If your extended family or friends are trying to book a hotel in D.C. at the last moment, it’s not too late. When more well-known hotels fill up, check into these locations to recharge between Commencement festivities.
Akwaaba Bed and Breakfast
The Akwaaba is a literary-themed bed and breakfast located in an 1890s historic townhouse in Dupont Circle. The bed and breakfast is close to several restaurants and shops in Dupont to entertain your family leading up to Commencement.
There are eight rooms with private baths, and all rooms sleep two guests except for the “Poetry Room,” which holds two queen-sized beds for four guests.
The “Inspiration Suite” has a skylight in the bedroom and a green velvet chair that provides artists and writers with the peace and quiet they need to be inspired.
Four of the rooms are named after famous African American writers: Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison and Walter Mosley. Each of the rooms have book covers or framed posters reflecting the work of each author.
The bed and breakfast also offers a “Modern Classics” room with chic decoration, like all-white furniture and gold accents in the wallpaper and lamps. The loft-style “Poetry Room” features exposed brick walls and a gray L-shaped couch.
Every morning, a home-cooked breakfast is served in a communal dining room starting at 8 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends. The morning of Commencement, you can enjoy an earlier 7 a.m. continental-style breakfast or request a to-go breakfast package.
1708 16th St. NW. Rates range from $165 to $285 a night.
1921 Gessford Bed and Breakfast
If you’re looking to squeeze in a couple extra guests to your graduation, 1921 Gessford Bed and Breakfast might have you covered. The bed and breakfast is a loft-style home with a private rooftop that offers views of the U.S. Capitol Building. The place can accommodate up to four guests in its queen suite on the first floor and queen loft on the third floor, which has access to the rooftop.
The two-bedroom house is filled with modern art decorations, yellow-painted wood, exposed white brick walls and metal staircases. The first floor has a living room with complimentary cable, Wi-Fi, a bathroom and a patio. Stairs lead up through the foyer filled with natural light to the second floor, which has two living rooms and a kitchen where breakfast is served from 7 to 9:30 a.m.
Corner of 11th Street SE and Independence Avenue SE. Rates range from $125 to $215 a night.
Ampeer-Patterson Mansion Lux Studios
Ampeer is an apartment building located in the heart of Dupont Circle that offers stays for up to 30 days. The 20th-century neoclassical building was once called The Patterson Mansion, and former President Calvin Coolidge lived there while the White House was being renovated in the 1920s.
During the weekend of Commencement, tower courtyard rooms are available for temporary guests. The rooms are furnished with a queen-sized bed, a couch, a living area, a kitchenette and a full bath. Tower courtyard rooms, located on the first floor, have access to the building’s outdoor courtyard.
Guests are provided with a gym, complimentary cable, Wi-Fi, a continental breakfast, evening hor d’oeuvres and cafe drinks.
15 Dupont Circle NW. Tower courtyard room rates range from $269 to $349 a night.
The LINE DC
The LINE DC is a 110-year-old church that was renovated into a hotel and culture center in late 2017. The hotel, known for its restaurants Brothers and Sisters, Spoken English and A Rake’s Progress, is located just off 18th Street in Adams Morgan. The LINE also hosts a live radio show in its lobby featuring over three dozen hosts including Opie Crooks, the chef of A Rake’s Progress.
The hotel is a refreshing and quirky addition to the crowd of big-name hotels of the District. The exterior has the architecture of the church it once was and includes remnants of the church inside, like an organ in the lobby and pews scattered throughout the building. Unlike chain hotels, every room is uniquely furnished and decorated with wooden coffee tables and desks, leather chairs and couches, house plants and unconventional lighting fixtures like geometric-shaped copper pendant lights. Several of the rooms also have views of the Washington Monument.
1770 Euclid St. NW. Rates range from $548 to $695 a night.
