The St. Gregory is conveniently located at M Street and 21st. It's smack in between two hopping areas, Georgetown and Dupont Circle. Tons of restaurants and boutique stores are just a few blocks from the hotel. The Mall is a little bit farther away, but it is still within an easy walk.
While checking in, a life-size statue of Marilyn Monroe from "The Seven Year Itch" greets guests. Her skirts are forever frozen in a nonexistent breeze in the middle of the lobby, and there’s even a fake subway grate underneath her. She dominates the center of the lobby, and I was a little concerned that the hotel may be too kitschy.
My fears vanished upon entering our spacious, elegant room. The St. Gregory caters to business travelers and long-term stays, so the rooms and staff are very professional. Some units even have small kitchens, and there are laundry facilities on site as well. Our room had a large sitting area, a separate bedroom, and two televisions (all with multiple C-SPAN stations). The bathroom was large and impeccably clean, although the water pressure left a little to be desired. All the toiletries provided were eco-friendly, which was a nice touch. The walls of the bedroom were solid windows looking out onto the pool area. The blinds and heavy curtains blocked out every sound and ray of light, so sleeping late was a breeze.
The St. Gregory has a bar/restaurant just off the lobby called M Street Bar & Grill. The bar advertises $4 martinis anytime! I never got that desperate for alcohol, but the bartender was kind enough to open a bottle of wine for me. The bar also features happy hour Monday to Friday from 4 to 7pm, but it seemed busy throughout the day. It must be the martinis.
The price of the room varied from weekdays to weekends. Monday to Thursday, the going rate was $184, and weekends, it dropped down to $129 per night. Overall, the cost averaged out to a great deal for fairly deluxe accommodations. Check out the Web specials at www.stgregoryhotelwdc.com.