Swann House

An elegant combination of history and comfort. The breakfast was a culinary treat. Only one problem: we did not have enough time to enjoy there!

I have been to the Swann House to join my friend’s breakfast party, yey! The breakfast was a buffet –not a big buffet buffet but in my idea they had all the essentials. I really enjoyed everything, specially their homemade cookies, super fresh!
This hotel in general is a place to fall in love with! The architecture and design of building is very particular, and in a way it resembles an European style mansion. There are some cute, antique furnitures in the living room which catch my attention. I didn’t get a chance to visit the rooms, but I assume that they should be very particular as well. The staff are very attentive and will make sure that you feel like you’re in home.

My stay here started out poorly. The owner Isabelle, however, not only made my stay much better but made me feel at home. Breakfast in the morning was delicious. I would stay here again and will recommend it to my friends.

Lovely place and great staff. There was a bit of hiccup with check in but they upgraded us and we had no trouble. The house is beautiful and is in a great location. I would definitely stay again.

I don’t always stay in B&B inns but when I do, I try to stay in places like Swann House. I honestly cannot imagine a better place to stay in DC and here are a few reasons why:
1. Location: Swann House is walking distance from Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan, so there are loads of great restaurants and nightlife nearby.
2. Ambience: The house itself is a little time capsule that preserves the best elements of 19^th century charm and grace. The rooms are beautiful but the common areas are truly wonderful, with lots of nooks and alcoves for solitary reading or intimate conversation.
3. Service: Cream puffs and sherry served every afternoon in the sitting room. I don’t need to say anything else.

Awesome! Great service, friendly and helpful staff, beautiful room, fantastic location — Swann House met and exceeded my expectations. If I return to DC, I’ll be staying at Swann House :-)

TERRIBLE experience at the Swann house today. I threw my best friend a bridal shower at Swann house today and it was a royal mess. It was supposed to be a high tea bridal shower and the caterer did not show up until 1:45 (the shower started at noon). We also had to ask 5 times for the staff to bring out hot water so people could actually have tea. The event coordinator was impossible to find and basically hid from us (I’m guessing because she was so embarrassed). They didn’t charge me for the food, but I still had to pay the 800.00 room fee. I would not recommend the Swann house to anyone who is planning a shower! I felt the event coordinator made matters worse by the poor manner in how she handled everything. Very disappointed.

Swann House, we sadly found out, has closed. It was sold and details are difficult to find on the internet about what’s next for the property.

I stayed here when I was in DC for the weekend for a workshop. I was supposed to stay one night but I liked the people in charge so much I stayed Sunday as well. It was so peaceful despite being very close to both Dupont circle and 18^th Street/​Adams Morgan. It honestly felt like stepping back in time to when things were way more comfortable. Facilities were awesome as well. I will definitely be staying there again next time I’m in DC!

How could you not ADORE Swann House? Living in the ‘hood, I have stayed at Swann House with my family and I have to say, it’s the perfect getaway for a weekend or more. The staff is kind, attentive and makes you feel part of the family, which is really the main part of the b&b experience. The breakfast is delicious and always a little different and they’re super accommodating to any dietary needs (i’m gluten free). Of course, I’m biased, but the location is perfectly ideal for visiting washington and wanting to live a little more like a local than just doing the tourist thing. Love this place and it’s gorgeous atmosphere!!!

I love this place. After three stays within the course of a year I would say it was worth repeating. The rooms are spacious. The staff are very likeable and professional. The breakfasts and evening beverages and snacks make it all the more pleasureable. I like the mood of walking into the Swann House and feeling like I’m at my other home especially when I want to be away for a little while. It’s easy to get to. It’s cozy enough to be away from all the sorrounding buzz. And more importantly you can savor a staycation here. They offer complimentary internet access, printing, and newspapers (print) too. If you want to fall in love with a little change of pace this is the place for you.

Get your ROMANCE ON at the Swann House!
Perfect weekend getaway for our 1^st Wedding Anniversary! My husband and I were married on April 1^st, yes… April Fools Day. But we were no FOOLS when it came to choosing the perfect hotel/​inn to celebrate our special day!
— Perfect location on a street full of Brownstones in Dupont Circle (By PERFECT I mean it seriously gets no freakin’ better than this)
— Gorgeous and oober comfy rooms. (Make sure you get a room with a jacuzzi tub)
— Wonderful charming breakfast
— The price is totally worth it, much better than any HOTEL!
If your planning something special and feel the need to escape for a weekend of romance, don’t be a FOOL and miss out on The Swann House!

