For deluxe accommodations in a terrific location, you can’t beat the Monaco. When it was completed in 1866, this historic, four-story marble building served as a general post office and tariff building for an area that was a developing mishmash of big government and small-town buildings. Hard to imagine now. It’s one of the city’s top hotels, surrounded by wondrous museums, like the Smithsonian American Art/National Portrait Gallery, and trendy restaurants such as Zaytinya. A recent redesign has imbued the hotel with an “elegance-meets-bold” feel. Note the playful architectural details in each guest room, like a 5-foot lion’s head medallion above the bed, and the night table resembling the top of a Corinthian column, as well as the eye-catching features in the lobby/living room, with its brilliant green walls, contemporary Murano glass chandeliers, and modern art. Guest rooms are spacious, averaging about 400 square feet, and feature vaulted ceilings, long windows, and vibrant hues of bronze, plum, champagne, and royal blue. Ask for an F Street or 7th Street–facing Monte Carlo room (525 sq. ft.) for best views, or a first-floor guest room if quiet is preferred (some guests call this “the basement,” because it is nearly subterranean). The hotel restaurant, Dirty Habit DC, gets good reviews for its take on global cuisine, and for its bars in the atrium and courtyard