull, or to mend other wardrobe malfunctions; tack kids' pant legs up when hiking through mucky terrain; even prevent static cling in a dress or skirt by slipping the safety pin into the seam of your slip (the metal has repelling properties). Bring a few to share. You could make someone’s day so much better by having one to offer a fellow traveler. Build up your travel karma bank. 
8. Luggage scale – referring back to my husband’s fears of the overweight suitcase, I bought this travel luggage scale from L.L. Bean. It serves triple duty – it’s got a built in alarm clock and flashlight. I find it especially useful on the return flight when I’ve added items I’ve purchased into the suitcase and there might be some wet clothes in there to just add to the weight. For years, I weighed the bag at home (me on the scale holding bag, me on the scale not holding bag, do the math = weight of bag) and that was fine. I’d often cut it close (47 pounds when the limit is 50 is one I remember) and then sweat it out as we approach the baggage scale at the airport, crossing my fingers that our scales weren’t too far off each other. So now I bring this luggage scale along, use it before the first flight then before the flight home, and in between to wake me for whatever adventure is next.
9. Small soft sided cooler – we have a half dozen coolers: the big red plastic take-to-the-lake cooler, the huge soft side dual compartment cooler, several mid sized, just-enough-for-a-beach-day cooler, and a handful of take-it-to-work-for-lunch coolers. The one I usually pack for a trip – if flying – is a soft sided cooler without the molded plastic interior. I can fold it flat in the bottom of my suitcase and it acts as a cushion against bumps and jolts, then when we arrive and unpack, we have a cooler to use for our day trips. On the return trip it has held the damp and sandy swimsuits and flip flops and the muddy hiking boots so that they don’t ruin the rest of the bag’s contents.
10. As always- The Book of Joy – a flexibly bound binder that holds – in order of their necessity (and in plastic sleeves) the boarding passes, the rental car reservation information, maps or directions to the hotel or resort, hotel reservation info with check in times and any prepaid excursions, passes or tickets. Make extra copies of each to give to your traveling companion. Include a copy of your passport and driver’s license, in case they’re lost. Reverse the order of the paperwork for the return trip (hotel, rental car drop off info, flight home info). NOTE: Somewhere else on your person carry a sheet of contact numbers, account numbers, logins and passwords to your credit cards, bank accounts, and your travel miles or frequent flier info.  You could put it into your phone, too, but have a backup copy printed somewhere that someone you can contact can reach in case you need to have it. Another idea on this: often, if booking online as I do most of the time, I get an email confirmation of the travel info. I forward that to one of the email accounts I have that will not be cleared off the server by your Outlook or other account. Gmail, Yahoo, etc work fine like this. That way if you lose some of your documents and your phone, you can usually access these accounts from any pc and you can then forward the info to wherever you are or print it directly from the business center at the hotel or write down the numbers you need.

So, if you’re wondering – I’ve never gone over the weight limit of my checked baggage either coming or going on a trip. I know that what I’ve stuffed into my carry on is at times, heavy and cumbersome, but the peace of mind I get knowing I’m prepared outweighs the pounds I’m carrying. 

And once in a while . . . I get to be a hero. Need scissors? Oh sure, I've got that.

On the road: I love hotels

Comfy bed at Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel

I love hotels.  It may sound strange but I do.  Maybe it’s all the hoteliness of it all.  The beds made with fresh sheets and extra pillows.  The shower and tub all sparkly clean with nice fluffy towels.  All of the efficient, little shampoos and soaps.  And the best – the very best part – is that I don’t have to clean up!  The used towels disappear, the beds get made, and all is reset as if by elves.  

Awesome bed at Boston Park Plaza hotel

  Okay, I know that not all hotels are perfect and traveling on a budget as I do, I’ve had my share of crappy hotel stays.  I read reviews and check out the star ratings of the places I stay and do my best to select locations that are safe, clean, and try hard, even if they’re not part of the chain hotels.  I think that’s important.  On vacation, we stayed at the Americana Hotel in Arlington VA.  TripAdvisor.com reviewers said it was run down, yes, but inexpensive in an expensive market (Washington DC) and clean and friendly.  For the most part, they were right.  The front desk staff was attentive and very helpful, not acquiring the glazed over look of the frazzled, phone juggling, direction giving, name tag wearing, maintenance calling, folks I’ve met in some of the chains.  The breakfast area in the lobby looked recently remodeled but a bit cramped, but you can tell they were trying . . . donuts, muffins, cereal and good hot coffee.  We stayed there after having spent a week in a Wyndham Clubs resort in Williamsburg, VA, which was awesome, spacious, and generous, like a perfect little home away from home for us.   