My boyfriend and I stayed in the Shanghai Hideaway. It was über romantic. The room was a perfect size. I didn’t realize that the room is located in the basement, and does not get natural sunlight. For me, this was not a problem because we spent most of our day sightseeing and hopping around town.
The staff was really helpful and very accommodating. They helped us navigate to near by restaurants, metro routes and different places within the city. The restaurants near the b&b are pretty good. My favorite was Kramers Afterwards and Grill. The location of the B&B is in a great area. It’s close to the Metro, yet has a neighborhood view.
The breakfast is okay. It did not blow my socks off like other B&Bs. I was a little disappointed with the lack of meat in the warm breakfast option.
I do have to warn you that the plumbing is probably from the early 1920’s. So flush with caution.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time at the Swann House. I will recommend it to others because it is a great B&B in a great city.

The great thing about bed and breakfasts — romance, intimacy, a nice breakfast to start your day, and on to top it all, you can support a small business.
The bad things about bed and breakfasts– cramped quarters and lumpy beds.
Swann has all of the good and none of the bad. As a business traveller, I have started to stay away from B&Bs so that I could have my personal space and standardized comfort, but I’d change my habits for Swann.
— The breakfast was both hearty and healthy, with a hot meal option (the first day it was a warm croissant, the second day I had a veggie and egg burrito).
— They offer an evening snack.
— The rooms are comfortable and more spacious than many B&Bs I have been too.
— We used the dining room and living room for a retreat meeting space, which was comfortable and quiet for our group.
— Free wifi throughout the house.
— The location is walking distance to DC’s many restaurants and bars on U street or Connecticut.
A great place to stay in DC!

First, a proposal at our alma mater, then dinner at Citronelle, then a stay at Swann House — I could not have asked for a more perfect engagement day.
Must say that R is some sort of champ, as Swann House was a great choice. This was my first stay at a B&B, so I don’t really have anything to compare it to, but I was very satisfied. The house itself is gorgeous, with dramatic floral curtains and super-​soft rugs.
We stayed in the Jennifer Green room, which had a lovely balcony overlooking the neighborhood and the pool downstairs. I think my favorite bit was the linens — so full and plush, I wanted to dive my face in them repeatedly. The bathroom is great too; I love that old-​style ‘washroom’ is separated from the toilet shower.
The staff as fantastic, getting me a vase for my flowers as soon as I walked in and ensuring that R’s friends’ gift of champagne arrived to the room in style. I thought breakfast would be more pomp and circumstance, but we did get down there a little late (around 9.15), so I think they’d stopped serving the veggie frittatas. :(The continental was very nice, though, with what appeared to be homemade granola, and a selection of oatmeals, cereals, and breads for toast.
Overall, we had a wonderful stay, though I still don’t really believe it all happened. :)

One of the best B&Bs that I have ever stayed at. Not so much because the facilities were emaculate because it has its issues, but because of the staff. I couldn’t believe how friendly and accommodating they were with everything. I was welcomed and put at ease when I arrived, I felt like I was home seeing family. When I mentioned I would miss breakfast due to early meetings, the office manager was not going to let her guests leave hungry for the day and she personally packed me a breakfast/​lunch.
Mini fridge on premises with free waters, sodas, iced tea. Also coffee and fruit available to snack on. Free liquor in the evening and a fresh baked dessert to munch on.
The stairs are squeaky so it’s a pain slipping in and out late at night without making a lot of noise, but c’est la vie. The rooms are average-​small size but nicely decorated and the beds are very warm and comfortable. However, the walls/​doors are not sexy time friendly. Other downsides are limited parking and no secure area for baggage check — though I was never concerned about the security of my bags since the office manager is very attentive to who’s coming and going.
Cabs are always passing by on the main thoroughfare or you can take a quick walk a few blocks to dupont’s trendy area. I highly recommend staying here if you can. Great neighborhood, restaurants, and bars and not overly crowded or pretentious as a lot of the downtown areas are.

