DC Travel Guide
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We Gussied Up For The New Capella Georgetown
As you may know, we've been anticipating the opening of the new Capella Washington D.C. for many months, and when its proposed January opening date came and went, it was hard to contain our disappointment. Still, the info on the hotel kept trickling in--news of chefs, GMs, and the like. It was clear that Capella wanted to remain on everyone's radar. So, imagine our surprise when out of the blue we received an invite to D.C. for the hotel's grand opening soiree. It was going to be a large affair in the first week of April. Of course we said yes and went in search for a worthy frock for the ribbon-cuttiing ceremony.
When we arrived we learned the Capella was keeping secrets from us! It had actually been in soft opening since March 22nd. We were a tad hurt--why weren't we told? But taking a look around the 49-room Georgetown hotel located next to the city's historic C&O Canal, it was clear the company wanted time to get the kinks out before making a big announcement--hence the coming out party.
We'd known so much about the brand's first US hotel (and written about it at length) already, we wanted to see if the artistic renderings matched what could only be described as serious coziness. It did and we were well pleased.
Hotel News / Hotel Debts / Washington DC Hotels / St. Regis Hotels / → All Tags
Irishman Owes $10 Million to the St. Regis Hotel in D.C.
The Irish flag flying out front of the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. makes a lot more sense now.
If Irish billionaire Dómhnal Slattery had a drink or two this weekend for St. Patrick's Day, it’s unlikely they were as celebratory as those thrown back by others as last week a high court ruled he owes approximately $10 million resulting from a personal guarantee to help fund the purchase of the St. Regis.
The kicker? Slattery said he didn’t even know the contract he signed was a personal guarantee, and that he didn't necessarily intend to splash the pot. So much for the luck of the Irish!
The good news is Slattery is one of Ireland’s wealthiest citizens. His airline leasing company, Avolon, has raised over $5 billion in capital since its 2010 beginnings. We’re guessing he won’t lose too much sleep over this multi-million dollar payout.
Hotel Bathrooms / Bathroom Tuesday / Hotel Bathtubs / Hotel Showers / Killer View / → All Tags
See Cherry Blossoms Bloom From Mandarin Oriental DC Bathroom
It’s the start of the magical cherry blossom season in Washington DC and it's also HC’s unofficial “Bathroom Tuesday”. So what better way to celebrate both than highlight a hotel with a stunning bathroom that will give you views of the city’s natural pride and joy?
The baths at the swank Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. are filled with glossy marble and have both separate shower and deep soaking tubs. Some rooms and suites (those are the ones you’ll want for this time of the year) have views of the Washington Monument. And if peeping the cherry blossom trees while you’re having a soak in your tub isn't enough, you can always turn on the in-bath television.
Hotel Renovations / Renaissance Hotels / Marriott Hotels / Washington D.C. Hotels / Hotel Design / → All Tags
Renaissance Washington Reno Came to a Cool $30M
The Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel just announced they’ve completed a redesign of all 807(!) guest rooms and suites to the tune of $30M. Wow -- talk about investing in the economy. Good on ‘em.
The hotel is located across from Mt. Vernon Square and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, close to DC’s Chinatown and Penn Quarter districts.
The rooms, designed by Dash Design in New York, are meant to complement the hotel’s recent lobby redo and are done in khakis and cocoa-browns with splashes of reinterpreted denim blues and reds. Each room is accented with clean and modern furniture. The leather lounge and desk chairs are inspired by twentieth-century modernism. LED reading pin lights are mounted on headboards with easy to reach plugs for guests to plug in their own mobile devices.
Hotel News / Donald Trump / Historic Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / Trump Hotels / → All Tags
Trump Trying To Duck Taxes On New D.C. Hotel Project
We told you earlier this year that Donald Trump has designs of opening a hotel in Washington D.C., in one of the city’s beloved landmark’s, the Old Post Office.
Well, now he doesn’t want to pay taxes on the property, which could delay the project. The Old Post Office is a federal building, so property taxes aren’t required, but possessory interest tax--established in 2000 to tax companies operating on federal land—are still in order.
According to The Washington Business Journal, The Old Post Office's tax bill could start at $3 million a year. The article said Trump has been trying to get unspecified "relief" on the tax from the city—so far to no avail.
Christmas Hotel Deals / JW Marriott Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / → All Tags
This Weekend Only! Les Misérables & JW Marriott DC For A Song
Can't wait 'til Christmas Day to see Les Miserables hit the big screen? Then hightail it to Washington D.C. this weekend, Dec. 21-23, and catch the latest live performance of the world's most famous musical at The National Theater. (It's been staged some forty-five thousand times in over 300 cities. Crazy!).
This weekend, though, is your only chance to snag a room after the show next door at Pennsylvania Avenue's JW Marriott for a mere $149 a night. This is thanks to the hotel's "Last-Minute Weekends" deal. Unsurprisingly, rates rocket to $329 a night from Christmas Eve til New Year's.