In room coffee at Seaport Boston Hotel

So in comparison, the Americana Hotel in Arlington had a few things that were starkly differentiating.  Much smaller space (2 br condo vs. 1 room hotel with 3 people and perhaps you get the picture), no refrigerator or microwave (these are things I’m coming to require in a room-maybe I’m asking too much), really – I mean really – small bathroom with very little counter space or shelf space to put out our toiletries, a rattling and noisy air conditioner, and kind of a damp mustiness that I may have been imagining, but probably not.  But in its defense, the room at the Americana Hotel, had a great flowing shower and that noisy air conditioner kept the steamy summer temps nice and cool.  And with rates at just over half the cost of other hotels in the area, I can see why it is a regular traveler’s favorite in the area.  I would recommend it if you can deal with the dated but squeaky clean yellow tile in the bathroom and the not flat screen TV.  If you’re looking for a place to crash after a day of visiting the Smithsonian Museums and other capitol sites, this was fine.  It was within walking distance to the Metro and a mall and plenty of restaurants.  

Bed at Hampton Inn Chicopee MA

The hotel I’m staying in at the moment is the Hampton Inn in Chicopee, Massachusetts.  I’m here because the tourism organization that I work for, The Maine Highlands, is exhibiting at The Big E, which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, in anticipation of my pilgrimage.  New in my position last year, I hadn’t booked rooms for my group as far in advance as is needed and found myself booking here in Chicopee which is a bit further from the fairgrounds than most exhibitors like to be, therefore rooms were available at the last minute.  This year I booked a room closer to the fair for my volunteers, but having had a great experience here last year, booked myself at the Hampton Inn in Chicopee.  

When I got here yesterday afternoon, I was really glad I did book here.  Within the last year, the lobby has had a fabulous makeover.  They moved the free breakfast zone from the main lobby area to a separate room off of the lobby.  The free breakfast is one of the draws for me.  Another is the free hot coffee available 24/7.  At night, I get 2 cups robust coffee black to take to my room.  I like to have coffee first thing in the morning, and am not into getting dressed to go downstairs for coffee.  When my husband is with me, he does that (he’s one of those morning people) but on my own, I get the coffee, some creamers, and a cup of tea for that evening, then in the morning, I microwave the coffee (I know I know – not everyone likes microwave coffee and I’m usually one of those people but I’d rather have microwaved coffee than have to get dressed).  The room, a regular room, not a suite or anything, is comfortable, feels clean, and has the stuff I love in a hotel room – fridge, microwave, large desk with free wifi – a huge plus – beds with four pillows on each bed, a fluffy white duvet, a cool lap desk so I can write in bed, big TV with Showtime, and nice complimentary toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and mouthwash.  Plenty of towels, lots of light, a big comfy chair, huge closet, and rooms to spread out all my stuff.  I travel with a lot of stuff.  Breakfast this morning was a filling mix of scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, one of those pour-flip-sizzle waffles, mixed fresh fruit, and yep, more coffee.  They also had a three tiered display case of pastries, muffins, bagels and breads and three kinds of cereal.  I like to fill up at breakfast so that I can go for a while without having to stop to eat. 

Oh and the showers . . . its so nice to take a shower without that pesky having-to-leave-hot-water-for-others thing. 

The absolute best thing:  I don’t have to do dishes.  

Or slice or chop or negotiate and serve.  

efficiency kitchen at Best Western Chocolate Lake Halifax NS

It’s a mini vacation.  Ok, I haven’t been lounging by the pool or waiting in lines for a thrill ride or museum, but the little niceties of a good hotel room make it feel like that.  At home, there’s always some nagging chore that needs attention, something I have to tend to, work to be done.  In a hotel room that work might still need doing but unless you took it with you, you simply can’t do it.  You MUST sink back into the pillows and mush your mind with Honey Boo-Boo.  And in the morning, there’s no delay that comes from starting a load of laundry before work or getting the recycling out before the truck rolls around the corner. 

So for you my dear readers, I will suffer through trade show season staying at a variety of hotels along the way and when I can pull myself out of the plush mountain of pillows, I will write about them. 

I’d love to hear about what you love about hotels.    

Big pile of pillows at Hampton Inn

   

Written at the smooth and spacious desk in room 216 Hampton Inn Chicopee Massachusetts.