Washington, DC--

Happy. As in yellow smiley face happy. As in groovy happy. As in I can’t stop laughing, chuckling, smiling happy. That's DC's Hotel Helix.

The Kimpton group has done it again, with a fabu and fun pad that if you're lucky, will make u randy! With 7 Kimptons in the DC area alone (including the brand new Lorien Hotel and Spa), each with its unique story, it may be tough to stand out, but Helix makes its mark.

From the lime green, orange, red, and bright blue decor, the pix of Barbie dolls and Dr. Martin Luther King on the walls (a nod to King's roots nearby surrounding this Logan Circle/Dupont-area neighborhood), this is a place of vibrancy, fun, and hope.

Ahhh... but I digress, or do I? The helix is like a child's playground. Do you remember what it was like to stack red, green and blue wooden blocks? What those blue, yellow, and orange playground playsets in backyards in “anywhere neighborhood, U.S.A.” always signaled? Smiles... a fun time... and lots - and lots - of play...

With a sleek feel from stainless steel and chrome 60's-inspired accoutrements, to the Mike Myers/Austin Powers recording you get when first calling the Helix on the phone, your stay will include a trip that both takes you back in time, as well as one that time-machines you into the future.

A former Howard Johnson’s, Kimpton Hotels opened the Helix five years ago. The chocolate brick building, with a Dali-esque and Alice in Wonderland-inspired Art and robin-egg blue seating benches out front, greet you with a funky hug. Long green Princess curtains magically zip open signaling your arrival, inviting you in as the Royalty (or Rock Stars) the hotel thinks of its guests, as. It’s your 15 minutes of fame, and with mirrors everywhere, just forget about what Oscar de la Renta said about women checking out themselves in the shiny silver, being unappealing: you’re fabulous, and you know it, so primp your posh self all you want and absorb all of your fabulousness!

The Helix is a boutique hotel, filling the Kimpton niche of a trendy and energy-infused guest experience. The 178 rooms are family and pet-friendly, and there’s no shortage of kids (well behaved ones at that!) and pups here or there. With lime-green walls, daisy-like placards on the doors and walls differentiating room numbers from linen closets and the fitness or business center, The Helix features 12 “specialty” guest rooms, as well as 18 amazing Suites. I was booked in an “Entertainment” Suite, which was a large, sunny room with some special amenities tucked away into the corners. A large modern red chair centered its own little hide-away, a side room complete with a TV, Entertainment Center (DVD/music center) and 5 surround-sound speakers. Tucked into the next corner was an especially inviting king-sized bed, with crisp white cotton sheets (alas, not Frette-soft), and a fuzzy furry faux animal throw that you practically want to 5-finger discount and take home with you. Leopard and giraffe-print robes for his and hers are available for your stay, just underscoring the emphasis on comfort – and, on flirty fun. For families, a similar suite exchanges the extra entertainment center for a set of bunk beds and a flat-screen with Play Station: a nice way to keep the kids apart, and entertained, while still keeping an eye on the little buggers.

The room itself was large, open, and grand, replete with an additional rotating entertainment system and stereo and Play station for those looking for a little game action on the road. Wifi is free to guests, and multiple power outlets and a fun triangular desk make it easy for a business traveler to get work done.

The bathrooms are outfitted with crisp white cotton towels and Aveda soaps, and the bright orange sink is enough to make you smile regardless of how you really feel when you wake up in the morning. Kimpton’s attention to eco-friendly service is underscored with larger “push” soap and lotion dispensers on the walls and in the shower, for those not wanting to add additional plastic bottles to the world’s recycling bins or landfills.

Because it is a boutique hotel, you won’t find the kind of full-service restaurant at Helix that you may find at some of Kimpton’s sister properties: the focus is more on practicality. Breakfast is served via room service or downstairs, buffet-style, in the bar area for $15- from 6-10am. Eggs, fresh pastries, meats, yogurt, coffee and more make a good start to your day. Room service and dinner can be had from 5-10pm, where specialties include basics like crab cakes, hummus, and calamari, to rock shrimp stir-fry, duck breast, and lamb minute steak. A highlight of the complimentary daily specials Helix features is the “bubbly” hour, where every night from 5-6, champagne and wine are served in the main hotel lobby –gratis! The hosts are more than amenable, refilling your glass without you having to ask, and letting you know that if you’d like to take your glass to your room, feel free! The mini-bar, replete with white wines, juices, healthy energy bars and sodas, also comes in handy if you need a snack.

While the bubbly hour is a very nice way to start a good evening of relaxation, nothing can beat the in-room massage option. I ordered up a deep-tissue massage, and Kimpton’s specially-trained therapist came in all the way from Reston, VA with a massage table (the room was large enough to accommodate it easily!) for an hour of detoxifying bliss. Massage options range from aromatherapy-infused treatments to more practical options such as hot stone or “mother to be harmony massage.” 50 or 80 minutes are available, as are in-room mani-pedicures and facials. Just ask the front desk.

Speaking of the front desk, I’ve never experienced more fun, energetic, happy, hopeful staff. Holland and Nadine man (woman, actually) freestanding blue see-through check-in “pods,” and are more than eager to anticipate any need you may have. A cab? Kitty litter box? A quick chat with the General Manager? No problem. Done.

And while Kimpton has properties nearby including Madeira, Rouge, and Palomar, the Helix is a trip both backward and forward in time, but it’s one that will certainly have you wanting to return. The Kimpton’s Guest Loyalty Program is another way of ensuring that: with hotels around the country (the Group was founded by an investment banker in San Francisco), it pays to rack up your points. Kimpton was also voted in Fortune Magazine’s 100 Top Places to Work, which says a lot: happy employees, happy guests.
In all, the Hotel Helix is a hip, fun, South-beachy/Miami-inspired experience right here in the Nation’s Capital. If you’re in town for April’s Cherry Blossom Festival, check out the outdoor patio in the evening, too. With scenery to see and to be seen… Hotel Helix, IS the scene.
www.hotelhelix.com