Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square

Dupont Circle and Embassy Row, Washington DC

Superior Room
Deluxe Luxury Room
Superior Room
Superior Room
Deluxe Luxury Room
Superior Room

The hotel

Featuring a certain sense of pizazz throughout as well as numerous contemporary comforts and state-of-the-art facilities, the Sofitel Washington on Lafayette Square provides all the answers to your shopping, sightseeing and entertainment dreams. Head to the Opaline Bar & Brasserie for French-inspired cuisine and a specialty cocktail. All in all this is one Washington postcode that's worthy of your attention and not just because of the White House, the Washington Monument and the National Theatre which are all within a well-aimed stone's throw from the Sofitel's front door.

Amenities

  • Bar
  • Spa
  • Room Service
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Laundry Service
  • Internet Access
  • Close to City Centre
  • Restaurant

Where is it

Situated on the corner of Lafayette Square bordering the White House and close to numerous downtown sites including Smithsonian museums, war memorials and vast green parks. Transfer time from Dulles International Airport: 35 minutes.

Hotel information

237 rooms and suites on 12 floors. All with air-conditioning, 55” HDTV, Bose© sound system, mini-bar*, coffee maker, separate bath and rain shower, hairdryer and iron and board. Superior Rooms are 370-400 sq ft and have 1 king-size bed or 2 double beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children. 

Deluxe Luxury Rooms are 400-450 sq ft and have 1 king-size bed or 2 double beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Junior Suites are 426-475 sq ft and have a separate living area with additional TV, with 1 king-size bed in the bedroom and pullout sofa bed in the living area, sleeping maximum 3 adults or 2 adults and 1 child. 

Opaline Bar & Brasserie (classic French food, seasonal dishes and cocktails, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Fitness centre. In-room spa services*. Concierge. Laundry/dry-cleaning and ironing service*. Complimentary WiFi.

*Denotes local charge.

Please note: one person must be aged 21 years and over in each room at check-in.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (2502)
  • Very good (948)
  • Average (209)
  • Poor (92)
  • Terrible (38)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Nice stay

Jan 1, 2022 pinkypopo Boston, Massachusetts

We had a very pleasant stay at the Sofitel. The location is perfect….near the White House, short walk to museums, many restaurants to chose from, etc. Our Junior Suite was comfortable, clean and quiet. The rooms are getting a bit weary in way of style, but very appropriate for a city hotel. We had breakfast at Opaline and it was excellent! The… Read more
We had a very pleasant stay at the Sofitel. The location is perfect….near the White House, short walk to museums, many restaurants to chose from, etc. Our Junior Suite was comfortable, clean and quiet. The rooms are getting a bit weary in way of style, but very appropriate for a city hotel. We had breakfast at Opaline and it was excellent! The staff was very responsive. We asked for an extra blanket and got it within minutes. We definitely recommend. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Not the best!

Dec 20, 2021 Trek191456 United States

For a hotel smack dab in DC don't know if I'd stay again to be honest. Was just okay, nothing to write home about. Pro's - close to metro Hotel is nice, and in a good location to Metro. But that's it for me. Cons - We arrived on Thursday evening, and checked in. We thought the gentleman who checked is in could have been more customer friendly &… Read more
For a hotel smack dab in DC don't know if I'd stay again to be honest. Was just okay, nothing to write home about. Pro's - close to metro Hotel is nice, and in a good location to Metro. But that's it for me. Cons - We arrived on Thursday evening, and checked in. We thought the gentleman who checked is in could have been more customer friendly & seem a little more enthusiastic. Pretend that your excited to be working at a hotel & pretend your excited to see guests. Room was in the front on the 4th floor & is a nice room, nicely decorated. Bathrooms are nice, but are a tad outdated & worn. The bed is not at all nice in any way, they have a pillow top on the bed and moves all over the place, and u get 2 pillows per side. I'll complain about the pillows as they are horrible horrible. We didn't get good sleep at all. The AC/Heat is loud, & don't know if it's our room only, but we can hear the plumbing for the entire hotel run through our bathroom, it seems like water running constantly. It's loud. The breakfast was nice, but expensive, $78 for two of us. But I suppose that's DC for you. If anyone reads this that works for the hotel, I'd suggest if you charge a guest $3 for an extra fried egg, get some new pillows for your guests. I'm sure that the restaurant is not part of the hotel, but guilty by association. Sum it up, was okay, wasn't the worst, definitely not the best. I've had better nights sleep at way way less expensive hotels. But, I wouldn't stay here again to be honest. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Sadly Disappointing

