Hotel Helix
1430 Rhode Island Ave NW
(between N 14th St & N 15th St)
Washington, DC 20005 (202) 462-9001
- Price Range: $$$
21 Reviews for Hotel Helix
A solid four stars. Stylish, nice photographs as art, (very 60's glam) and spacious rooms. If you are a Kimpton member, you might even get upgraded to a suite. Excellent corporate rates.
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If you don't keep your eyes peeled, you can easily miss Hotel Helix. However, once you get there, you'll be impressed.
Helix is done in retro designs with bold colors and prints. What's even better is that Helix is Earth-friendly, using products that are environmentally safe.
Came here for a graduation party, where everyone had to wear high-heels. The people, staff and guests, were quite respective. Friends, who have stayed here previously, have had nothing but positive remarks about the hotel and its services.
I'd definitely come back!
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this place is pretty cool.
i stayed here in early march for a conference. located halfway between Logan Circle and Dupont, it's close to a bunch of embassies in case you need to defect, great stuff in Dupont, and a 20 minute walk down 14th Avenue to the Mall. In doing so, you pass by a white house that is currenty occupied by the village/nation idiot.
anyway, this place tries really hard to throw out the hipster-doofus vibe, what with all the bright lights, bold colors and decor straight out of an IKEA ad. nonetheless, a pretty cool place.
my deluxe room was small, but the bed was super comfortable and cleaned really well every day. bathroom is "door hits the toilet" small, but that wasn't a big deal.
one gripe: on day two they ran out of those small coffee packets they have in every room for the coffee maker. the ENTIRE hotel was out of those serving size packets of regular coffee! that was pretty lame.
no morning coffee = surly man.
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I am a hotel authority. Trust me on this one.
I spent over 150 nights in hotel rooms last year so I've seen it all.
The crack den Red Roof Inn in Florida.
The fecal matter Motel 6 in El Paso.
The "after 9pm we turn into a whore house" hotel in Warsaw.
Yeah. Been there, done that.
I tolerate it all believe it or not. What I CANNOT stand are two things.
First is when Aunt Jenny and Uncle Buck bring 12 kids to a vacation spot and the little bastards are running all over the place screaming at all hours.
And my second, my personal favorite, the "corporate middle aged hotel bar guy" who still thinks its gonna get him laid if he talks on his cell phone loudly about his 40 reams of paper he sold that day.
Well HELLO Hotel Helix.
This hotel is unapologetically obnoxious. And I love it. Why?
Because it's a hotel for adults. Not corporate tool adults, but the kind of adult that eats dinner past 8pm and on occasion has a hangover at work the next day.
It's also not the type of place that you'll see little Johnny running around asking for the M&Ms in the mini-bar. In fact, my mini-bar has makers mark and pop rocks. I DO NOT recommend mixing the two.
Funky colors, late hours, pictures of Barbie and Ken on my wall, a lava lamp, and a faux leopard skin comforter.
My new DC home base.
Groovy.
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I stayed at the Helix for a few days recently on business. I'm generally a fan of Kimpton Hotels, and have gone out of my way to stay at one rather than a bland Marriott Residence Inn. If this wasn't a Kimpton, I would actually have given it 4 stars, but I have high expectations when I see the Kimpton name. While the Helix was good, it wasn't quite all there, especially for about $250/night. I'd give it 3.5 if I could.
The hotel is in a good location near Logan Circle, but it's not near the Metro. I walked to and from the Convention Center a few times, and noticed that the neighborhoods in between were a bit on the sketchy side. On the plus side, the Helix is in a quiet spot.
The decor is funky and interesting - very retro, with bright plastic colors throughout, yet minimalist at the same time. There are pictures and artwork throughout. There was a big picture of a surfer hanging over the beds in my room. I felt like it was very Hollywood, 30 to 40 years ago. The bar area was lively - mostly hip 20 and 30 somethings, mixed with some business travelers. Few kids to be seen, which is nice if you're just trying to relax.
The staff was friendly, funny and very responsive. My TV remote wasn't working (it turned out the receiver box had fallen behind the stereo), and when I mentioned it to the room service guy, he radioed it in right away and someone from maintenance showed up maybe 5 minutes later. Good luck getting that kind of service at most hotels. Many staff members also have their favorite movie on their name tags ("Office Space" made for some fun conversation), which is cool.
The room was ok. I had booked a standard room that has two double beds, rather than queen beds. The beds also seemed a little too firm. The room was almost NY-small, and it only had a stall shower with no tub (fine for me, but I wouldn't take my lovely better half here - she'd have issues with the bathroom). While they had the signature leopard print bathrobes (these looked a little out of place contrasted against the bright green hues in the room), the towels were thin and rough, not the usual soft towels I have come to expect at other Kimptons.
