Donovan House

The sleek 139-room Washington, D.C., hotel is all about clean architectural materials such as limestone and dark teakwood paired with unexpected dashes of olive green and deep purple. Named after Wild Bill Donovan, the nonconformist father of the CIA, this new property from the Thompson hotel group is a bold design departure for D.C. In the lobby, white leather lounge chairs hang from the ceiling, and most of the 193 mod rooms have polished oval bathtubs and tall windows with views downtown. The rooftop pool and lounge bar are the hotel's best assets. The 168-year-old apothecary, C.O. Bigelow, provides the bath and spa products.