Oct 13, 2021 Atlanticroamer

I rarely write reviews but my disappointment with my stay at this hotel has persuaded me to do so. I have stayed at numerous Sofitels and enjoyed the luxury they provide. The Washington hotel does the Sofitel brand reputation no good. While appreciating the challenges posed by COVID, everything seemed a little tired. One of the two telephones… Read more
I rarely write reviews but my disappointment with my stay at this hotel has persuaded me to do so. I have stayed at numerous Sofitels and enjoyed the luxury they provide. The Washington hotel does the Sofitel brand reputation no good. While appreciating the challenges posed by COVID, everything seemed a little tired. One of the two telephones in my room did not work, the sink plug was stuck and the fridge door was broken. Having asked for it to be fixed, the fridge did not work at all. I looked behind the desk it was mounted as part of to check it was plugged in and found rubbish including old water bottles that had clearly been there for some time. I had to ask for bathrobes, usually a standard provision. Service in the restaurant was slow, albeit the staff were very pleasant. Overall the hotel needs some love and care. If it wasn’t for the location my rating would have been 2 rather than 3. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Mostly Good.

Oct 12, 2021 Tvlplb Tel Aviv, Israel

My wife & I have stayed at Sofitel many times when visiting family. It has always been top notch, yet it has suffered the fortunes that all hospitality has during Covid. Minimal overall staff, housekeeping, grounds maintenance, etc. Missed not having the canvas laundry bag. Yet it still feels mostly comfortable, especially this last visit.… Read more
My wife & I have stayed at Sofitel many times when visiting family. It has always been top notch, yet it has suffered the fortunes that all hospitality has during Covid. Minimal overall staff, housekeeping, grounds maintenance, etc. Missed not having the canvas laundry bag. Yet it still feels mostly comfortable, especially this last visit. Management delivered a very much appreciated large bottle of sparkling water and a small variety of snacks. The 2 standouts were AHMED & CHRIS. We were warmly remembered & greeted by Ahmed at Valet, who remained friendly during our stay, even when we did not require his services to retrieve our car. Chris the restaurant Maitre'd likewise remembered us as returning guests and cared for us professionally. The breakfasts (served indoor and outside on sidewalk patio), seemed minimalist, but OK. We do miss the roving croissants and pastries of years past. Keeping the lobby coffee urn for us early risers is a solid. Check-in could have been friendlier with maybe a welcome back acknowledgement, but you can't have everything. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating For the cost, they are not living up to the Sofitel Brand

Oct 12, 2021 Rebecca G Austin, Texas

I've stayed at Sofitel hotels all over the world and I must say this one was very disappointing. I know that everyone is short staffed but they should not be charging the high rates they are charging if they are really not ready to provide the services that should go with them. I'll start by saying that I've rated this 3 stars because the… Read more
I've stayed at Sofitel hotels all over the world and I must say this one was very disappointing. I know that everyone is short staffed but they should not be charging the high rates they are charging if they are really not ready to provide the services that should go with them. I'll start by saying that I've rated this 3 stars because the location couldn't be better. Five minute walk to the White House. Its beautiful and many restaurants nearby. However, the hotel was a problem. We had two rooms, neither was cleaned during any of the days we were there. It was clean when we got the room so they must be only cleaning the rooms between guests. The toilet was broken in one room and the door stuck in the other. I was able to get service for the toilet after calling downstairs, which was easier said than done because the phones ring and ring and ring with no one picking them up. (15 minutes before I hung up one time.) Everything seems to be sent through the front desk right now. They are being asked to handle everything, including breakfast, which you have to order the night before and pick up from the front desk. This worked fine the first day but the second day they'd forgotten to put in my order and we didn't get our breakfast. (Thank goodness Starbucks is around the corner.) The mini-bars are not stocked. Again, you have to go to the front desk to buy anything that might have been in the minibar. Except for alcohol, which you can only buy from the bar, which is only open very limited hours. No bathrobes in the rooms and without housekeeping bringing new towels, its frustrating. I know that everywhere is understaffed right now. I am sure they are trying really hard. But, if they are going to charge luxury rates, they need to provide some kinds of luxury services or lower the cost to what is appropriate for so little. I would recommend either waiting until they re-staff or skipping this Sofitel altogether. I'm thinking of canceling the reservation we have at another one coming up soon and booking at a different hotel chain. Again, I don't mind not having services if I haven't paid to have them. Read less