What a treat!

Guest: Doug (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 05/21/11 Review Submitted: 07/26/11

The terrace patio at Mary's was the perfect place to watch the sunset and reflect on the days events. we stayed for a week in May and the accommodations exceeded our expectations. Conveniently located, nicely decorated, and extremely comfortable. Thank you so much Mary for opening your home up to us! We would recommend this place to anybody looking for a place to stay in DC. Doug and Holly

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

GREAT Washington D.C. Home Base

Guest: Family from SW Florida (Bonita Springs, FL)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 07/12/11

We had a fabulous experience renting the Dupont Circle Penthouse. It was beyond our expectations - and by far, the nicest VRBO rental we have ever stayed in (and we typically rent one per year for our family of 4). Even more comfortable and nicer than the pictures could portray. A short walk from the Metro, great restaurants, the Park, grocery. I don't believe I would want to spend a week in D.C. any other way. The owner went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable and we did not need anything, nor did we have any questions. There is even a local caretaker who checked in on us as well. Five stars!! Bravo! Beautiful Home! We can't wait to plan a return trip.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Views and Decor

Guest: ebcmbc (New Mexico)
Date of Stay: 05/15/11 Review Submitted: 06/04/11

Imagine large decks with views of DC cupolas, comfy outdoor furnishings, and quiet in a big city-- this was a perfect space for us to visit with friends, and enjoy our evening cocktails. The indoor spaces exceeded our expectations as well. The kitchen is cheery and well-equipped. The dining room is spacious. The living room area is inviting and luxurious. I love beautiful dishes and glassware, and Mary's collection is so tasteful and extensive--I found it hard to believe that we were in a rental condo. The folk art made me smile and the use of color just added to the enjoyment of being in each room. We used to live in DC, so the centrality of the location, using the subway, and walking to so many places was just as great as we thought it would be. This is vertical living. Think of the many stairs as exercise! A great condo to rent!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, romantic getaway.

UNIQUE AND EXTRAORDINARY APPARTMENT

Guest: John & Jeanne (Newberg, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 05/02/11 Review Submitted: 05/23/11

Some friends of ours stayed in Mary's place a couple of years ago and suggested we contact her for our planned trip to DC. Mary set us up for the first two weeks in May and we had a fantastic time. Her appartment was about 8-10 minutes walk from the Dupont Circle Metro and the whole area gave an impression of cleanliness and security. The appartment has lots of unique art, many books and wonderful fireplace to take off some evening chill. It was quite comfortable and the outside deck offered a relaxing area to rest weary tourist feet. Mary's agent, Bill, was helpful and with Mary out of town offered us his help if we had any problems with the unit. We would highly recommend Mary's unit for a central location to tour Washington DC. We would stay at Mary's place again in a heart beat. Incidentally, there are many great ethnic and regional restaurants only a short walking distance. There was no problem being without a car; however, we did rent one at Union Station for a day trip to Gettysburg (also, highly recommended).

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Excellent spacious and well appointed

Guest: Niamh (Ireland)
Date of Stay: 02/02/11 Review Submitted: 03/16/11

I stayed at this property during February 2011 and was delighted with the experience. Overall the apartment is very comfortable and well appointed. The photos on the site gave a good indication of the features but did not do justice to space available particularly in the dining and living areas. The latter in particular was well utilised by our group and many hours were spent relaxing in front of the fire after a long day. The three levels, with the living area separating the two sleeping provided great privacy for all. We also got a chance to use the deck during some warm weather and I envy those who get to relax there during the summer months on what is essentially a second large living space. The facilities provided were excellent with plenty of linen and crockery etc. The neighbourhood was full of character and felt very safe. The location is very convenient with Dupont Circle and the metro nearby as we had been expected. We also enjoyed exploring the other hotspots nearby including Adams Morgan, 17th street and U street, all within 10 mins. There are also some great restaurants adjacent on 18th. Mary the owner couldn’t have been more helpful and very much added to the ‘home away from home’ experience. I would have no hesitation in recommending the property and would love to visit again.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Just what we had hoped for

