Hotel Nell - Union Market

I had high expectations for this stay, but unfortunately it turned into one of the most disappointing hotel experiences I’ve had. I booked three nights and ended up leaving after the first night because the conditions were simply not acceptable. The room did not feel clean or well maintained, and overall comfort was very poor. The space was tight, the bed was uncomfortable, and there were noticeable maintenance issues that should have been addressed long before guests arrived. Noise was another major problem. It was difficult to rest due to the lack of sound insulation and the general atmosphere around the property. When you’re traveling—whether for work or with family—being able to sleep comfortably is essential, and that just wasn’t possible here. For the price paid, including additional fees, the experience did not match the cost in any way. I made the decision to move to another hotel rather than continue the stay. I truly hope management takes steps to improve the overall cleanliness, maintenance, and guest experience, because in its current condition, I would not choose to stay here again.

We recently stayed at the Hotel Nell in Washington, DC, and overall, we really enjoyed it. The decorations and colors of the interior were fantastic—everything was clean, modern, and the lighting had a really cool vibe. We also loved the view from the rooftop bar. The food quality was just so-so, but considering the price, it was a pretty good deal. Breakfast service was a bit short-staffed and our waitress seemed a little put out by us asking for coffee—but hey, everyone has their days.

A truly exceptional experience. The property was clean, quiet, and very well maintained. Every interaction with the staff was positive and professional. The room offered great comfort and attention to detail, making it easy to unwind. The entire stay felt effortless and enjoyable from beginning to end.

I generally refrain from leaving negative reviews; however, it is necessary. How should I begin? The only positive was the front desk attendant during our stay, which we cut short from 3 days to only 1 night, and moved to a different hotel. This hotel critically requires improvements. -The beds are exceedingly small and uncomfortable, unsuitable for two occupants. -The walls are as thin as cardboard, allowing you to hear everything upstairs, downstairs, and next doors. -The televisions are defective. -The bathrooms were not properly cleaned, with old bodily fluids present. -LOUD Music playing until late hours without regulations (A hotel not appropriate for families). -AC was set to 80, could not lower it. A furnace at night. -Dirty beds.

I agree with my friend, and after spending time reading through other reviews, I felt it was necessary to share my own experience as well. I stayed in a two–twin-bed room, and the total space was approximately 120 square feet. Once both beds were in place, there was almost no room to move. The layout felt poorly planned and extremely tight, to the point where basic comfort was compromised. The beds were mounted on very basic metal frames, paired with low-quality mattresses and one thin pillow per bed. Sleeping was uncomfortable, and I woke up with stiffness and discomfort. Due to the lack of space, the mini fridge was positioned next to the bed and essentially used as a bedside table, which says a lot about the room size. The bathroom offered no relief. The shower was a very small corner unit, roughly 2x2, enclosed by a fabric curtain, giving it a temporary, budget feel. Honestly, the only real distinction from a hostel was the use of white bed linens. Another major issue was the air quality. The room was extremely dry, to the point where it felt uncomfortable to breathe, especially at night. Sleeping in such dry conditions made the stay even less pleasant. After this experience, it’s difficult to understand how this property maintains such a high rating. Based on what I encountered, the reviews do not accurately reflect the reality. I’m sharing this so other travelers can make a more informed decision.

We stayed at hotel nell for 5 days during our D.C trip and our opinions are definitely mixed. Firstly, the dining options here are so good. Great breakfast options and coffee, and also the rooftop bar is super nice with affordable gourmet tacos. The front desk attendants were also extremely kind and explained everything very well. For this alone id give 5 stars. The issues start with the room. The TV didn’t work at all which is inconvenient for a longer stay but not the worst thing ever. The beds are some of the worst ive ever slept on and we both went home achy. The walls are sooo thin you can hear the person in the room next to you even whispering. The smallest rooms rooms are also extremely small and have no room for any type of luggage but it would be fine for one person, that was on us for booking the smallest room. Reserved parking is 45/Night and for our longer stay it was definitely worth it but if you’re only staying a night or two i would recommend parking down the street. As i said before though the staff was great and i absolutely do not blame them for how crappy the rooms themselves are. Hence why im still giving 4 stars lol. PS : If you stay here definitely check out cafe maman down the street. Best coffee ever!