We live in the area but occasionally will stay at a B&B for fun. We got turned on to this place by friends from out of state who stayed there while visiting DC. This is definitely one of the nicer B&B’s I’ve seen in DC proper, and it is quite popular and often pretty busy around the dinner hour. I don’t remember the name of the room we stayed in, but I do remember it had a bathroom featuring a gigantic tub AND two wall showers all in the same marble-​tiled room. (Slight minus — it was a tad slippery in there when the showers made the floor wet.) I am not sure why you would need to have a tub (big enough for three) and two showers all in the same fancy bath area but I would encourage you to let your imagination run wild. Mine sure did.
In the nice weather there is supposedly an operational pool here, which is what drew my friends to the place initially. We stayed during the colder season so the pool was not opened, and the little balcony off our room looking out on it had a lot of pigeons nesting and dropping there. I am sure it’s nicer in the good weather though. I did enjoy sitting on a bench on the front widow’s walk of the house. Sadly, some other parts of the house, such as up in the big tower, were locked or blocked off. I’d give it five stars if I could have peeped that high view. I’d like to stay here again and check out some of the other rooms.
As someone else noted, this is a pretty safe part of DC though I would still use some caution wandering around at night if you’re not from the area. This place is also not that close to the Metro. It’s not super far away, but it’s actually about a half mile away, and there are B&B’s that are closer particularly if you’re hauling heavy luggage in hot DC weather. Parking in the area is also a little funky. I recommend just taking a cab.

Swann House made our visit to Washington totally wonderful. It was such a beautiful place to go back to and relax after being in the city all day.
We were there in December, and the house was decorated for Christmas, and it was just so cute. We arrived late at night and it was very welcoming. We stayed in the smaller Lighthouse Room, and it was perfect for just the two of us. The bed was super comfortable. The homemade breakfasts were delicious both days, and the staff was very welcoming and friendly. There was always food and drink out for us too, no matter the time.
I’m not big on some B&Bs because the staff can sometimes be too «personal», if you know what I mean, asking questions and being too talkative when I’m just not in the mood. But the staff was just friendly enough.
Also, the location is great — there was lots to do in Dupont Circle (particularly in terms of resturant choices), and the metro was a quick walk for going everywhere else.
Totally worth it.

It isn’t cheap, but if you thrive on service with a personal touch and like the intimacy of bed and breakfasts, then, I would definitely recommend the Swann House.
While visiting D.C. for 3 days, we made the Swann House our home away from home. We stayed in the Serengheti Suite, which I understand is soon to be remodeled.
The house itself is in a great location, it is away from crowds and is in a very quiet and safe part of D.C. (Dupont Circle). It is very close to the metro and to shopping and local eateries. Plus, it is BEAUTIFUL (outside and inside) and the staff were very nice.
There is a pool out back and what I loved about staying in the Serengheti suite was that we were SECLUDED from the rest of the house. It had it’s own private garden entrance like an in-​law suite. Plus, we had FREE INTERNET and all of the modern conveniences of home (television, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, kitchenette…), while enjoying the historic setting of the mansion.
The weekday continental breakfasts consist of cut fresh fruit, granola, yoghurt, cereal, toast and fresh juice. The afternoon snacks ranged from cakes and cookies to nuts and biscuits… Not to mention the Sherry… YUM.
In the shared «break» room, there are plenty of travel magazines, guide and reference books to assist a traveler staying at the Swann House. In addition, there are MENUS to many of the local restaurants. Oh… and I can’t forget the free coffee (in the morning and in the afternoon), bottled water, tea and HOMEMADE lemonade.
If you can afford the stay, it is definitely worth it. BTW, there is parking (albeit limited) for guests and in the residential area.
When you make a reservation, there is an up front deposit required, so read the cancellation policy very closely. Although, I doubt that you will want to cancel once you look through the website!

Oh so very lovely! If you’re a B&B type person, this is 5 stars. If you’re a luxury, full service kinda person, book a room at the Marriott.
This old mansion is just wonderful and the staff is super accomodating. All rooms have en suite baths and each room has a special décor. Some rooms have fireplaces, others decks, whirlpool tubs, etc. It’s a great old house that you’ll actually want to hang out in. My bed was super comfy in the Jennifer Green Room. I’ll be in the Richardson Room next month.
A perfect location just off Dupont Circle, you’ll feel live you’re living in DC instead of just visiting.