I also checked out the gym, which was crammed in to a small room two ellipticals, a treadmill and a bike. Other than that, they had a paltry assortment of weights and very little space to work out. The hotel has guest passes to the Y a couple of blocks away, but a bit more space and equipment for the gym would be nice.
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The hotel is beautiful, very well designed, comfortable, and quiet. I surprised my design snob boyfriend with a night here for his birthday-- all the furniture is funky, the beds are very comfortable, and the lobby and bar were hip but welcoming.
If you don't like bright colors the Helix isn't for you. However, if you like orange, lime green, black and white photos, and Warhol-inspired art you'll be in heaven. For the price the room was huge (actually, about the size of our studio apartment) and comfortable. I got our room for right at $100 on a Sat. night, a good deal given how fancy the room was.
Our only complaint was with the valet service was slow (like, asking what kind of car it is, having you verify if these really are your keys, etc). Still, that is a small thing in an otherwise perfect place.
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This hotel is amazing. Okay, so the lobby is in a white-out glass area which blends in with the bar that has flashing neon lights. They even have a little patio area with colorful umbrellas. Step into the bar, they have every drink imaginable and the BEST breakfast (eggs to yogurt, sausage to muffins- so delicious) Go to the elevator, into your room and HELLO ART! The rooms are funky-fresh, hip, and inviting. Everything's def not your typical hotel.. the leopard print bathrobes, the bathroom, the closet, the beds. I fell in love with this place. It's a treat in itself!
My only complaint: The valet in front takes forever to get your car!
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I love this hotel! I have stayed for a few trips. It is a funky boutique hotel that works for me but my mother might freak out in.
The room is spacious and makes me feel as though I am staying in a suite with the bed being seperate from the desk and couch.
Workout space isn't great but they have a treadmill, elliptical and bike so hopefully you can get something depending on what time you get down there. Fabulous outdoor bar that you should check out even if you aren't staying there!
Hotel staff is pretty good and tries their best to accomodate whatever you need. And decent prices at the hotel. I book through my company's travel agent but the kimpton Web site and orbitz have affordable nights here, too!
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i told myself that i wouldn't stay at another kimpton hotel after my disappointment with hotel palomar. i love trying different hotels so i "volunteered" to stayed here for a few days while my extended family was in town and stayed at (took over) my place in DC.
the hotel is funky, clean, well-maintained and has charm. it's tucked away in the middle of some residences and offices so it's very quiet and low-key. the rooms are big with ample room to walk around and lounge. the service and staff are super friendly. the bar area is small and was never over-crowded. bartender was attentive, the food was surprisingly good for bar/hotel food. very "personable" hotel... it felt more like staying at a small apartment vs. a big busy hotel chain.
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Kimpton Hotels - I love your style. I have stayed in 5 different cities with you and it has never been a disappointment. It's actually quite a treat.
The Helix is probably my most favorite one of your family so far. (Although the Hotel Monaco in Denver is a close second) I come to DC for work frequently, and normally would be annoyed by it, but because I get to stay with at Helix - all is wonderful.
The hotel staff is professional, attentive and fun. They remember me now, and I really appreciate that. The bar is gorgeous and I love their doggy happy hour, which happens every Tuesday I think. The rooms are brilliantly decorated with the curtains framing the bed and curving out from the window. The decor is pop, bright and makes me happy, just walking in. I love that the bar is a neighborhood gathering spot, it makes me feel less like I'm on the road, ya know?
A bonus is that while it's funky, a great location, comfortable, great products (aveda), great mini bar, it's also seriously one of the most affordable hotels in DC at $169 a night.
I highly recommend not only the Hotel Helix, but the Kimpton Hotel group.
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This place is a lot of fun. I'm totally diggin the vibe here. It's sorta got an L.A. vibe goin on, real swanky, lots of bright colors, and "retro" art. There isn't a lot of stuff to do around here but whatever, D.C. seems to be pretty small so cab rides are easy. You could totally party like a rockstar in this joint, it's got the type of feel that wouldn't make you feel awkward or guilty if you filled your room with strippers and blow. Everyone could wear their (hotel provided) leopard print robes and get their swerve on, I'm pretty sure that's what the management is shooting for anyway.
Apparently Mayor Marion Barry got arrested smoking crack here too, so if you're gonna smoke crack this might not be the spot.
If you're in D.C. to party this place is a pretty fun joint to pass out each night.
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I love this hotel. They layout is so nice. I have stayed here a few times.
This hotel is owned by Kimpton hotels and most of their hotels are very beautiful. The perfect place to take a girl if you want impress her.
