Stay

D.C.’s hotel scene is booming. Here, 11 properties that top our list.

New & Noteworthy

Capella Georgetown: At this stylish newcomer, a rooftop infinity pool (a rarity for D.C.) raises the hotel luxury bar. Need a last-minute restaurant reservation? Ask your personal concierge. $$$$

The Madison: Known as “Washington’s correct address,” the 356-room Federalist-style downtown hotel just received a silver-hued redo. $$$$

Donovan House: There’s a certain neo-Jetsons look to the whimsical Donovan House, in the up-and-coming Thomas Circle neighborhood. $$

The Jefferson: The renovated hotel pays luxurious homage to the president with Monticello-inspired design (parquet floors; toile de Jouy drapery). $$$

W: With a sceney rooftop lounge overlooking the White House, the W brand managed to inject nightclub-meets-Wonderland flair into what had been a lackluster hotel. $$$

The Classics

Four Seasons: A top-to-bottom makeover has brightened up all 222 rooms, as well as the power-breakfast hot spot Seasons. $$$

Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown: The sophisticated taupe-and-mahogany rooms come with views of the Potomac River. $$$$

Park Hyatt: Enter the lobby of this Tony Chi–designed retreat, and you’ll see photographs of cherry trees printed onto 10-foot-tall glass panels. Upstairs, rooms are decorated with American folk art. $$$

St. Regis: Generations of presidents (Coolidge, Truman, Reagan) and stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor have checked in to the 86-year-old gray stone mansion, formerly the Carlton Hotel. $$

Mandarin Oriental: It’s got a prime location near the Mall; one of the District’s top restaurants, City Zen; and a Presidential Suite in eye-popping black-and-gold chinoiserie. $$$

The Hay-Adams: This Beaux-Arts icon holds pride of place at the White House’s front door. At night, the hotel’s Off the Record bar is the after-work hangout for politicos of all stripes. $$$

Hotel Pricing Key
$ Less than $200
$$ $200 to $350
$$$ $350 to $500
$$$$ $500 to $1,000
$$$$$ More than $1,000