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The Monticello in Georgetown honors its history while catering to personal and business travelers in its all-suite rooms.

My husband and I stayed here once before, back when it was known as the Georgetown Dutch Inn, so we were pleased to have the opportunity to revisit a pleasant memory.

Now totally updated, this vintage brick building is in the historic neighborhood Thomas Jefferson once called home. The side street it sits on retains that back-in-time feel, as does the whole of the Georgetown area in which it is located. And it's just a few steps from the main drag, M Street, where inviting shops and restaurants abound.

Rooms are all spacious suites and feature an attractive, quiet contemporary decor with beige-striped walls and dusty-blue couches. Etchings depicting fruit and buildings in muted colors hang on the wall.

Rooms in the back are particularly quiet. Beds are comfortable, with a firm mattress covered with white-on-white striped cotton linens and a duvet. A beige marble bathroom has lots of light and a large mirror and vanity. Did I mention the chi-chi, fragrant amenities by Hermes?

The front room area has its own TV plus a mini kitchen, which is convenient for making a cup of tea after a day of sightseeing.

Breakfast is included and was a selection of delicious little French pastries from Georgetown's Uptown Bakers, plus good-old-American cereals, fresh fruit, and Starbucks coffee. There is little room in the lobby to sit down, so after selecting from the continental buffet, we took our selections back to our room to eat while reading

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the complimentary copy of the Washington Post.

Though we didn't receive the advertised evening turndown — and I did miss my anticipated chocolate — the staff was helpful in general. And though we didn't use these services, complimentary wireless Internet access and admission to a nearby fitness center with a steam sauna were provided, not to mention a free shoe shine, too.

We took full advantage of our prime location by walking to meals. We downed a great hamburger at cozy, clubby, well-established Clyde's (3236 M St., 202-333-9180); a quick quiche at French, informal, cafeteria-style La Madeleine (3000 M St., 202-337-6975); and a particularly tasty clay pot of spicy caramel salmon with cracked black pepper at modest but lovely Miss Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine (3057 M St., 202-333-5545).

— Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Take a peek
  • WHAT: Hotel Monticello, 1075 Thomas Jefferson St NW/M St., Washington, D.C.; 800-388-2410; www.monticellohotel.com.
  • QUICK TAKE: This inn is well-located in the middle of cozy Georgetown.
  • GOOD LOCATION FOR: Anyone spending a weekend sightseeing or a week on business in our nation's capital. The National Mall is just a $1 ride away on the convenient red circulator bus.
  • ROOM RATES: From $239 to $399, the most expensive being Frank Sinatra's suite (room 308), where he always stayed when visiting D.C. Valet parking $30 (on-site parking is rare in Georgetown).