Residence Inn by Marriott Washington, DC Downtown

One of three Residence Inns in the greater D.C. area, this moderately busy 202-room outpost on Vermont Avenue has accommodating and friendly staffers, clean and spacious -- though slightly dated -- studios and one bedroom suites, and provides several hearty meals to guests.

Compared to other suite-style hotels in D.C., like Embassy Suites or Homewood Suites, Residence Inns offer a little less flexibility for sleeping time. Rooms come with just one queen size bed (though all have a full size pullout couch). Decor is a bit outdated with scuffed-up furniture, but all of the rooms have flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and well-equipped kitchen areas with plenty of cooking supplies and place settings for four. (In addition, staffers can do your grocery shopping for you. All you have to do is provide the shopping list.)

Those who don't feel like picking up a spatula can also head downstairs to the hotel's "Hearth Room" for a hearty buffet breakfast (served Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 a.m. and weekends 7 to 10 a.m.) which includes a waffle bar, oatmeal bar, cold cereal, hot breakfast item like scrambled eggs and sausages, as well as assorted pastries, juice, coffee and tea. There's also free dinner buffet Monday through Wednesday, with filling American favorites like mac and cheese, barbequed chicken, and meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Thankfully, there's also a pleasant place to work it all off -- the fitness center is well-equipped and housed in a room with plenty of windows.

Though this hotel could stand some improvements and updates, it's not a bad choice, if only for its central location: close to the popular tourist sites of downtown and restaurants and nightlife of Dupont Circle. Those set on collecting (or cashing in on) their Marriott Rewards points might also want to consider the Residence Inn Capitol. It's just just three blocks from the National Mall and has both an indoor pool and a Jacuzzi. Embassy Suites, which is closer to Georgetown, is the big winner for families with its festive lobby that includes a koi fish pond, as well as an indoor pool. If updated, modern, and stylish is what you need there's also Carlyle Suites in Dupont Circle, which has studio-style guest rooms and a great Art-Deco-style lobby.

The Residence Inn is located on Vermont Avenue, at the southern edge of Thomas Circle, which also joins Massachusetts, L, M, and 14th Streets. The area straddles two very disparate neighborhoods: the bustling business district and the vibrant, flourishing residential section at 14th Street, near Logan Circle.

• Three blocks to the McPherson Square Metro Station (Orange and Blue Lines) which provides easy access to Smithsonian Center, the National Mall, the White House, and virtually every sight in downtown D.C.
• Five blocks to the Farragut North Metro Station (Red Line) for easy access to Union Station, Capitol Hill, Adams Morgan, and the zoo
• 20 to 25 minute taxi ride to Reagan National Airport
• 45 to 60 minute taxi ride to Dulles International Airport
• Union Station, D.C.'s main train station served by Amtrak, commuter rails, and the metro system, is five metro stops away
• Five minutes by foot to the White House
• 10 minutes by taxi, or five minutes by Metro (via Red Line), to the U.S. Capitol
• 10-minute Metro ride to the Air and Space Museum (via Orange Line)
• 15 minutes by foot to the Vietnam Veteran' Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and other monuments on the western end of the National Mall
• Hotel staffers can call or hail a cab anytime of the day; taxis are easy to come by on weekend evenings.
• Hotel is three to eight blocks away from the many restaurants, shops, and nightlife of Logan and Dupont Circles.

There's much that feels dated about the rooms at the Residence Inn, including worn-out furnishings. When I stayed, there were only tube TVs but the hotel has since updated to flat-screen TVs and all of the rooms have free Wi-Fi. The hotel has only studios and one-bedrooms.

• All suites and studios just have a single queen-size bed.
• Full size pullout couch in all room types, though the mattresses are thin and typically flimsy.
• Flat-screen TVs with cable (including HBO) and movies on-demand
• Kitchens include full-size fridge, microwave, dish washer, and electric stovetop, pots and pans, cooking utensils, and place settings for four.
• Cribs cost extra, but they are not permitted in one-bedroom suites.
• Rollaway beds cost extra and are permitted in both studios and one-bedroom suites.
• Fee for each additional person sleeping in the room (more than three adults)