Good Hotel near Dupont Circle for Christmas?

There is a goatload of good hotels near Dupont Circle. What is your budget, approximately? That will help narrow down the recos.

We are looking at 3 hotels near Dupont Circle -
Normandy Inn
Windsor Inn
Hotel Madera
We avoid "chain" hotels - and do not mind smaller rooms - because we rarely spend any time there.
We prefer small, charming, quiet, CLEAN hotels with friendly personnel.

If you like small, charming hotels, look at the Tabard Inn. The Normandy is well above Dupont Circle, so I would rule that out.

Tabard Inn is lovely.

Thanks for the recommendations - I'll definitely check out the Tabard Inn.
Happy Holidays!!!

...and the Tabard Inn has a really terrific restaurant.

We had a lovely stay at the Normandy earlier this year, and loved the location, approx half way between Dupont Circle and Woodly Park. Its on one of the prettiest streets in DC IMHO, many embassies on the street, and was an easy walk to either area. If you're coming back to the hotel from the Metro and want to avoid walking up the hill (which isn't a mountain by any stretch), just continue on the red line to Woodly Park and then stroll down the hill to the hotel--voila!

The Normandy rooms were very nicely appointed in stylish Euro decor, and frankly larger than we expected given some of the tripadvisor reviews. Very nice serene atmosphere to come back to after a day in the city. Hope to stay there again soon on another one of our mini-trips from Baltimore.

From what you said, I wouldn't do Hotel Madera. It's very hip and not at all like the others you mentioned.

Another vote for Normandy Inn. Just returned from a weekend stay. This was our fourth time at this location. I like the neighborhood and although it is north of Dupont Circle I still feel like it easily situated for that area. Rooms are on the smallish side, but how much time are spending there when there is so much to do out and about? Metro stop is about a 10-15 minute walk. It is up hill to the Normandy but with all the good eating in D.C. I consider that part of working it off!

I go by the Normandy a lot as it's on the same street as Alliance Francaise. I haven't been in it, but it sure looks like a medium-sized chain hotel from the outside, it doesn't sound like your description at all (small, charming, etc.). It isn't huge, though, moe medium sized and maybe the rooms are decorated nicely--it's just the outside looks very modern and bland. It's not as convenient to the metro there, though.

The Madera is a chain hotel, anyway, it's part of the Kimpton chain. SO is the Normandy, for that matter. In fact, the same people own Courtyard by Marriott a few blocks away who run the Normandy.

When I think of a medium-sized chain hotel, I'm thinking of a Best Western, or a Garden Hilton. The Normandy isn't that--its housed in a brownstone and blends in with the Embassies and upscale homes on the street--you have to look closely to see its a hotel and not another home. We had just come back to Paris when we stayed there and felt a little bit of that had landed in DC.