From New York to LA and down in Miami, the USA is brimming with designer hotels just waiting to give you a bespoke experience. And in the nation’s capital, we recently had the pleasure of staying at Eaton DC, a socially conscious property filled with endless surprises.

While this stay was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Review of Eaton DC

Think of hotels in Washington DC and you’ll probably come up with historic—or infamous—names like The Hays-Adams, Watergate, or The Jefferson. But the American capital is also home to some under-the-radar boutique properties that offer an experience a world away from its buttoned-up, political reputation. Among these, on the corner of K and 12th Streets is Eaton DC, a personality-filled property on a quest to make an impact.

Rebel with a cause

Masterminded by hotelier Katherine Lo, the Eaton brand has its roots in Hong Kong. The DC property is just the brand’s second, but showcases the same style of social consciousness and more-than-a-hotel approach as the Asian original. Expect an array of thoughtful and inclusive events on offer during your stay, from R&B yoga sessions to panel talks, art exhibitions and local book launches.

Eaton DC is all about fostering a community open to all and to that end, many details throughout the hotel are geared towards racial equality. In one of the hallways, I find images of Rosa Parks being fingerprinted, while Allegory, the hotel’s speakeasy, draws heavily on the story of Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to desegregate Louisiana’s William Frantz Elementary School in 1960.

interiors Eaton DC
You’ll find numerous designer spaces here

The overall design can best be described as relaxed and a little bit retro with the hotel’s interiors being realised by Parts and Labor Design and Gachot Studios. Guests of the property have access to a 24/7 fitness studio during their stay, the onsite co-working space to get any work done, and a selection of 1:1 wellness treatments.

Upon checking in, there were a few hiccups with some of the arrangements I’d made before arriving but hotel staff were quick to offer solutions and went out of their way to ensure that the rest of my stay went smoothly.

The room

The Pied-a-Terre Junior Suite I check into is warm and inviting, with plenty of creative touches. As you’d expect, there’s a comfortable king-sized bed, an oversized sectional sofa, a spacious walk-in wardrobe, and a vintage-esque bathroom rendered in green tiles and brass fixtures.

Colourful textiles on the bed and floor enliven the suite’s wood panelling and crisp white sheets, as do a collection of books that play into the hotel’s social justice theme. Perhaps my favourite part, though, is the record player and accompanying discs perched on a shelf.

Overall, the impression is of a spacious yet cozy home-away-from-home. But, through my two-night stay, I discover that there’s no minibar or coffee in the room—a slight annoyance for this caffeine addict. And, although the bathroom has full-sized Grown Alchemist amenities, there’s no body lotion or other products. I remember later, though, that this is par for the course for many American hotels.

All the extras

Eaton DC boasts several outlets for drinking and dining, and surprisingly, I manage to get through them all during my stay. Allegory is billed as a speakeasy, but strictly speaking, it’s a fun little cocktail bar that blends the story of Alice in Wonderland with that of the aforementioned Ruby Bridges. The cocktails are creative and delicious—an outright win.

Allegory bar interiors
Step inside another world at Allegory

Upstairs, the Wild Days rooftop bar is busy. Indoors, pretty young things bop to loud tunes in a club-like atmosphere and on the terrace, an older, more sophisticated crowd is more likely to sip wine while chatting quietly.

For dinner, I head to Michele’s, a French-American eatery helmed by Michelin-starred chef Matt Baker. The breezy indoor-outdoor space is relaxed and the food is great, but it’s the staff that take the experience above and beyond. The hostess offers bug spray as we sit down (guests have been getting bitten) and when I order the chicken liver mousse, the server asks whether I like a sweet flavour profile—the dish comes dosed in strawberry—and advises me to get the beef tartare instead.

Michele's cuisine
Food lovers will delight at the dishes on offer at Michele’s

The next morning, Baker’s Daughter has coffee, bagels, and pastries galore—and is obviously a hit with the neighbourhood’s locals.

Leaving the hotel, my impression is that Eaton DC is about what I’d expect from a fun, affordable boutique hotel in the US. It’s got character and plenty of interesting touches, a good selection of food and drinks, and friendly staff who work hard to ensure that guests have everything they need.

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