Breathtaking inside, especially the main reading room..I did feel kind of rushed through the tour…read morethough..you're not given much time to linger and look around..one highlight was seeing the Gutenberg Bible on display..overall positive experience.

The Embassy of Sweden is one of the best embassies to visit in Washington, D.C for these reasons:…read more 1) Location: It's along the Georgetown Waterfront near local favorites like The Reach at the Kennedy Center and Baked and Wired cupcake shop. 2) Design: It's unique design catching the eyes and it's even more stunning on the inside with a rooftop overlooking the Potomac River. 3) Events: They often host events for adults and kids, including rotating art exhibits.

This review is for the special events area only. I attended a shorts festival at the embassy and…read morethought the seats were the most comfortable of any small auditorium that I've visited in D.C. Staff were welcoming and the event ran smoothly. Kudos!

Out of all the embassies along Embassy Row, the Embassy of Italy is in one of the more modern…read morebuildings. If you're able to attend an event there, you'll see historic art and sculptures inside. Outside is green space that often houses tents during events.

Summer Garden Party at the French Embassy (DC)…read more The skies opened up with a huge monsoon like downpour, around 6 PM. The early access entry to the party, started at 7 PM and general admission at 8 PM. Good wine, food and music were anticipated by one and all attendees. A crowd of beautifully dressed and adorned guests awaited their turn to enjoy the fun and excitement, awaiting us on an official French soil reached after you went through security. It's a lovely and large complex in Upper North West, Washington, DC, very close to Georgetown University. As you entered, you came to a charming open courtyard on the right side of the guard room, with a beautiful golden statue and fountain. There's a few tents setup with some of the best food and wine offerings. The rosè and champagne, had their very own tent. The libations were free-flowing and made for a very pleasant, gracious and friendly atmosphere. French Baguette, a local DC based restaurant with French roots, offered their various crogels and quiche. Indoors, they had bread, ham, cheese and vegetables platters. Also, an ice cream machine and a crêpes station. While outside, a singer and piano player provided melodic notes to set the mood. It was an event you had to pay for in order to attend, it was something everyone should, as a Greater Washington DC resident should attend at least once.

If you have business with the French govt then this is the place to come. Visas etc…read more across from Georgetown U hospital. Parking on the street. Lots of traffic and takes time to get here and in. More security here than in smaller embassies. Once inside-the architecture is amazing. Artwork and photos are incredible. Rooms flow nicely for entertaining. Wine tastings work well here. Receptions give people Lots to Look at and talk about. They do run out of plates and glasses. Food is usually short of what you want so plan for a higher number of attendees.

Wow, what a helpful team at the German embassy. My wife and I just went to their open office hours…read more(Monday 1-3pm) to ask about citizenship questions, and they were so friendly and helpful. Expecting well....a German experience, we were blown away by the friendliness of the staff and walked away very excited to continue working with them to get a few big things done. I lived in Wuppertal Germany (where my wife is from) and comparatively that Visa office was a zoo! The embassy here was so nice and open we were shocked. The only tip I'd say is just make an appointment. While their website said they had citizenship open hours on Monday and Friday, the office seemed confused by this. They were still very happy to help, but they were looking for an appointment first and foremost. The woman who helped us was so great and even gave us her name to follow up on future fillings. We're at the point where we would much rather deal with them than filing anything when we're in Germany!

Wow, what a lovely team! Birgit has wonderfully helped me apply for citizenship due to my mema's…read moreheritage and previous citizenship before marrying an American soldier, and Birgit was so kind, guided us through the process kindly and delicately, and was with us every step of the way! The embassy itself was very pretty and clean, and we couldn't help but take a walk around the neighborhood afterword and go to a nice coffeeshop. Thanks Birgit! - Allie and Josh

