Hostels in Washington, DC

We run two capsule hostels in Washington, DC: U Street Capsule Hostel in the U Street Corridor and I Street Capsule Hostel in Chinatown. This guide covers what travelers ask us most: which neighborhood to pick, what a capsule is like, and how arriving works.

Which neighborhood should you stay in?

U Street Corridor is DC’s historic music district, known as Black Broadway: live venues, murals, late-night food and some of the city’s best bars. From U Street Capsule Hostel at 1931 13th Street NW it’s a 2-minute walk to the U Street/Cardozo Metro (Green and Yellow Lines), 4 minutes to Ben’s Chili Bowl and the Lincoln Theatre, and 10 minutes to the 9:30 Club.

Chinatown and downtown is the place for museums and big events. I Street Capsule Hostel at 512 I Street NW is one block from Capital One Arena and the Gallery Place–Chinatown Metro, under 5 minutes from the Convention Center, and about 15 minutes on foot from the National Mall and the Smithsonian museums.

Capsule or bunk bed?

A capsule is a private sleeping cabin inside a shared room. Ours measure 4′ × 4′ × 6′4″, so you can sit up, with a full-size mattress, fresh linens, charging at your pillow and lighting you control.

• I Street: every capsule has a locking door that opens with your Goki code, plus a universal outlet and USB-C.
• U Street: two generations of pods, our originals with pull-down shades and the newest capsules with doors that lock, all with USB charging and a personal locker.

Private rooms and dorm types

• U Street has private bunk rooms with their own en-suite bathroom, and larger private rooms with a full bed and a bunk.
• I Street has a mixed capsule dorm (8 capsules), a women’s capsule dorm (12 capsules), a men’s capsule dorm (8 capsules), private capsule rooms and full private rooms.

Arriving late, leaving late

Both hostels use Goki self check-in, so you can arrive any time, 24/7: use the Arrival link in your confirmation email or scan the QR code at the front door, and your digital key appears in the Goki app. Front desk hours are 8 AM–1 PM and 6–10 PM at U Street, and 9 AM–2 PM and 6–10 PM at I Street. Check-out is 11:00 AM, and both hostels have free luggage drop before check-in and after check-out.

Getting here from the airports

• Reagan National (DCA): the Yellow Line runs straight to U Street/Cardozo with no transfer. For I Street, take the Blue Line to Metro Center and the Red Line one stop to Gallery Place–Chinatown.
• Dulles (IAD): the Silver Line. For I Street ride to Gallery Place–Chinatown; for U Street change at L’Enfant Plaza to the Green or Yellow Line.
• BWI: the airport shuttle to BWI Rail Station, then Amtrak or MARC to Union Station.

Full step-by-step routes: U Street directions · I Street directions.

What else is in the building

• U Street: our own Brew On U café downstairs (espresso, pastries, empanadas; 10% off for guests), a lounge with projector movie nights, an elevator, and washers and dryers after 3 PM ($5 a load, detergent included).
• I Street: a full kitchen with fridge, freezer, oven and all the cooking utensils, a lounge with a smart TV, and keypad smart lockers sized for a full backpack.