Hotel Zena Washington DC

Reviews

• DC

  Dansby Clan

  May 13, 2026
  1.0
  I recently stayed at Hotel Zena in Washington, DC from Tuesday, May 5 through Saturday, May 10. We chose this hotel because of its convenient work location and all the hype it gets on TikTok. Based on the videos, it seemed like it would be a really nice place to stay. Unfortunately, the hotel didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. The location was definitely convenient, but overall the experience felt a little lackluster — especially considering the price. One of the first downsides was the $59 per night parking fee, which felt excessive. The hotel staff also wasn’t particularly friendly or welcoming. One thing that really concerned me was the security issue involving room keys. My friend flew in from Florida on Wednesday, May 6 while I was at work. I had originally planned to leave a key for her under her name at the front desk. Instead, she was able to go to the desk, provide only my first and last name, show her own ID — even though her name was never listed on the reservation — and they still gave her a room key. She texted me afterward saying she was already on her way up to the room. Considering guests also have to use their key cards to access the elevators and floors, that situation honestly made me uncomfortable. The hotel does serve breakfast, lunch, and possibly dinner onsite, although we never ate there. To be honest, there was never much activity or even the smell of food that made it feel like a lively dining area. They also advertised a happy hour from 5–7 PM, but we didn’t attend. Outside of the room key situation, I will say the area itself felt safe. There were National Guard members frequently walking around the neighborhood, and there’s a Wawa and CVS directly across the street. I actually walked over around 10:30 PM one night to grab a late snack after my flight arrived late Tuesday evening. We stayed in a two-queen room, and the space felt pretty tight for DC standards. The room itself also seemed older than expected. We did have a nice view overlooking Thomas Circle and what I believe was the National City Christian Church, which was probably one of the better parts of the stay. Overall, I just wanted to share my honest experience for anyone considering Hotel Zena. It wasn’t terrible, but for the amount I paid per night, I definitely feel like there are better hotel options in the area. Do your research and due diligence before booking.
• JS

  Jean Soong

  May 13, 2026
  5.0
  This place is one of a kind! Such great, attentive service, super clean, quiet, and they have an amazing restaurant, Figleaf serving some really tasty breakfast. Best avocado toast, Mediterranean style, so so good. I would come back in a heartbeat, I would definitely recommend staying here for a really great experience.
• IC

  Ian Clark

  May 12, 2026
  2.0
  Location was great because it was across the street from WaWa. That's the highlight. What wasn't great was being charge multiple times to my corporate credit card for personal stays, staff who is unable to use basic common sense or understanding of guests needs and unable to answer emails. After 6+ emails, 4 phone calls, 3 visits to the front desk, the bill is still not correct. Not only was my personal card charged for the entire trip, but so was my corporate card. Charged twice and overcharged. The staff simply does not have the capacity to understand how to separate bookings and charges. Will not be staying here again for business use or personal use.
• DB

  David Balarezo

  May 9, 2026
  4.0
  Un hotel bien ubicado, con habitaciones limpias y cómodas. Pero si eres turista en espacial latino puedes encontrar algo con más costo/beneficio. El punto deficiente fue la actitud de servicio en Valet Parking, el día de mi llegada no me explicaron correctamente ni me dieron la tarjeta con QR para solicitar el vehículo. Al siguiente día el personal q me explicó, indico q el anterior era nuevo y a pesar de comunicarme en inglés mostró una actitud displicente y altanera. Me hospede 3 noche y un día al volver housekeeping había dejado la puerta de la habitación abierta. No faltó nada pero trajo el sentimiento de inseguridad. Puedo destacar a Front Desk y Restaurante fueron muy amables. Aun no puedo decir sobre la devolución del hold por incidentals pues aun faltan los días indicados
• BC

  Brandon Chase

  Apr 27, 2026
  4.0
  So me and my girlfriend stayed here for a weekend to go to a few events and attractions in the city. I had read some reviews of the hotel a day before staying and was weary of facing similar issues as others but as it turned out my stay went better than expected. First off was parking, hearing about the $60/night valet parking was not appealing so i booked a self service garage less than 2 blocks with in/out accessibility. It was roughly $45 for the weekend instead of $120. Second was the service reviews I read, for my experience service was great. Each employee I interacted with was professional and eager to cater to me and my partners needs throughout our stay. Even when my room key had trouble opening the main entrance door after hours, someone was there to let us in promptly. The room had to be one of the only gripes. I read complaints of how the lights in the room worked and came across the same issues others did. It was pretty much a puzzle to figure out how to use the various switches around the room to turn on and off the ideal lights in the room. Its like one switch would supply power to a switch across the room, that in turn cut off another and then another switch was wired else where causing me and my girlfriend to work in tandem to figure out getting the lights correct. The bathroom was decent but with there only being one hook on the wall to hold towels, hand towels etc. It made it so that there was no where to hand more than one wash cloth, towel or even the towel used as a shower mat. This led to us having to make a pile of used tiles that never fully dried and have them exchanged each evening. The housekeepers were nice enough to supply us with new towels/cloths daily so we worked through this ok. One other small thing was the HVAC, it worked decently it just would take some time to get the room cooled down and to hold the temperature. In the end our stay went well, the location is great with access to a nearby CVS, and other food spots. Plenty of walkable attractions and other sights and sees in DC.