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Washington · Hotel shortlist

The best 4 star hotels in Washington

Gerald Whitfield

Gerald Whitfield The American northeast and Canada

Updated 1 September 2026 · 122 Washington hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Washington, out of the 122 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.9 down to 4.6.

Mint House Washington, D.C. Downtown by Kasa is the one I would book myself.

Mint House Washington, D.C. Downtown by Kasa

Highest rated of the five

Mint House Washington, D.C. Downtown by Kasa

★★★★★4.9 from 224 reviews

Mint House Washington, D.C. Downtown by Kasa comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9 from 224 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under city centre and around $380 a night on the dates we checked.

122 hotels in Washington qualified for this list and five made it. Canal House of Georgetown, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Kitchenettebreakfast on your own schedule
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in
  • Step free accesslevel entry and a lift

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All five, ranked

  1. Mint House Washington, D.C. Downtown by Kasa1

    Mint House Washington, D.C. Downtown by Kasa

    ★★★★★4.9 from 224 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  2. Canal House of Georgetown, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel2

    Canal House of Georgetown, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

    ★★★★★4.8 from 224 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  3. Swann House3

    Swann House

    ★★★★★4.8 from 206 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

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  4. Hilton Arlington Rosslyn The Key4

    Hilton Arlington Rosslyn The Key

    ★★★★★4.7 from 233 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

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  5. The Satire, Autograph Collection5

    The Satire, Autograph Collection

    ★★★★★4.6 from 425 reviews

    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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How this list was put together

122 Washington hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Gerald Whitfield

Gerald Whitfield The American northeast and Canada

Volunteers three days a week and travels the rest. Maritime museums and working boatyards in 19 countries, mostly by ferry and train, talking to the shipwrights in every one.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.