Tabard Inn

Each of the Tabard’s 40 rooms is decorated in brilliant colors with a hotchpotch of slightly chipped antiques. Unique and classy, the hotel draws locals, who come to enjoy its excellent restaurant, the garden courtyard in summer and a roaring fire in winter. It’s made up of three 19th-century townhouses and is the oldest continuously operated hotel in DC—the floors and doors squeak and there’s no elevator. Guests can use the nearby YMCA.