31. Jurys Normandy Hotel
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 483-1350, (800) 424-3729
Address: 2118 Wyoming Avenue NW
Description: The 75-room Normandy, in upper Northwest, is lodged between Rock Creek Park and Dupont Circle. This is an intimate, European-style inn in a residential neighborhood that includes a slew of embassies. Free underground parking is available, as are on-site limousine and car rental services. Rooms come with minifridges and coffeemakers, as well as valet service and complimentary coffee, tea, and cookies every afternoon.
32. Jw Marriott
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 393-2000, (800) 393-2503
Address: 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Description: Part of downtown Washington’s renaissance of the 1980s, this entry boasts 765 modern rooms, as well as a passageway to the Shops at National Place (see our Shopping chapter). Just steps from the White House and the National Mall, the Marriott is big with conventions, tourists, and business travelers. There’s a huge, marbled, multilevel lobby and lots of meeting and eating places. Not only are there a swimming pool and health club on the premises, but there are also many business amenities. Rooms are equipped with “plug and play” technology, so you can hook your laptop or entertainment equipment into a 32-inch LCD HDTV, which lets you split the screen to watch TV and work simultaneously. The hotel is directly across from the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.
33. L’Enfant Plaza Hotel
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 484-1000, (800) 635-5065
Address: 480 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Description: The L’Enfant Plaza Hotel is a pleasant, airy hotel near the pulse of bureaucratic Washington. Its best feature, though, is its location directly above a Metro subway station and shopping promenade. Within a short walk are the Smithsonian Castle and museum, plus the offices of NASA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Transportation and Agriculture Departments, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Expect to find all the amenities for business and pleasure at this 370-room property, including a rooftop swimming pool (open throughout the year) and health club. All rooms come with minibars, stocked refrigerators, two phones, in-room safes, and a TV/radio in the bathroom. Some also have kitchens. Pets are allowed.
34. The Liaison Capitol Hill
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Address: 415 New Jersey Avenue
Description: With locations in Washington, D.C., New York, and Chicago, savvy travelers know that The Liaison hotels offer top-notch luxury accommodations. This hotel offers 343 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of event space, plus a lovely rooftop terrace. This hotel has a reputation for offering highly personalized service, as well as stylish accommodations. The SPAffinia (an upscale day spa) is located on the property.
35. The Madison, A Loews Hotel
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 862-1600, (800) 424-8577
Description: Elegant is the only way to describe this downtown institution featuring 353 rooms appointed with French and Asian antiques acquired by renowned collector and hotelier. Marshall B. Coyne. This hotel is consistently rated in national travel magazines as a top choice of business executives. Guests should expect refrigerators and stocked bars in each room, as well as indoor valet parking and all the business amenities. What’s more, it’s convenient to everything in federal and corporate Washington.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Address: 1330 Maryland Avenue SW
37. Marriott Wardman Park
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 328-2000, (800) 228-9290
Address: 2660 Woodley Road NW
Description: At 1,350 rooms, this is Washington’s largest hotel, a sprawling behemoth of brick, white columns, French doors, endless corridors, and room-size chandeliers. The setting is a grand expanse of parkland at the edge of Rock Creek. The National Zoo is 3 blocks to the north. This hotel, which offers all sorts of convention and tourist services, includes a post office, pool, health club, shoeshine stand, and hair salon. Rooms come with Starbucks coffee/tea service, voice mail, video checkout, and every other amenity imaginable for the comfort of the business traveler. Pets are allowed.
38. The Melrose Hotel
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 955-6400, (800) MELROSE
Address: 2430 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Description: Service is key at this classic West End hotel that’s just a few strides away from Georgetown. It offers valet parking, complimentary newspapers, a shoeshine service, and rooms with hair dryers and coffee machines. Classic English and contemporary decor complement the commissioned artwork of Washington landmarks in each room.
39. The Morrison-Clark Inn
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 898-1200, (800) 332-7898
Description: This inn would be considered a luxury property were it almost anywhere else in the city. However, as luxurious as it is, it is in a neighborhood undergoing gentrification, at the eastern edge of downtown near the convention center. Occupying one of the oldest buildings in Washington, the Morrison-Clark features authentic Victorian decor with all the modern amenities, including computer ports, and all the old-fashioned luxuries like complimentary newspaper and shoeshine. The restaurant here is renowned for its fine American cuisine.
40. Park Hyatt Washington
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 789-1234, (800) 778-7477
Description: Another in a long list of competitive West End hotels, the Park Hyatt is one of the most elegant in the Hyatt chain. Three blocks from Georgetown, it features a wonderful restaurant and sidewalk cafe (see the Restaurants and Nightlife chapters). In the rooms you’ll find the usual Hyatt amenities plus some four-star touches, including multiline phones, minibars, and complimentary fresh fruit. The hotel boasts an on-site swimming pool and a health club, as well as a beauty salon.
41. Phoenix Park Hotel
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 638-6900, (800) 824-5419
Address: 520 North Capitol Street NW
Description: For a touch of the Emerald Isle right here in Washington, check into the Phoenix Park. A recently built wing brings the total number of rooms to 149. It is 2 blocks from the Capitol and a block from Union Station and the Metro. The hotel’s Dubliner Pub is widely regarded as one of the best Irish bars in Metro Washington (see the Nightlife chapter). This hotel offers classic decor, but modern amenities.
42. Renaissance Mayflower
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 347-3000, (800) 228-7697
Address: 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW
Description: This much-revered historic hotel is a Connecticut Avenue landmark, a place to see and be seen, and a Washington institution. The Mayflower’s lobby takes up an entire block, and the property has two good restaurants and a lounge. Some of the rooms in this 657-unit hotel have kitchenettes. The White House is only 4 blocks away, and just outside the bank of brass-and-glass doors is one of Washington’s nicest shopping and restaurant districts. Guests enjoy free Wi-Fi, plus unlimited local and long-distance calling. It’s a good choice for families, business travelers, and vacationers alike.
43. Renaissance Washington, D.C. Hotel
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 898-9000
Address: 999 9th Street NW
Description: One of the District’s premiere convention and trade show sites, the Renaissance is close to the convention center, about halfway between the White House and Capitol Hill, and about 4 blocks from the Verizon Center. Twenty-five retail shops, a fitness center, food court, post office, hair salon, and indoor pool complement the 807 rooms. In each room expect all the business amenities related to computers and telephones. There’s valet parking and a convenient Metro station nearby (Gallery Place). Pets are allowed.
44. The St. Regis Washington, D.C.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 638-2626, (800) 325-3535
Address: 923 16th Street NW
Description: A 178-room luxury hotel just 2 blocks from the White House, the St. Regis has set the standard for upscale lodging since it opened in 1926. In 2006 the hotel underwent a major renovation to raise the bar even higher. In addition to amenities like wireless Internet, 32-inch plasma televisions with surround-sound, DVD players, and personal fax machines, the St. Regis caters to its guests’ needs with personal butler service. Guests can press the “Butler Button” on their room phones to make special requests for services like garment pressing, transportation arrangements, or coffee service with their wake-up calls.
45. Westin Washington, D.C.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (202) 429-1700
Address: 1400 M Street NW
Description: We tainted locals still know this best as the former Vista International Hotel, the place where former D.C. mayor Marion Barry got busted—and videotaped, no less—for using crack cocaine. That’s not to knock the Westin (formerly the Wyndham), however. This is a fine, centrally located hotel that offers guests three telephones in every room and voice mail, as well as minibars, refrigerators, and all the other business amenities. It’s an impressive sight, too, with its 14-story glass atrium draped in greenery. There’s a fitness room with sauna, a restaurant, and a lounge.