I applied the tourist L visa for my two kids, here's a snapshot:…read more3/28 - Submitted online application on COVA 4/6 - Preliminary review rejected, pending birth certificates/parents' passport copy 4/7 - Online review approved upon submission of missing docs. To drop off passport 4/14 - Dropped off passport at visa center in DC 4/17 - Picked up both visas (approved for 10 years and 90 days max duration for multiple entries) and paid the visa fees The online application was straight-forward. I used online free websites to photoshop the pictures. They did not specify uploading birth certificates/parents' passport copies during the application, but after I uploaded the necessary docs, it was approved swiftly. When dropping off the passport, the agent only asked for the passports, how long we plan to stay in China, and then she gave me to pink slip and asked me to come back Friday to pick up the passports. The whole visit lasted for 5 mins (it was on a Tuesday morning). There is garage parking at the center, it costs $8.99 for an hour. However, if the visit is not going to last for over 2 hours, I suggest parking on the street which is about $4 for 1.5 hrs. Tuesday was very empty, Friday was crowded, I had to wait in line for 40+ mins to get into the center to pick up the visas. Overall I think the process was a lot easier than I initially thought. Regarding online reviews about customer service, I think the visa center is about efficiency. The "Chinese efficiency" is about getting the job done without wasting people's time and money. The staff may not be the friendliest people on earth, but they get down to the core which is getting your visas/applications approved. The drive to the DC embassy may be a bit far but I got what I needed in an efficient manner.

Had a good experience here! Got there at 2:10pm on a Monday and I was done by their closing time of…read more2:30p. I was nervous because I heard that some consulates stop taking people at 2pm, but that was not the case here. The office is on the ground floor of a brown building in the Glover Park area. Walk through the glass doors main entrance and head to the back. Nobody was in the security line, so I got a number right away. If you don't have a bag, the security process is super quick. There were 5 people ahead of me. All of them appeared to be tour operators as they had stacks of passports and paperwork. My number was called, the rep was courteous and efficient. He went through my paperwork and the intake took 3 minutes. Fast turnaround on the regular $140 fee (drop off Monday, pick up Thursday). He did say that there is a lunch break between 12:30p-1:30p, so expect a wait time during that hour. He gave me a pink slip for pickup and you pay $140 at pickup. Don't lose your pink slip! I brought: 1) printout of application submitted online - sign it! 2) printout of QR code page - sign this! 3) paper copy of passport page 4) paper copy of front and back of driver license There are restrooms, a water fountain, and lots of seats. About 6 people were working. As other people have said, don't forget to check the mainland China calendar of holidays, as the office may close on those days. Lunar New Year, Moon Festival, etc.

We recently stopped by the area to see the Christmas tree that was trending on social media. It was…read moreour first time visiting, but it was a pleasant experience. The tree and all of the holiday decor were beautiful. The holiday attraction drew a sizable crowd, which was large enough to create a short delay in capturing photo and video content.

The Canadian Embassy is the closest foreign embassy to the U.S. Capitol and if you're there for a…read moremeeting, pray your host invites you to their rooftop for a close up view of the Capitol. If you're there for official business, you'll notice art work throughout. For the public, enjoy the sculptures outside, the echo chamber outside, and the public indoor art gallery.

We come there every year for a work conference and always look forward to the friendly welcome and…read morethe clean rooms. I look forward to our breakfast greeting from Nunu ( I think that is correct) She is the best !!

There's some high-end ambiance going on here! Halls with dark blue rugs, black panels and wood…read moredoors. Each door number has a museum type light shining on it! This hotel room is bigger than most others that I have stayed in when I am in DC. There are two large televisions. One in the bedroom and one in the living area. Bathroom had nice hot water and good pressure in the shower. Staff are responsive and take care of issues ASAP. There is a microwave, safe, mini fridge as well as a coffee maker. AC control works well. The bathroom door could use some fixing, squeaky and needs some sanding at the bottom and a coat of paint on the hinges and door to brighten and make it look better instead of worn. I didn't like the couch and could benefit from an update! Breakfast is free with my stay! The two people at the "Made to order" omelette station work really hard! At any given time, five omelettes are on the stove! There's a gym, a pool and a guest laundry as well. This hotel tends to get really busy with people and is in a more expensive part of town with the surrounding City Center and shops like Gucci, Hermes and Christian Louboutin! There are a lot of homeless outside but that doesn't reflect on the hotel but more of the city's management or lack of. The hotel was kind enough to let a homeless woman stay in the lobby while it rained. Most of the front desk were respectful and good! Hotel is in a good location! Close to the Metro Center station about 8-9 minutes walk.

