If you’ve been following my travels for a while, you might already know that I love unique hotels. If it’s historic, quirky (in a good way), or repurposed, I’m already going to love it. The Riggs Hotel in Washington, D.C., falls into the third category in that list: Repurposed. The building was originally a bank! When my cousin, who’s currently earning her Master’s in Architecture, came to visit me in D.C., I knew we had to stay here. This is everything you need to know so that you can stay here next time you’re in town, too!

The Location

The most important thing about a hotel, even more important than uniqueness or luxury, is location. Thankfully, the Riggs Hotel has that going for it! It’s located in Penn Quarter, which is adjacent to downtown D.C. and Chinatown. It’s just steps from Ford’s Theatre, the National Portrait Gallery, and some of the best restaurants in town. It’s also within walking distance from the National Mall, Capitol Hill, the White House, and many Smithsonian Museums. The closest Metro Stations are Metro Center (Blue, Orange, Silver, and Red Lines) and Gallery Place-Chinatown (Yellow and Green Lines), so you can literally catch any train from here. If you’re looking for the right place to stay, this is it!

Essential info: The Most Helpful D.C. Blog Posts You’ll Ever Find

The Hotel

As mentioned above, this hotel was once a bank! Originally built in 1891 and called the Riggs National Bank, it was built in the Richardson Romanesque architectural style. Many important historical figures, including 23 U.S. Presidents, have banked here. For more about the bank’s history (which goes back further than the building!), check out their History Page. The bank building became a hotel in 1999, and re-opened as its current luxury hotel iteration in 2019. For more about this hotel’s history, take a look at its dedicated page on historichotels.org. Today, the hotel is absolutely stunning. Its high ceilings and architectural details have been preserved, inside and out.

More here: The Most Legendary Hotels in the World

The Room

The rooms are stunning. The fun wallpaper and vintage headboards combined with classic paint colors make rooms interesting without being too funky. Even with two beds, our room was plenty large enough for the both of us. We could have done with some shelves or drawers, but the closet was sufficient enough for a couple of days. The beds were very comfortable, and while we didn’t have a view from the room (as is typical for many rooms in historic and retrofitted hotels), we were just steps away from everything we wanted to see and do!

Keep reading: Where to Find the Best Views in D.C.

The Bathroom

The bathroom situation was tiny! The sink was outside the bathroom, which was totally fine, but it made the bathroom very tiny. The bathroom itself was just the toilet and tub/sink combination. The marble tile and striped wallpaper harkened back to the 1920s, when the original bank opened here, long before it was a hotel. There were also nice, light robes in the bathroom and closet, as well as slippers at the foot of each of our beds, both of which I always appreciate in a hotel.

Read next: Your Ultimate Guide to Solid Toiletries for Travel

Cafe Riggs

Wow! I loved this restaurant. We ate breakfast here one morning, and the ambience was simply epic. I loved the 20’s decor, the colors, the service and–of course–the food! My cousin and I both had the breakfast sandwich. but there were so many amazing choices, despite the relatively small menu. I wish we’d had time to come here more during our stay, but I’ll be keeping it in mind for future trips into the District!

More here: The Pros and Cons of Staying in a Hotel

The Fitness Center

This was a pretty fabulous hotel gym! I loved that they remembered to put in some open space, not just for general roominess but for cardio and bodyweight workout space. There was plenty of equipment to choose from as well, from cardio to weight lifting options. They even did their best at making it light and bright, despite being in the basement with no windows. Even at 5:00am, I was wide awake in this light, bright space!

Get even more on my Health and Wellness on Travel Page!

Want more? Get everything you need to plan your D.C. trip on my dedicated Washington, D.C., Page!

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