The River Inn

Every now and then a four-star earns its place on a shortlist by simply doing the basics very well, The River Inn, in Foggy Bottom, is one of those. Foggy Bottom is doing some of the heavy lifting here: it's within an easy walk of the city centre, and that proximity does change the trip. Inside, the rooms are…

Every now and then a four-star earns its place on a shortlist by simply doing the basics very well, The River Inn, in Foggy Bottom, is one of those. Foggy Bottom is doing some of the heavy lifting here: it's within an easy walk of the city centre, and that proximity does change the trip. Inside, the rooms are well-appointed, and guests pick out reliable wi-fi and an in-house restaurant as the small things that add up over a stay. It feels lived-in rather than staged, which tends to be the difference between a stay you remember and one you don't. The numbers behind the reviews tell their own story, well over 2,400 reviews, scoring strong on balance. Reputation has held up across enough stays to mean something. Pricing has been sitting near €157 a night and the value score puts it in a middle-of-the-road bracket compared with similar properties. It's the kind of Washington, D.C. property that rewards a careful comparison, the spec sheet doesn't quite capture what makes it tick.