Location is good, staff is friendly but not really helpful. (Room 914/214). Check in, slow & a bunch of computer issues. Key card didn't work, and stopped working multiple times. One elevator worked, its a pain to get anywhere. 15 min at one point to get to the lobby. Walked 9 floors of steps to get to the lobby. Minimal amenities, I mean minimal! Rooms were dated, and problems are painted over figuratively and litterally. Peeling paint on ceilings. Pool is closed. Both rooms smelled like humidity and mildew. 2 days straight. We tried to change rooms but they were fully booked. Parking is expensive, $59 a night. Booking.com does not advertise that at all. So a surprise fee, great way to check in. Budget friendly yes, valuable, no! I would skip this place and certainly would not return. The Holiday Inn on the side of the freeway is an improvement in every way.

This hotel was old and outdated. What really earned them a 1 star however is they double booked our room and while we were in the room relaxing someone walked in with a key and then when they saw us walked out. This startled us and made us extremely uncomfortable. When we asked the staff about it they said that whoever checked us in messed things up and had our room marked down as unoccupied. This was just a terrible hotel experience all around and I will not be back.

If you are staying here or even in the area, I would HIGHLY recommend you stop by the cafe inside the hotel! Amanda (one of the amazing baristas there) is the sweetest and makes really great drinks! The cafe here is perfect for locals and visitors alike!

Amanda was the best at the coffee shop. Really great service, fabulous coffee and always happy. ? will come again next year. THANKS Amanda The overall experience of the Rendale has been amazing. The staff are all friendly, gracious, patient and helpful. My room was clean and spacious, great vibe and decor. No concerns with the amenities, the bathroom, the gym. The bath, heating, lighting all great. This is a great value for money hotel. The location is so walkable to everywhere and it feels really safe compared to other similar category accommodations I have stayed in across the world. It exceeded my expectations. Excellent place to stay and I'll come again.

The hotel had no hot water. They offered us a discount for the inconvenience. They lied to us several times, saying that the deposit had been released and the discount credited to our account when we left, but a month later there was no word of the money and we ended up being scammed out of almost $200. Communicating with them is impossible! By message, by phone, or through their website, there is no customer service, and when they do respond to messages, they always blame the bank and external parties like Booking.com. I CAN SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT THIS IS THE WORST HOTEL EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD ON GENERATOR

STAY AWAY…. I stayed 3 nights and there was NO HOT WATER and I did NOT receive a notice ahead of time. I WAS CHARGED FULL PRICE FOR NO HOT WATER. The price may be enticing but this is the worst living situation I have ever had. The rooms weren’t what made my experience bad. It was the front desk. I was notified there was no hot water when I checked in at 7PM by a new front desk white dude who claimed he had no clue what was going on or how to help with upgrades or anything, and insisted an email was sent… and then added in later that if you booked through a third party, you may not have received an email. NO discount or upgrade was offered. The black lady that’s the supervisor/manager was even more miserable the next morning, refusing to shift the blame to the hostel or to the third party. She continuously insisted I should’ve received an email, and when I told her that the third party should be investigated as to why the message wasn’t forward to me, she brushed it off. Tried to charge me for a room upgrade. This miscommunication was 100% on Generator. I will never be back, and although the price may be enticing, don’t book this place unless you want to be mistreated and pay for hidden fees and EVERYTHING — padlocks, towels, toothbrushes, you name it. All basic necessities cost extra, and other basic necessities like HOT WATER are not guaranteed…………

