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Tragedy Strikes Yet Another W Hotel, This Time in DC

Where: 515 15th Street Northwest [map], Washington, D.C., DC, United States, 20004

UPDATE, Thursday June 30th, 4:38pm: A spokesperson for W Hotels released this statement:

"The W Washington D.C. extends our sympathies to the family touched by this tragedy. While the investigation is ongoing and we continue to cooperate with the Metropolitan Police Department, we can confirm that the victim was not a registered guest at the hotel, and it is not certain whether she spent any significant length of time at POV prior to her death.

The Washington Post is reporting this as a suicide, quoting a D.C. police official speaking on the condition of anonymity. We ask that any questions regarding the case be directed to the Metropolitan Police Department at 202.727.4383."

This has simply not been a good week for hotels—especially the W. It feels like just yesterday that we wrote about the W Austin's forced evacuation due to kamikaze glass window panes (and now you can read the hotel's apology letter to guests here)—oh wait! That was just yesterday. We woke up this morning to news of a separate W tragedy—this time at the W Washington DC, where a woman fell to her death from the hotel's 11th-floor rooftop bar.

The W Washington was installed in 2009, replacing another hotel inside the 120-year-old building—but inheriting every square foot of the building's prime location (the hotel sits directly across the street from the White House). If you remember, we even gave their rooftop a shout-out two weeks ago when recommending places to see the DC fireworks on Jul 4. We have a feeling the mood this weekend—if there even remains to be any party at all—will be decidedly less festive than originally hoped for.

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Fourth of July Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / W Hotels / Starwood Hotels / → All Tags

Get Your Fourth of July Started with the W D.C.'s Boom with a View

Where: 515 15th St. NW [map], Washington, D.C., United States, 20004

If you want to get the most bang for your buck on the Fourth of July, head to the W Washington, D.C.'s second annual Boom with a View. We know, it seems like the Fourth is as far away as Christmas, but it's less than three weeks till the holiday.

The main reason to spend your Fourth here is to hang in the W's rooftop, which looks out over the monuments. It gives you a prime perch to watch the National Mall fireworks.

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Presidents Day Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / → All Tags

Last-Minute Presidents Day Hotels: Washington, D.C.

Forgive us for being obvious, but with balmy temperatures on the radar this weekend, Washington, D.C. has suddenly become a worthy February vacation spot—and hotel rates are great near the White House.

As usual, we checked rates on our custom hotel search tool. Best of the bunch, close to Chez Obama? The W Washington, D.C. from just $219 on Saturday night. Next door, the Willard Intercontinental is at $239. And the famed Hay Adams Hotel, where the Obamas stayed right before Inauguration Day, is at just $279.

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New Year's Eve Hotels / W Hotels / DC Hotels / Hotel Parties / Hotel Concerts / → All Tags

Doug E. Fresh to Break It Down at The W DC on New Year's Eve

Where: 515 15th St. NW [map], Washington, D.C., United States, 20004

Hip-hop heads who weren't lucky enough to reserve the New Year's Eve package to see Jay-Z at Vegas' Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino have the chance to see an old school performer instead.

Doug E. Fresh will headline the NYE party at the W Washington DC. Maybe he'll even teach you how to Dougie.

Fresh, who was hip-hop's first human beatbox, will tear up the hotel's rooftop party. The P.O.V. bash will also include three DJs, five violin percussionists, an open bar from 8 to 10 p.m., and some gourmet bar bites from Jean-Georges.

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Hotel Minibars / Hotel Amenities / Washington DC Hotels / Sweet Suites / → All Tags

Get Liquored Up at the Minibar with the Dupont Hotel's Full-Sized Bottles

Where: 1500 New Hampshire Ave. N.W. [map], Washington, D.C., United States, 20036

When you book a room on the Dupont Hotel's ninth level concierge penthouse floor, you expect lots of extra amenities—packing/unpacking services, complimentary iPod to borrow, etc. But one of the best little-known perks is found in the minibar. You get a complimentary bar stocked with full-size bottles of premium liquor. Hard drinkers need to toast to that.

You'll be able to get your hotel party started with full bottles of Belvedere Vodka, 10 Cane Rum, Tanqueray, Black Label Johnnie Walker, white and red wine and a half-bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.

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Hotel Contests / Washington D.C. Hotels / Hotel Anniversaries / → All Tags

Use Your Hotel Key to Unlock Prizes at The Jefferson's Anniversary Party

Where: 1200 16th St. N.W. [map], Washington, D.C. , United States, 20036

To mark its one-year anniversary after a 2.5-year renovation, the Jefferson will be throwing a key party. Not those gross kinda key parties where swingers swap keys and partners. Instead, the hotel is selling antique keys for a contest to see who can unlock various prizes from the hotel.

On August 31 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., five locked boxes full of swag will be waiting to be unlocked in the lobby. People who have purchased keys will be invited to try their luck to see if they can open the boxes.

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Hotel Renovations / Hotel Lobbies / Hotel Bars / Renaissance Hotels / Marriott Hotels / DC Hotels / → All Tags

The Renaissance DC Gets Ready to Mixx and Mingle in Its New Lobby

Where: 999 Ninth St. NW [map], Washington, D.C., United States, 20001

Mingle

The Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel just turned 21, and to celebrate becoming legal, the hotel lobby got a facelift to make it ready to Mixx and Mingle.

Mixx and Mingle, along with Explore, are actually cute names of the newly created intimate spaces in the sleek, modern lobby. It's all part of an effort to rid the hotel of its "convention hotel" label from Dallas-based designers Looney & Associates.

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