Guest: Louis (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 09/24/10 Review Submitted: 10/23/10

Its always great when your expectations are exceeded. We were two couples in our party - one from New Hampshire and one from California. Neither couple had been to DC in twenty years and all our research was done over the internet. The property was great and its location was walkable to almost everywhere. A five minute walk due North takes you into the ketchy and fun Adams Morgan neighborhood. A five minute walk due South takes you to the more trendy Dupont Circle area. Ten minutes to the East is Logan Circle and the "U" Street district. The immediate area of the apartment has little shops, restaurants and a restaurant / rooftop bar called Lauriol Plaza. Its all safe as well. The apartment was clean,airy, bright and had a great layout. Its in a great old four story brownstone building. It felt a little like a European apt., which makes sense as the gracious owner, Mary, is from Europe. The apt. takes up the top three floors with a bedroom on the first and third floors and the kitchen, dining room and living room on the middle floor. This gave each couple plenty of privacy, but also a great living situation for meals, TV and relaxing. There are two rooftop decks off the middle floor which was great for relaxing or napping after sightseeing all day. We had such a great time in DC and will be back. We will definitely stay at Mary's place again. She was so easy to deal with and made us feel at home in her home.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway.

Wonderful vacation

Guest: Angel R. (Round Rock, TX)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 08/29/10

Our family of four enjoyed our stay at Mary’s home very much. The house is spacious, exquisitely decorated, and conveniently located. The Washington subway, grocery stores, and great restaurants are all within walking distance. We also made time once to enjoy dinner in the terrace to wind down after a long day visiting landmarks. Mary and Bill were extremely helpful answering our questions and making sure we had everything we needed for our stay. If we go back to Washington we would definitely stay here again

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car.

Wonderful location and the nicest owner ever!!!

Guest: sliphy1 (Outer Banks, NC, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/06/10 Review Submitted: 08/29/10

Our stay could not have been any better. The owner was a delight to deal with. The location is easy to get to and easy to get from to any destination in DC. If your are looking for a centrally located place to stay...this is it! The outdoor space was wonderful. We may have been lucky, but the weather was great and the outdoor space made it better. We do not make it to the city very often, so it is easy to forget how vibrant and busy it is. Just a wonderful experience. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for the city experience or just to stay and enjoy the property. Thank you!!!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

very good stay at this property

Guest: gxb (california)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 07/08/10

Mary is quite trusting as she has opened her home to me and my family. No question, restaurants by this house are close by and the neighborhood is quite walkable. A 15 min cab ride got us to the Mall and the pickup stand is the nearby gas station, really, There are plenty of guidebooks, architecture books and some intriguing artwork for your enjoyment. I'd stay here again. G Bell

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, girls getaway.

Charming, unique, excellent home base for all DC has to offer

Guest: Barbara R. (Denver, CO)
Date of Stay: 04/17/10 Review Submitted: 07/05/10

My sister, boyfriend and I stayed at this fabulous row house for the last two weeks in April. It became home, mostly because Mary has decorated it as her home, including fabulous artwork, a fully equipped kitchen with enough place settings to entertain half of Congress! Add to that a stunning view of the Washington Monument from the living room, who could ask for more? Unless, of course, you’d like to sit on one of two decks and enjoy a twilight cocktail before tripping off to a myriad of fun neighborhood eateries. Kitty corner to the place is the Lauriol Plaza, pretty decent and well-priced Mexican food. Directly across the street from that is Larry’s Lounge – a quirky neighborhood bar that represents some of the demographics. If “doing DC” again, our vote would be to come back and stay at Mary’s – a charming lady we’d all like to know better.

Owner response:Dear Barbara, I am delighted to hear that staying in my eclectic apartment contributed to the enjoyment of your Washington visit. It’ll be here for your when you “do DC” again.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.