I had a fabulous one night stay at Hotel Nell! I was in DC with a friend to go to a conference, and we decided to stay the night in the city rather than return to Baltimore. The hotel was an easy walk from the red line through the Union Market area. What a fun and lively part of DC! We checked in around 6, tired from a long day and with the intention to drop our things and find somewhere to get dinner. ||The sweet woman at the front desk (sorry I can’t remember her name!) and the GM, Adam, were so nice and accommodating. They gave us vouchers for margaritas at the rooftop restaurant Treetop. After dropping our things off we decided we loved the stylish and relaxed atmosphere of the hotel so much, we might as well take advantage of the drink vouchers and have dinner there. ||Treetop was great. It was a little chilly outside but a beautiful evening and we were comfortable enough with jackets, which was good because the view from outside of DC and the Capitol Building was stunning. We had chips and guacamole, I had tacos and my friend had a bowl. Both were delicious and fresh. The friendly staff checked in on us often, but mostly left us to enjoy our food and the view.||After dinner we weren’t quite ready to go to bed, but we didn’t want to go back out into the city. So we went to the bar in the basement called the Singing Tiger. I had heard good things about the cocktails, and they were fun and tasty. We split a dessert and enjoyed chatting with the bar tender for a while. Before going to our rooms we filled out papers to hang on a tree to symbolize something we wanted to give up. What a fun touch!||The room was small, yet comfortable. I liked the toiletries, and the keys being in seed packets was a cute touch. There was plenty of space to hang up my few clothes, and even from my room on the second floor I got a good amount of natural light. I’m so glad we could spend the evening in the hotel, have a great dinner and drinks and be relaxed in bed before 11pm.||Before checkout we enjoyed breakfast at the restaurant in the lobby. There was a German school group eating breakfast at the same time and all of the tables were occupied, but we were able to be accommodated at one of the other tables in the lobby. The breakfast bowl was exactly what we needed to fuel ourselves for the day, and the mimosas and coffee were good, too. Again, the staff, the managers, everyone made us feel welcomed and taken care of.||Hotel Nell is a gem in a fun and popular area of the city. I felt safe and a little spoiled. The next time I want to get out of Baltimore for a night or two away I will be back!

We stayed at Hotel Nell in Washington, DC for an overnight visit and overall had a nice experience. The hotel is very trendy and aesthetically pleasing, with a modern design that feels fresh and stylish. The staff was polite and professional, and check-in was smooth. The location was convenient, especially being close to Union Market, which offered plenty of great food and shopping options. However, being near such a lively area made it a bit noisy at night. The rooms were on the smaller side but clean and comfortable for a short stay. It’s a great spot if you enjoy a modern, boutique-style hotel and don’t mind a little city noise.

Gather around, fellow Yelpers, while your favorite Yelp Correspondent regales you with the tale of his new favorite Washington DC hotel! Disclosure: This is my eighth trip to our nation's capital, on prior trips I enjoyed stays at more opulent hotels incl the Ritz Carlton, the Conrad and the historic Hay-Adams Hotel, but my just culminated trip to the small, aesthetically pleasing Hotel Nell has me vaulting it to the very pinnacle of WDC area hotels. My gorgeous bride of 28yrs and I stayed here for 3.5 days this week during our visit to our son, who is an ordained minister at George Washington University. Critics may arch their snotty noses and decry that the rooms are a little on the smallish side...but how much square footage do you need for a restful night's sleep? Naysayers might lament 'But where is the en-suite microwave?!' when, in fact, the front desk avails you 24/7 use of the microwave in Bolgiano's Pantry, located just adjacent to the lobby. For value-for-2025-dollar, the Hotel Nell packs a heckuva punch! Throw in the exquisite, oft-inventive design touches evident in every thoughtfully designed inch of each room, hallway and common space...and it's a beautiful way to unwind and relax amid busy days and evenings in our country's capital. Pro Tips: -Bolgiano's Pantry, downstairs, offers delicious chef-inspired breakfasts from 7-10am daily. -The Pantry is also the site of midweek cooking classes. What a better way to spend date night...or to intuit if that girl you're smitten with is more Julia Child or Julia Mild?! -Venture upstairs to the Treehouse Rooftop for leafy, green Tulum inspired views, enjoy the free house margarita they'll gift all hotel guests...and stay for the Mexican cuisine, from 5-9pm every evening. -Craving world class Mexican. Walk two blocks NE of the hotel and find "Mezcalero at La Cosecha." -Rather a thick, rib-sticking Rib Eye? Try St. Anselm, in the same bustling Union Market neighborhood. -Dessert, anyone? Geek out at Van Leeuwen. Special kudos to the staff, incl Nelly, who so graciously granted this weary duo an early check-in when we arrived following a twelve-hour redeye itinerary from Los Angeles. I'll close by paraphrasing my son, who cracked at my lofty review, "Suffice to say, Daddy, you think that the Hotel Nell is swell." Yep.

