Swann House

A nine-room inn in an 1883 Richardsonian Romanesque mansion on New Hampshire Avenue, in the heart of Dupont Circle. Swann House has been a small hotel since the 1990s, in a brownstone-and-turret pile that started life as a Gilded Age private residence. The roof has a small heated pool. The garden is genuinely private. Brass and velvet, fireplaces in most rooms, and a discreet downtown location that doesn't show up on the corporate-travel sites.

You stay here when you want a real Washington neighborhood, not a hotel district.

The setting

Dupont Circle is one of D.C.'s most-walked neighborhoods — Beaux-Arts row houses, a half-dozen worthwhile bookstores, the Phillips Collection two blocks east. Swann House sits a short walk off the Circle, on New Hampshire Avenue, with the Dupont Metro stop two minutes away. The walk to the White House complex is 25 minutes; to the National Mall, about 30. Adams Morgan and 14th Street are ten minutes north.

Embassy Row begins three blocks west on Massachusetts Avenue. This is residential D.C. with hotel access.

The building

A Richardsonian Romanesque mansion — rough-cut stone, arched doorways, a corner turret, brass and stained glass at the entry. Inside: original tile work, carved woodwork, fireplaces in the public rooms, a grand staircase. The mansion was built for a wealthy industrialist; the conversion to a hotel kept what counted and added what's necessary. Public rooms run to a small library, a parlor with breakfast service, and a walled garden in the back. Brass, velvet, and carved oak.

The rooms

Nine rooms across three floors, all distinct, most with working fireplaces. Categories include standard queens, larger kings, and a few suites. A handful have private terraces or jet-tubs; the turret room is the historical bookings draw. Beds are layered, bathrooms a mix of original tile and recent renovation. From-rates open around $425, with a full breakfast included.

Food & drink

There's no restaurant. A full breakfast is served in the dining room or on the patio. For dinner, the Dupont neighborhood is the program — Le Diplomate is five minutes west, Bistrot du Coin is nearby for French, and the lighter dinner picks (Pizzeria Paradiso, Dolcezza for gelato) are a short walk. Eighteenth Street's Adams Morgan strip is ten minutes for late-night.

On the property

A small heated rooftop plunge pool — open seasonally, the size of a private pool, used as such. A walled garden with a fountain and ironwork. The library and parlor. There's no spa or gym; the front desk can arrange day passes.

• Rooftop heated plunge pool (seasonal)
• Walled private garden
• Full breakfast included
• Fireplaces in most rooms
• Open year-round

Who it's for

• Couples in for an embassy event, museum opening, or weekend culture stop
• Travelers who'd rather a residential block than a hotel district
• Architects and historic-preservation people who'll notice the original Richardsonian detailing
• Anyone with strong opinions about hotel breakfasts

Who it's not for

• Families with kids — the inn is sized for couples and adults
• Travelers needing a full-service hotel with restaurant, gym, and conference rooms
• Pet owners (verify policy with the front desk)

Nearby

The Phillips Collection — America's first museum of modern art — is two blocks east on 21st Street. Embassy Row begins three blocks west; the Anderson House and the Society of the Cincinnati are worth a look. Kramerbooks (now reopened as Kramers) and the Politics and Prose flagship north on Connecticut are the bookstore stops. For dinner: Le Diplomate, Komi (when bookable), Bistrot du Coin. The National Mall and the Smithsonian are a 25-minute walk; the Metro is faster.