Hotel Openings / Capella Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / Political Hotels / Luxury Hotels / → All Tags
Capella's First US Hotel Goes to Georgetown
On January 20 at noon, Barack Obama will take the Oath of Office in Washington DC to mark the beginning of his second term as POTUS. While the Ritz-Carlton is going all out with its $100,000 inauguration package, its nearby sibling will be getting some fresh competition in the form of Capella Georgetown, which we were told would open in January as well.
Hotel News / Photo Gallery / Trump Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / → All Tags
Trump Teases With A First Look At The Old Post Office Building In DC
Back in February when it was first announced that Trump Hotels would be taking over the Old Post Office Building in DC, Ivanka Trump told reporters: "I think the historic facade of the building will be the greatest signage of all."
Which might very well be true, but judging from these new renderings released yesterday via the Washington Post, it seems the idea of a Trump Hotel minus any Trump signage just didn't sit too well with ol' Donald. One of the most visible features in the renderings is a horizontal banner that will hang under the iconic building's domed entrance reading "Trump International Hotel."
Nevermind the fact that 90% of the city is going to know it's his hotel anyway, but...yeah. Branding. We get it.
To see more renderings, click below!
Hotel Contests / Instagram / Washington DC Hotels / → All Tags
DC's Dupont Circle Will Take Your Instagram Circle and Make It a Star
A hotel Instagram of our own
Hotels...they're finally getting it. Social media, we mean—they're getting social media, and the latest example of this is a major Instagram contest to award a mobile photographer with a new camera, a hotel stay, a display of their image and mentions in the press.
The contest, hosted by Washington DC's Dupont Circle Hotel asks for submissions that have a theme of a circle reflect "the spirit of Washington DC." Just contributing an image to the contest earns you a free cocktail at the hotel, so that's like $14 right there. Naturally there are more detailed rules; see them below.
Summer Road Trip Hotels / Teddy Worcester / Washington DC Hotels / HotelTonight / → All Tags
The Great American Road Trip Hotel Stop #2: Georgetown Suites in Washington, D.C.
Ahhh...we all remember what it's like to be young and in love on a cross-country road-trip staying in a different hotel each night. Or maybe not. For those of you who never got the chance to drive across America after college, we've got a special Summer Road Trip series from Teddy Worcester, a recent Wheaton College grad who's making his way out to San Fran for a job in tech. Along the way, he's hitting up about six hotels and reporting back to us on each one. So grab your iced beverage of choice, settle into your lawn chair and let the sprinkler run.
What happens when two college kids graduate and need to get across the country? An epic road trip takes place, obviously.
We drove the 11 hours from Maine (where we stopped at Forty1 North for a night to Washington D.C. and had no clue where we were staying for the night until noon came around. Why noon? Because again, we were using HotelTonight, an iPhone app that lets you book same day hotel rooms at a discounted rate but their daily offerings only come up at noon.
We had our sights on the Beacon Hotel but ended up booking Georgetown Suites for a reasonable $144 rate (including taxes). Luckily, we also had a $25 Hotel Tonight credit so that put us at $119 total for the night.
Kimpton Hotels / DC Hotels / Hotel Rebrandings / Thompson Hotels / → All Tags
Here's How Kimpton Will De-Thompsonize The Donovan House
It's official. The Donovan House in DC is now a Kimpton Hotel.
As we reported the changeover from Thompson happened on April 10 (apparently, the hotel was not up to brand standards.) Initially. we didn't think that Kimpton would be changing too much about the hotel (aside from going 100 percent smoke-free) but we've got word from Kimpton that they plan on giving a "light refresh" to the interior spaces and the rooftop bar area.
That will include new pillows on the bed, Kimpton's famous animal print bathrobes in the closet, pet-friendly perks, the all-important evening wine hour and Kimpton's EarthCare program which includes more than 100 eco-friendly operating practices.
And unlike with Thompson, the WiFi at Kimpton will be free, so long as you join the Kimpton InTouch loyalty program. We're excited already!
Have you stayed at the Donovan House since Kimpton took over? Let us know how it went!
[Photo: The Flying Mermaid]
Hotel Rebrandings / DC Hotels / Thompson Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Smoking Hotels / → All Tags
Donovan House to Turn into a Kimpton on April 10 But Where Will All the Smokers Go?
As we mentioned the other day, the Donovan House in DC will go from a Thompson Hotel to a Kimpton Hotel and thanks to a recent and frequent guest, we've learned that the changeover will happen on April 10.
We've also learned that the Donovan House will be entirely 100 percent smoke-free when Kimpton takes over. This is interesting because we didn't even think the hotel had smoking rooms as so few places do these days.
Yet if you're a smoker visiting DC, Smokers-United.com has rounded up a few places in DC that will let you do your thing in your room. Those include mostly budget options (Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, etc) but also the Mandarin Oriental, The St. Regis, the Fairmont and the old school Hay Adams. But unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any in-between or boutiquey lifestyle brands.
[Photo: The Flying Mermaid]