Two stars is me being generous. What a disappointment. In short there are better places to stay. Location is good and the interior design is Modern and fun. But this place is poor in quality. Do not walk in here thinking it’s a hotel. The way they perceive themselves online as a 3 star hotel is misleading. It’s a hostel. Theres no room service and there is an extra cost for everything standard item, like shampoo or water bottles. The tv is barely cable with no access to streaming apps. Then the sound system on the tv was inconsistent, it was cutting in and out every minute. The phone in the room cannot connect to outside lines. There’s no air ventilation in the bathrooms and the shower heads are very poor quality. If we want to get nit-picky about it, the pillows are poor quality and there’s barely at proper lighting inside. Service was alright. But it was strange that a man had to come up to my room to tell me that the streaming apps on the tv don’t work. When that’s something the front desk could’ve told me over the phone when I asked if there was something wrong with the tv. I don’t think it is necessary to enter my hotel room just to shrug about an issue. He basically just explained that the tv is direct tv, old and there’s nothing can be done. I also found it strange that the restaurant/ bar and cafe are “separate” businesses so you couldn’t charge your orders to the room. But it’s clearly within the same building. We were happy to leave when we did. Sneaky of them to have $50 resort fee that came up upon check in. If I wanted to pay that much I would’ve just stayed across the street at an actual name branded hotel.

THIS IS A SCAM. If I could give zero stars, I would. I booked a bed at Generator Washington DC, but they checked me into a permanent private residence. 1. The "Squatter" Nightmare (Room 701): The moment I walked in, I felt like I was trespassing. The room was packed with bulk crates of water, racks of personal clothes, candles, and even desktop computer monitors. The people in this room aren't travelers>>they LIVE here. They treat the room like their private kingdom. One resident literally sprayed room freshener directly over my head as if I were a piece of furniture! They move your luggage, they blast speakers, and they own the space. When I asked the front desk, they ADMITTED these people live here long-term. Why are you selling "hostel" beds in a room that’s clearly being used as a permanent apartment? It’s awkward, it’s sketchy, and it’s UNSAFE. 2. No Hot Water in -3°C (27°F) Weather: DC is freezing right now. I just flew from LA and wanted a hot shower. NO HOT WATER. When I complained, the staff told me with a straight face that they "had to cut the gas." Are you kidding me? You cut the gas in the middle of winter while guests are paying full price? I had to endure ice-cold showers because the staff treats this like it’s a normal thing to do. 3. Total Lack of Professionalism: You aren't a guest here; you are an intruder in someone else’s messy life. I came here for work, but I couldn't rest because these long-term "residents" were screaming at each other at 5 AM. I’ve stayed in Motels that were 10x more professional than this dump. VERDICT: Generator DC is lying to you. They are renting out beds in permanent residents' rooms. If they give you a key to 701, RUN.

A great spot for anyone with embassy appointments close to metrobus and metrorail lines. Keep in mind that there’s a bit of a walk up a hill from DuPont Circle station. Very doable for a majority of people, but some folks might get winded. Stayed in a four bed all female hostel room on a top bunk. The hydraulic brace on my footlocker was broken, so I had a few accidental slams. The bathroom door handle can be rotated 360 degrees, but locks fine. The ladders to the top bunks are 90 degrees vertical with a decent distance between rungs; I don’t think there’s an elegant way to descend. Bunks have a nice medium-firm mattress. I’m 5’4” and had plenty of room. If I put my hands on the headboard, I can’t reach the bottom of the mattress nor the footboard. If you combine the room curtains with the bunk curtains, you get pitch black cave darkness. The pillows are great. You’re provided with 1 (one) pillow provided. I asked the front desk if I could get another, but I was told that with the number of guests they have, I couldn’t have a spare. Seems weird, but okay. Previous reviews talk about AC being broken. I visited February 2026 during a winter blast, so can’t speak to that. I CAN say that I had a cold shower partway through my stay due to ongoing water troubles the hotel was having. My roommate who’s been here longer said that before I arrived, they couldn’t shower for a week while the hotel was waiting to get permits to close lanes to do repairs. Road work is happening outside resulting in impatient drivers who love to use their horns to let everyone know how upset they are. I get up early, so it was just a minor annoyance once honking started around 8. I was also able to settle down without horns blasting around 9.

Amazing hostel, the service was nice and the rooms offered a lot of privacy with the curtains. I stayed in a female only dorm that I shared with 3 other lovely ladies, I never felt unsafe. The hotel is in walking distance to the metro station ( DuPont circle, 10 minutes ) and a bus station that’s right in front of the hostel and takes you downtown. The only thing that I could criticise is the WiFi that was a little slow but I didn’t need it so it didn‘t bother me too much and and didn’t influence my stay.