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This place is really funky. I think they got most of their furniture from the set of Laugh-In. They should have named it the Laugh Inn... sorry. Anyways, if you don't mind 60's mod-styled furniture, Cleopatra-esque beds complete with (faux?) leopard skin blankets or tacky decorations, then check out the Helix. They are also dog-friendly on designated floors, and are located at a central part of DC, not a far walk to the subway. The bar downstairs is pretty cool, too.
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I stayed here for one night when my friend was visiting and wanted to do something different. This hotel is so much fun - the decor is totally over the top but it works. It's not too close to a metro but is in walking distance to U Street restaurants and shopping. The rooms are very funky and glamorous complete with cheetah pattern robes. We also went for complimentary champagne at their Bubbly Hour at their bar that was just as psychedelic as the rest of the hotel. We got a good deal on the room and I think there rates are fairly reasonable.
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Not sure what it's like to stay here, but we had a brilliant time at a private Oscar party. Helix was an apt location, as the stylish decor was very DC-meets-Hollywood. The walls display larger-than-life photos of Marilyn Monroe & Martin Luther King, and Warhol's pop art of Jackie Kennedy. The interior design is a whimsical mix of swank luxury (e.g. rich satiny couches) and playful pop culture (brightly colored sci-fi lights and spacey chairs that look straight out of Ugly Betty or Star Trek). Devo's Whip It played in the lobby. Just fab.
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So my friends and I went on roadtrip and stop in DC to visit and stay with my friend's brother who we found out had this fat, hairy, shed all over the place cat that i happened to be sickly allergic too. There was no way i could stay and my friend suggested we stayed in the holiday inn next door instead. For $110 a night, i decided F that, if i was going to have to stay in a hotel i need some place fun to stay at and i found the hotel helix a few doors down on special promo for like $10 more. Best decision i made on that trip hands down.
From the minute i called to reserve a room (for that very night) the automated service was none other than Austin Powers w/ that cheesy background music. One of my friends agreed to stay with me and we walked over to the hotel. At first appearance the place looked Cheeeeeeeeee-sy. The different colored panel LED lights, the plastic furniture, everything. But as we got to the lounge area, it started seeming a lot hipper, The lounge looked really nice but there was a private party so we "weren't allowed in" (we ended up sneaking in later anyways) with some really clubby hip hop music.
The real surprise is when we got to our floor. the hallways were moded out and crazy colored. And our room was so different and cool. We took like a hundred pictures (a few posted above for your viewing pleasure) and our friend who forgot to mention that her bro had a cat was totally jealous. We had an amazing view, a king size bed that had a fur cover. A huge TV, cheetah spotted bathrobes, lime green mini bar. And then we went downstairs to sneak into the private party and who else was throwing the party but PRETTY RICKY (so we think). All in all a great deal, a very unique and original setting, all for just $10 bucks more than the holiday inn. Now it doesn't get any better than that.
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It's shagadelic, baby! Not for the beige and seersucker set, this hotel is pure fun: Lime green walls, psychedelic curtains, retro candies and games in the room - this is the place to be if you are looking to experience your 15 minutes of fame (that's the hotel's schtick) time in DC.
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Ahhh...I'm currently writing this review at the hotel. I wish I did not have to leave the Helix. I have traveled a lot and stayed in many hotels but this is one of the most unique hotels by far. The decor is very modern, bright, and upbeat. I love the fact that the king size bed is in it's own alcove and that it is hidden by lime green drapes. Other perks include: cheetah bathrobes, free Aveda products, daily newspaper, and free wireless Internet. Wholefoods is 2 block away, the White House is 6 blks, and shopping is an 8 minute walk. I am definitely going to stay here again. My only gripe is valet overnight parking is $27 a day (gasp!!!). Money Saving Tip: Regular room rates are about $300 a night but I booked on expedia.com and paid about a 1/3 of that.
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My alltime favorite hotel EVER!! So wonderful, accomodating, and affordable. Modern and stylish close to cool restaurants and gay friendly businesses. I love this place. This is where I stay in DC nomatter what Im doing.
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If you want to stay in a central hotel, inexpensive, with an out of the box hotel feel - this is your hotel. I stayed in one of their suites, and it was HUGE and so nice..i loved it so much. There is a seperate sitting room, large bathroom, and bedroom that is quite large in itself. It's almost like Austin Power designed it with a bit of a retro/ CA hip feel to it with artwork all down the halls. In the bedroom it has a mosquito type screen that you can enclose yourself off into, which is hot. The controls for the lights and SC are right next to the bed which makes it very convenient. With regards to the hallways, i was kinda thrown off at first as their lime green and in your face. It somehow works here, and adds to the cool-hip-lounge feel downstairs in their bar. Time after time their lounge is voted to be one of the best first date spots in the city, i wouldnt know about that. Though it is aa cute space with plush couches and good vibe and drinks.
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