Step from the lively streets of the city into the Omni Shoreham’s lovely and enormous lobby, and it really does feel like you’ve arrived at a resort. It’s the towering ceiling, the chandeliers, and the sheer expanse of lobby leading back down through the dining room and out the French doors to the terrace and the acres of landscaped lawns, all backing up to Rock Creek Park. Truly, one of the pleasures of staying here is exploring the premises. Poke your head in the Palladian Ballroom to inspect its muraled scenes of Monticello, or check out the Diplomat Ballroom, modeled after the East Room of the White House. The Omni Shoreham was built in 1930 as a hotel and apartment building, so its guest rooms are of varying sizes and shapes. For best views and quiet, ask for a park-view room at the back, preferably with a balcony (15% of the rooms have them) and within sight of the Washington Monument. You should also opt for the Omni Select Guest Loyalty program (it’s free), which gets you free Wi-Fi upon signing up, plus a bundle of other privileges, such as morning-beverage room service, pressing service, and shoeshine, on subsequent stays at Omni hotels. The Omni attracts a lot of groups, thanks to its size (11 acres, 834 rooms, 24 meeting rooms, several ballrooms), but families love it, too, for its large seasonal pool, children’s amenities (backpack of games given at check-in, cookies and milk delivered on the first evening), its on-site restaurants, and its proximity to Rock Creek Park and the National Zoo. The buffet breakfast is a veritable groaning board of deliciousness, from smoked salmon to teddy-bear waffles to omelettes made to order; look for stay/dine packages that include it.