The embassy is beautiful. The grounds are meticulously kept. There is a place where you can stand…read morein the garden and hear your voice echo. It's awesome. We used to have friends who worked at the embassy. There is a small bar where you can hang out and visit (if you have a connection to get in). The rooms are lovely. The embassy usually participates in the EU open house. If you are going to visit embassies, start here and then work your way around the block.

******** REVIEW of the British Ambassador's Residence inside the embassy complex. NOT a review of…read morethe embassy itself or its service. ******** The British Ambassador's Residence is an elegant piece of English history built in 1925 on a hilly angled plot in DC. The Drawing Room is warm and welcoming. It has a sense of grandeur as well as domestic warmth. It feels both like a palace and a home, with framed photos on the table featuring the Queen and other celebrities who visited the residence. The grand staircase is quite splendid, with framed photos lining all the walls around it. There is a flyer explaining all the art works. The gardens outside are small but elegant. Well kept of course.

Yes there was a line but it moved and security slowed it but organized and had 2 lines…read more I got a nice bag, a headscarf, t shirt, and several pretty origami papers ( they offered to teach how to fold) and offered seats under a tent. They generously gave out corn with tamari sauce and chicken then moochi and full bottles of yummy teas. There were many exhibits to learn about their country. It was a good visit.

Get in line right now so you can secure your spot for next year's embassy tour! A recipe for fun:…read moreGodzilla, space technology, rocking photographer Tokio Kuniyoshi, fast cars, an elaborate miniature train set and food! In 2014 the embassy had 7,000 guests. I volunteered at the embassy until 1pm. When I exited the grounds at 1:15pm, approx 3500 attendees had already sampled the roasted corn, steak, ice cream and teas. They even had a giant dancing soy sauce jar. Photography wasn't allowed behind the embassy, but since I have hundreds of cherry blossom pictures, I can live with that. There are all sorts of cultural events throughout the year sponsored by the Japan Information and Cultural Center. It is worth checking out. Bonus points for the Koi flags out front.

Employees here are very friendly and helpful. The process of ROM and passport was pretty fast. I…read moredont know why other Filipinos are losing patience and getting upset while I was there maybe because they have been waiting for hours and they flew all the way from other State. Duhh! We are on the same boat. Please don't treat them like you own them, they are just doing their job. DMV is way worst than this. Trust me! My case was actually complicated and they were very friendly and kind. They do answer phone calls, they are very efficient and you'll not be treated here like you're dumb eventhough you don't know a lot of stuff. Make an appointment in advance to save your spot, if you do walk-in or you have to wait longer, go out for shopping or eat something. Like what I did. Don't worry, they do keep you updated on your waiting time. Kudos to all employees here specially to Ms. Clarence. THANK YOU, guys!

We had to notarize a response for a counter affidavit for submission in the Philippines to respond…read morefor a perjury complaint we filed for our cousins. Basically theres an ongoing scam between filipino that they force filipino americans to default and mail their summons in different addresses in america. To combat these we signed a perjury complain affidavit for my cousins. So as soon as we got the affidavit, I sent my sister to the embassy, she drove 5 hours and we requested for an urgent processing to pick it up the same day as there is a strict 10 day deadline for the Philippine Prosecutor. This notary would not budge and told my sister that they will drop it off the next day and even refused to let us take a picture of the signed affidavit since we will email the signed affidavit to our lawyer and a signed receipt. She then accuse my sister of by questioning her why didnt we schedule an appointment sooner. Well, I scheduled this complain and this was the first available appointment. You need to explain to me what is more important than submitting to trying to meet a 10 day deadline to a criminal complain? Moreover, why are paying customers not allowed to take a picture of their very own signed form? Lastly and most importantly, why does it cost $25 to notarize a simple form?