Okay, the hotel is advertised as"boutique" and I think that that's accurate. The room was small. Kind of like a single person hostel. It was still a good room though. There was a rooftop bar as and a restaurant in the basement which has a great dish. There was brunch available and we were given drink tickets. I personally wouldn't stay here again, but it was a decent experience.

My friend and I stayed at Hotel Nell - Union Market for a night last weekend when were in town for a show. The hotel is pretty conveniently located. It's around the corner from the F1 arcade in the Union Market neighborhood, but since it's at the far end of the neighborhood, it's a 15-20 minute walk to the nearest metro station (NoMa-Gallaudet). There are lots of bars, restaurants, cafes, and other places to visit in the neighborhood though (we got a drink at a bar or two on the walk home from the station the Friday night we stayed there). The service at the front desk was great (very helpful/friendly). Our room was a mixed bag. We had twin beds, which I love for a friend trip. And the room was nice enough (I don't mind a little basic when the hotel is a budget hotel). The decor was pretty nice; the bathroom was huge; the shower comfortable. Some of the outlets didn't work and our fridge was either not plugged in or that outlet didn't work either (because our food was not cold on Saturday morning). We weren't there long enough to use the gym or other facilities, but we did visit the rooftop bar. Overall, not a bad hotel - especially for the price. We got our room for about $150, which is a pretty fantastic price for a hotel in DC that isn't totally gross! A very good option if you're traveling or visiting on a more of a budget.

Peaceful and quiet environment. Stoped by for a quick brunch on a rainy day . The employee was friendly and delivered excellent customer service. Their sandwich & apple juice is delicious. I will be returning.

The server/ bartender Brandi was amazing. Great customer service. Good food. Definitely recommend this place and Brandi makes sure you are taken care of.

It's noisy, the walls are paper thin, it's small , and the AC doesn't work AT ALL. Lobby looks funky like a cool boutique hotel should, but once you get to the room it's a disaster. Hampton Inn is right next door and consistently good quality.

A New Yorker is rating this hotel. Hotel is great modern. I personality need a bath tab so I took one star off and around the hotel doesn't have something to grab... so over all, around $350/ a night is a bit too much.

Nice little place convenient by Uber to Union Station. Also has a small little indoor food court area that is walkable close by.

My friends and I came here for the Beyoncé concert. It was the four of us and we had a family room it had one king bed and a bunkbed, and it was the perfect size for the four of us . The bathroom was super spacious...This hotel was so amazing. We'll definitely be staying here in the future. They were super accommodating and were very very friendly. The ambience at the hotel is just so green and beautiful calm, relaxing, I definitely would like to stay here the next time I'm staying in DC area. my number one favorite thing about this hotel is that they have a rooftop bar that opens up around 5 PM and it is just gorgeous gorgeous view from the top of the hotel. You can see the city area and just the decorations and all of it just ties into how beautiful it is. I didn't get to see it when it's a lot more lively. I saw it when it was empty, but I definitely wanna come back just for that. I felt like an absolute queen at this hotel.

Service was amazing (shoutout to Jose at the front desk--he was efficient, funny, and kind. I watched him handle an aggressive guest with poise and calm). Affordable for the area, we spent about $165 on accommodations including parking & room. Rooms are very tiny, you are definitely paying for the location. We only stayed one night but the experience overall was nice. Beds were comfy

The bartender was rude and judgemental toward my order, said I didn't order enough food. Bad vibes.

We used Hotel Nell as our main hotel for guests at our recent wedding. The management team was super responsive, easy to work with, and professional. I really appreciated their quick turnaround on our requests. We hosted several events in the hotel, including a welcome party in the rooftop bar and a brunch in the cafe. Everything ran really smoothly, and we had such a great time. Our friends and family liked the hotel too, and talked to us a lot about how great the food was. Probably the only downside is that some of the rooms are a bit small, people with extra luggage were a little cramped. We'd definitely stay here again!