 |
|
|
Best Hotel Bets
Best Historic Hotel: The Willard InterContinental celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2006, as the "new" 12-story Willard, replacing the original, smaller "City Hotel" that existed here between 1816 and 1906. Whether known as the City or the Willard, the hotel has hosted nearly every U.S. president since Franklin Pierce in 1853, including two presidents who lived here for a time -- Lincoln in 1861 and Calvin Coolidge in 1923. President Ulysses S. Grant liked to unwind with cigar and brandy in the Willard lobby after a hard day in the Oval Office, and literary luminaries like Mark Twain and Charles Dickens used to hang out in the Round Robin bar. The hotel continues to draw political, society, business, and cultural icons today.
Best Location: Three contenders in three different locations win this category: For a true heart-of-the-city experience, the Hotel Monaco can't be beat. The hotel lies halfway between the White House and Capitol Hill, across the street from the Verizon Center and two Smithsonian museums, and in the middle of a neighborhood known for its many restaurants, shops, and clubs. If you desire proximity to the White House, no hotel gets closer than the Hay-Adams, right across Lafayette Square from the Executive Mansion. And if you'd like to be within walking distance of both Capitol Hill and the National Mall, the Capitol Hill Suites gets my vote. The only hotel truly on "the Hill," it's in a pretty neighborhood around the corner from a row of eateries and bars.
Best Trendy Hotel: Without a doubt, Washington's trendiest hotels are the seven operated by the Kimpton Hotel Group, ranging from the fun and funky Hotel Helix, with its platform beds, neon colors, and flatscreen TVs, to the effervescent and lovely Hotel Monaco, museum-like on the outside, surprising touches on the inside, such as complimentary goldfish at check-in. Other Kimpton properties include the Hotel Rouge, the Topaz Hotel, the Hotel George, the Hotel Madera, and the Hotel Palomar.
Best Place for a Romantic Getaway: The posh Ritz-Carlton Georgetown is just enough off the beaten track, but still in the heart of Georgetown, to make you feel like you've really escaped; its small size, only 86 rooms, adds an air of intimacy. While the Ritz's spa, sexy bar, lovely rooms, and solicitous service may tempt you to stay put, it would be a shame to pass up the chance to stroll hand-in-hand along Georgetown's quaint streets to dine at one of the city's most romantic restaurants, 1789, Citronelle, and La Chaumiere among them.
Best Washington Insider Hotel: The Willard wins again. This is where the term "lobbyists" came into popular use, after all. When President Ulysses S. Grant enjoyed a brandy in the Willard lobby, he was often besieged by politicians and businessmen, clamoring for his attention -- "lobbyists," Grant called them, making famous a term someone else had coined. Lobbyists still come and go here, as do high-ranking government officials, television news anchors, and visiting heads of state. Be sure to duck your head into the Round Robin bar, as well as the Willard dining room.
Best Inexpensive Hotel: The boutique Jurys Normandy Inn charges $89 to $239 for personable service and rooms that are small but charming. Extras like an exercise room, a pool, and a restaurant are available at its sister hotel around the corner.
Best Service: The staff at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. is engaging but not overbearing, offering quick and solicitous service, whether you've ordered a glass of wine in the lounge or room service. A technology butler is always on call to handle your high-wired needs. Likewise, the Four Seasons pampers you relentlessly and greets you by name. The hotel also offers an "I Need It Now" program that delivers any of 100 or more left-at-home essentials (tweezers, batteries, cuff links, electric hair curlers, and so on) to you in 3 minutes, at no cost. And finally, there's the Mandarin Oriental, where staffers speak in hushed tones, almost bowing; the spa features something called an amethyst steam room; and the very design of the hotel follows the principles of feng shui, the better to attract good fortune.
Best Health Club: The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. has the best fitness center in the city. Its two-level, 100,000-square-foot Sports Club/LA boasts state-of-the-art weight-training equipment and free weights, two regulation-size basketball courts and four squash courts, an indoor heated swimming pool and aquatics pool with sun deck, exercise classes, personal trainers, the full-service Splash Spa and Roche Salon, and its own restaurant and cafe.
Best Views: The Hay-Adams has such a great, unobstructed view of the White House that the Secret Service comes over regularly to do security sweeps of the place. Ask for a room on the H Street side of the hotel, on floors six through eight.
Best for Travelers with Disabilities: The Omni Shoreham Hotel has 41 specially equipped rooms for guests with disabilities, about half with roll-in showers; vibrating door knockers and pillows, TTYs, and flashing lights to alert guests when fire alarms are sounding (all of these devices are available, but you must ask for them); and the hotel carries copies of disabilityguide.org's Access Entertainment guide, which offers detailed information about how to travel around and enjoy D.C., if you have limited mobility.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
|
|
|
