Hotels

Each year brings a new amenity "must" to the hotel world. In the past, we've seen hoteliers attempt to please their guests anew with in-room additions of coffeemakers, cordless phones, dataports, Internet access, CD players, and other items, and on-site access to fitness and business centers; these amenities are now considered standard at most properties. This year, it's all about the multilayered, pillow-top mattress and high-tech televisions -- flatscreen or plasma. More and more of Washington's hotels offer these features, including about half of those described in this guide. (If you don't see a mention of the special mattress or cool TV in one of my hotel write-ups, and these are important to you, be sure to ask when you book your reservation, since your desired hotel may be in the process of adding these embellishments.)

Alike in their pursuit of satisfying their customers, Washington, D.C.'s 105 hotels vary widely when it comes to individual style and level of luxury. For off-the-charts pampering, look to the city's sole winner of the Mobil Travel Guide five-star award, the Four Seasons, or to the posh Mandarin Oriental, or to either of two Ritz-Carltons. If you're seeking decent lodging at the other end of the budget scale, you might consider our good-value guesthouses and B&Bs, like the Woodley Park Guesthouse, near the National Zoo, or its just-opened sister, the Embassy Circle Inn, along Embassy Row.

Those who favor the familiarity and conveniences of chain hotels have many from which to choose: Marriotts dominate, with about 15 properties, from business-traveler favorite Courtyard by Marriotts, to the high-end traveler option, JW Marriott. The Hilton family has a strong D.C. presence in its Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, and Hilton Garden Inn brands, all three targeted to please both business and leisure guests.

All-American Hyatt, Sheraton, and Omni chain hotels are here, as are international chain hotels, like Ireland's gracious Jurys and France's chic Sofitel. We even have an un-chainlike chain: Kimpton Group hotels, whose seven Washington properties each have their own distinct personalities, from the newest, most artful, Hotel Palomar, to the hip Hotel Helix.

And if chains, no matter how whimsical, are not for you, the capital has a slew of only-in-Washington hotels, including the Hay-Adams, across from the White House, and the River Inn, just outside Georgetown.

You'll discover descriptions of all of these hotels and inns -- more than 50 -- along with tips on choosing a neighborhood, getting the best rate, landing the best room, and finding a place to stay when the whole city seems booked. So read on, to help you pick your top choices and book a reservation.

Choosing a Neighborhood

Most of Washington's hotels lie downtown or near Dupont Circle, with a handful scattered in Georgetown, on Capitol Hill, and northward on Connecticut Avenue.

If proximity to the capital's major attractions is most important to you, consider hotels near Capitol Hill and the National Mall. Convenient for sightseeing and in the thick of things during the day, these hotels may feel isolated at night and on weekends, when the Hill staff and office workers go home. With the exception of Capitol Hill Suites, the hotels are not near residential areas, and restaurants and shops are few.

To take the pulse of the city as it goes about its business, stay in a downtown hotel. This is also where you should bunk if you want to be able to walk to good restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Divided into two sections here, between 6th and 15th streets NW (Penn Quarter) and between 15th and 22nd streets NW (Midtown), Washington's downtown is bustling day and night all week long. Hotels in the downtown segment east of 15th Street are close to theaters and several museums; properties on or near Pennsylvania Avenue, like the Willard and the Hotel Washington, are within walking distance of the National Mall and the White House. Downtown hotels west of 15th Street are also within a stroll of the White House, as well as some smaller museums, like Decatur House and the Renwick and Corcoran galleries.

If you prefer the feel of a residential neighborhood, look to hotels in Dupont Circle and Woodley Park. For a taste of campus life, you might choose lodging in Foggy Bottom; the accommodations near Pennsylvania Avenue and Washington Circle border George Washington University's widening campus. And if you're a serious shopper, Georgetown should be your top choice, with Dupont Circle as your second pick.

Within each neighborhood, this section further organizes hotels by rate categories, based on their lowest high-season rates for double rooms: Very Expensive (from about $350 and up); Expensive (from about $225); Moderate (from about $150); and Inexpensive (anything under $150). But these categories are intended as a general guideline only -- rates can rise and fall dramatically, depending on how busy the hotel is. In 2007, the rise in D.C. hotel rates also reflected increased energy prices and property values, for which hotels were having to pay substantially higher taxes than in the past; that may still be true. Nevertheless, it's often possible to obtain a special package or a better rate than the first rate quoted

Adams-Morgan

The hotels listed are situated just north of Dupont Circle, more at the mouth of Adams-Morgan than within its actual boundaries.

Woodley Park

Inexpensive -- In addition to the Woodley Park Guest House, you might consider the Woodley Park location of the Kalorama Guest House, at 2700 Cathedral Ave. NW (entrance on 27th St.; tel. 800/974-9101 or 202/328-0860; fax 202/328-8730; www.kaloramaguesthouse.com), which has 18 units, 12 with private bathrooms. Rates are $140 for a double with a shared bathroom, $155 to $185 for a double with private bathroom, and include an expansive breakfast. A communal television and telephone are available in the parlor; individual guest rooms do not provide TV or telephone at this location. Free Wi-Fi access is available in the common rooms of the main house. Very limited parking (only two spots) is available for $15, and the Woodley Park-Zoo Metro stop is nearby.

Georgetown

A Cool Inn in a Hot Neighborhood -- Spring 2005 witnessed the opening of the sophisticated Georgetown Hill Inn (1832 Wisconsin Ave. NW, tel. 202/298-6021; www.georgetownhillinn.com), whose eight suites reside above the popular Café Divan, at the northern tip of Georgetown. (Cafe owner Cavit Ozturk also owns the inn.) These one- and two-bedroom suites are sveltely angled into the unusual contours of the triangularly shaped building and furnished with Italian, German, and French designs: Think suede sofas and cool light fixtures. Bathrooms are marble; televisions are plasma; kitchens are stainless steel, compact, and well equipped. The feel of the place is at once homey and haute. Rates run from $250 to $380 per night. This part of Georgetown is quieter and less crowded, yet full of excellent restaurants, beginning with Café Divan. You're only a 5- or 10-minute walk from the heart of Georgetown, but oh what a happy difference that little distance makes!

All That Jazz

For a pleasurable evening's entertainment, you might need look no farther than the lobby lounge of your own or a nearby hotel. The genre is usually jazz, the performers are top-notch, and the admission is free. So if it's a Sunday night, you might want to plant yourself in the paneled parlor of the Hotel Tabard Inn to listen to bassist Victor Dvoskin, often accompanied by a guitarist, play world-class jazz. In the Garden Terrace of the Four Seasons, Saturday's the best night to catch some cool jazz, performed by the Marshall Keyes trio or another of D.C.'s top musicians with regular gigs at the hotel. In the West End, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel features mellow tunes by the likes of the Bertram McLeish Trio Monday through Saturday nights. Order a drink and perhaps a bite to eat, then settle into a comfy lounge chair to enjoy the show.