The Melrose has been great the five or six times my parents stayed there. The rooms are clean, the beds are comfortable, and it has a far more luxurious feel to it than the price indicates. The location is perfect - it's at a midpoint between Georgetown and GWU university, where the metro station is located. That means you have an easy walk in the morning to the metro if you want to tour the city and an easy walk at night to sample all of the great Georgetown restaurants! Parking is a little expensive, but they do let you come and go. If you are driving and staying put, it might be worth looking for parking elsewhere.
There is a Trader Joe's grocery right across the street if you need to stock up on snacks, otherwise there are tons of restaurants/coffee shops within 4 blocks in any given direction.
The staff is top notch - top notch - and overall the hotel attracts visitors from Europe who tend to be on the quiet side. I've never had a problem with noise, and the walls are so thick (it's an older building) that even if someone did throw a party, you likely wouldn't hear it.
I highly recommend this hotel if you are staying in DC. It is perfectly located, it's in a very safe area, and the staff are phenomenal.