You probably all know that boutique hotels have been a weirdly big business during the past five years. Who knew we all wanted a small, stylish hotel that was just for "me." It's been great for design, however, as every one pushes boundaries and experiments with styles that are a long way from Best Western or The Motor Lodge. Last week I had the pleasure of being put up at the Kimpton's Helix in DC. It was my first brush with really far out hotel design. Allow me to share.
First of all, The Helix wants you to be a star and makes no bones about it:
"Ready for your 15 minutes? Hop into the spotlight of the newly renovated Hotel Helix, where colorful décor and Hollywood style set the stage for a boutique hotel experience in downtown Washington, DC.
You’ll be treated like a super star from the moment you sache into our swanky, playful lobby adorned with artwork and black and white photography."
My only wish was that Sara Kate was traveling with me! Enjoy the tour.
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OMG I LOVE IT!!!
I love that your socks match the love seat!
teastarr1 - i was going to say the same thing.
how fun would be to go all out nuts on a design like this?
What fun! I love it!
I hope you got to check out their happy hour on the patio too! It's a great find in DC, we love it here!
it's like a movie set
I always try to stay at a Kimpton when I travel - each of their hotels has a different theme. They're also pet-friendly (even having free "rental goldfish" for travelers!) and have a lot of really unique programs. My favorite is the Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandria VA. Its pretty tame by Kimpton standards, but a total oasis after dealing with Metro hell all day!
I live in the DC metro area. It seems like every new hotel in DC is calling itself a "boutique hotel," sort of like every new condo construction is calling itself a "loft." This one seems a bit lowbrow to me. I think of boutique hotels as being a bit more luxurious. The finishes, particularly in the bathroom, just aren't doing it for me.
Oh we love the Helix! We stay there when we go up to DC. They are not only pet friendly (they always ask me when I book if I'd like a goldfish in my room) but also very kid friendly. It's always fund to see what our room will be like each time we visit. I wouldn't stay anywhere else in DC!
"It's been great for design, however, as every one pushes boundaries and experiments with styles that are a long way from Best Western or The Motor Lodge."
What is the rest of this sentence?
What a fun place! Thanks for sharing this.
Also, faaabulous socks. Good work. ;)
Ditto to the socks...
cheese
Ditto the bathroom. I think the teeny tiny washbowl is highly impractical as is the area around it. OK if it's your guest bathroom but not ok if you're trying to be neat about yours and your companion's traveling stuff. The ideas look good - love the curtain "separating" the bedroom, and the placing of the seating area to both separate the desk and save on space is imaginative. But things look a little cheap. I'd love to see how they hold up after a couple of years. We've stayed in two Kimptons in DC - one on Sixteenth Street - which made me think I was in a bordello - never been to one, but this made me think that one might want to emulate the look, and the other on P st, two blocks from Dupont Circle. This one was a lot more adult looking but in its effort to be edgy, it went too far with gimicky stuff all over that made the place look like it was trying too hard to be with it. Usually, less and simple is the ultimate in good taste. This one looks fun and un pretentious but I'll bet the prices required a little more comfort than what this room, at least, seems to offer.
love the socks! :)
@VancouverHomeBody - Grammar has never been my strong suit, but let me see what I can do...
"It's been great for design, however, as every new boutique hotel pushes boundaries and experiments with styles that are more extreme and more niche - farther from the homogeneous style of the Best Westerns or The Motor Lodges."
Better?
Are you sporting a mohawk? If not, consider it. It's a good look!
This reminds me a bit of the Clarendon in Arizona. Fun and funky. Also with a fabulous loft and amazing mosaic pool area.
Anyone know where I can get a love seat like that? It's perfect for my new condo.
Not so much the pattern or colors, but I don't have a lot of room, and the size and shape of it is fantastic.
http://verywellanalisa.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-place.html
Hot!!!
@Maxwell - Much!
I was sure I had your meaning, but I had to re-read several times to believe that I knew what you meant ... Thank you, it is an enjoyable article with great images. :0)
"sache" ??? Tell me you didn't really see this in writing!
I'd heard good things about Kimptons, but this is just a little too garish for me.
hello :)
this place looks like a bad Fellini nightmare !!!
I half expect Patsy and Edina to walk in, throw up and say "fabulous sweety"...
And I hope that no, this is not a Lacroix...
Seriously though, it seems to please a lot of people but for me, eikkkkk... I'd rather sleep in a Pontiac Aztek...
Mario in Ottawa...
Has anyone stayed at the Bristol in San Diego?
Their decor has been updated but when they first opened the decor was very similar. We had a room with a surfer headboard art thingie and a tv stand (?) like that.
What it DIDN'T have was hot water, but that's another story.
Personally, I think there's too much going on for me to relax in a place like this.
:( it is still not a sentence...
"It's been great for design, and, as every new boutique hotel pushes boundaries and experiments with styles that are more extreme and more niche - they get farther from the homogeneous style of the Best Westerns or The Motor Lodges."
And that's the point isn't it??
The headboard is marvelously simple and looks like it could be made to fit any size bed. It also looks like the hinged
side tables would be practical for keeping things close at hand at night.
The curved curtain around the bed is another simple and lovely idea.
Does the love seat make into a bed??
The yellow bureau as you enter the bathroom looks like a food prep area - is it? Is there a fridge &/or a microwave?
No, no! I love this and I love that you shared it Maxwell. Thanks. I am curious about the prices tho, because I do think this looks a bit low-end. If the $ is comparable to Best Western et al then this is a superb break from all that standard issue decor. If it's pricey, then I agree, it's disappointing. I will certainly be checking it out for my next DC visit!
Oh, and dear Maxwell, that is the first incomplete sentence I have seen in all your writing. And your writing is always very personally engaging and professionally enlightening!
Kimpton Hotels Rock!
What is that surfer picture behind the bed? It looks like a curtain or fabric?
I love Kimpton too and I love boutique hotels. I've stayed at a Kimpton in San Francisco a few times for both work and fun that is one of my favorite places. I'm not telling which it is.
Dear grammar geeks: Just where is the incomplete sentence? If you substitute the word "since" for "as" in that construction (what I assumed Maxwell meant in using it) you get a clear and complete sentence. As(!) you did before (and that's an incomplete sentence.)
Wonderful hotel! I'd have liked to see the common areas.
@Maxwell–Not only is the hotel fabulous, so is it's Dupont Circle location.
I think this was the same room I stayed in a while back. If the the window in the main suite looked down over the outdoor lounge/patio (which turns into a pretty rocking club by night), then that's the one. Did you at least try on one of the leopard bathrobes?