HotelChatter

2. The Liaison Capitol Hill, An Affinia Hotel
Near Union Station and north of the Capitol, this 343-room hotel is home to a new favorite on the upscale DC resto scene: Art and Soul, an updated Southern comfort spot with Oprah’s celeb chef Art Smith at the helm. Rooms from $149.

3. Georgetown Suites
Right in the hub of Georgetown and across the street from the Four Seasons, the Georgetown Suites offer two buildings half a block from each other. Suites are admittedly a bit tired and “tatty,” say TA reviewers, but the hotel still offers a good night’s sleep and value in a very desirable location. Suites from $115 in both buildings.
[Photo: Maveric2003]

4. Normandy Hotel
Maybe the best place to fake being a visiting dignitary, this 75-room hotel sits right on scenic Embassy Row and evokes an elegant Euro-swank feel (with admittedly small rooms to complete the experience). TA reviewers brag about the hotel’s wine and cheese nights, fresh-baked cookies, quiet rooms, and in-room espresso machines. Rooms from $116.

5. Capitol Skyline
To be sure, this giant, somewhat-worn hotel sits off-the-beaten path in Southwest DC, but it’s been building its cachet since cutting ties with Best Western and hosting this summer’s buzziest pool parties. Owned by the Rubell family (as in, related to Studio 54’s Steve Rubell), the lobby has been transformed into a playground of modern design (think Gehry chairs, a Bouroullec Brothers sofa). The NYT decided the Morris Lapidus-designed building looks like “a giant concrete submarine headed back to the future.” Rooms from $89.