The Inn at 515 15th

We booked a room for a night because of a change of plans, so the self-serve style was bit of a surprise - not a problem. The proximity to restaurants was great. As for the hotel, our room was bit tight, with a large bathroom. The common area were furnished, but I found no cooking pots/pans or utensils in the kitchen - only cups, bowls and plastic utensils.

This appears to be a former office building converted to be a hotel. It has a few common areas (small kitchen, lounge with games), but no lobby and no regular on-site staff. Assistance is available by phone as needed, and of course they'll come to the hotel if necessary. There's no check-in -- you receive a door code at the time of reservation that will let you in the front door and also into your room. It's simple and easy, if not very welcoming. Parking is good. The rooms were very clean and the bed was comfortable. The location is good. I think this would be a fine place for a traveler on business or just passing through that is just looking for a place to stay. My primary complaint with the place is that it came across as very utilitarian, with no real ambience. I can understand the difficulty of trying to make an established building into a hotel, but as a customer it isn't what I'm looking for. The first indication is the entrance, which is a single, apparently steel door reminiscent of a fire door, with a push-button lock and a mail slot. The exterior walls are made of brick and the interior walls seem cold and uninviting to me. They've made a good attempt at trying to dress up the interior, but it's still mostly white walls, an unusual floor layout for a hotel, and of course, no lobby or anyone to welcome you. It all feels very transactional: you pay money, we provide a clean room and a bed. It's not wrong, but as couple taking a getaway trip to the coast, it doesn't provide any of the warmth and welcome we were looking for.