20004 Travel Guide
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.
Hotel Design / Kimpton Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
Is Kimpton's Hotel Monaco The Trippiest Hotel in DC?
We love how Kimpton Hotels can get a little creative with their interior designs, but nothing prepared us for Hotel Monaco in Washington DC.
While there are 10 Kimpton hotels in the metro area, we loved that this 182-room hotel is a former 1842, neoclassical post office. We didn't realize history was the only thing we'd be experiencing.
We don't know what the designers were smoking, but we love the results. They are so visually overwhelming, our puppy companion didn't know what to do with herself. Luckily, the pet-friendly hotel provided a plush giraffe doll to keep her busy while we investigated the rest of the hotel.
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 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 Music / W Hotels / Aloft Hotels / Hotel Trends / Hotel News / DC Hotels / Rock n Roll Hotels / → All Tags
Are Hotels Becoming The Next Rock 'n Roll Venues?
Yesterday, the widely-read indie music blog Stereogum published a second installment of their new "Stereogum x W Hotel Suite Session" video series, which features up-and-coming bands performing at a W Hotel of their choice. No fans, no stage, not even any fancy lighting or effects. Just a regular old rock band taking over a regular old hotel room—and making you wish you could be snuggled up in bed for a front row seat.
But this isn't the first time we've seen this. Back in April, Aloft hotels were running a near identical partnership with Pitchfork called the Video Surveillance Series, where the "footage" was made to look as though it "caught" the bands in action. Same idea, different effect.
And while the trend is certainly proving a success, we have to ask: what's going on here? Is this the next generation of live music? Will bands eventually give up on the traditional venues and just embark on national chain hotel tours?
Thanksgiving Hotels / W Hotels / DC Hotels / Obama Hotels / POTUS Hotels / Animal Hotels / → All Tags
Obama Receives A Special Guest From The W Hotel. Again.
For the second year in a row, the W Washington DC graciously offered to host the lucky turkey that had been spared his 400°F fate. The turkey traveled from Pennsylvania to Washington DC in order to get pardoned by the President himself, and while in town, got to spend the night at the hotel. Pet-friendly amenities and all.
A custom room was offered up to the turkey, including: added sawdust on the floor as well as a W-branded "munchie box" filled with soy, corn and cranberries. Wow, they really step it up for these birds! We can't remember the last time a hotel modified its regular room service menu options for us. Though we're pretty sure it involved some sort of extra fee.
W Hotels / Dominique Strauss-Kahn / Hotel Sex / Prostitutes / Hotel Scandals / DC Hotels / → All Tags
DSK's Own Version of Whatever, Whenever at the W DC
While a porno spoof based on the life and trials of Dominique Strauss-Kahn seeks donations for filming, we think we may have a good location suggestion for the shoot--The W D.C. where DSK allegedly shacked up with a $500-a night prostitute, according to a new report in a French paper.
Apparently, DSK flew a Belgian hooker to the U.S. to accompany him on the job while he was head of the International Monetary Fund. And now one of the girls is talking. In an interview with Nord Eclair, the girl spoke of flying to DC in January of 2010, posing as DSK's "assistant."
Hotel Emergencies / Hotel News / W Hotels / Hotel Rooftops / Hotel Deaths / → All Tags
Tragedy Strikes Yet Another W Hotel, This Time in DC
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.
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
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.
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
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.
POTUS Hotels / Hotel News / Thanksgiving Hotels / W Hotels / DC Hotels / → All Tags
The W D.C. Spent Thanksgiving With Obama and a Turkey
How was your Turkey Day? Stay at any hotels this holiday weekend? The turkeys pardoned by President Obama did.
That's right. You know all about the Presidential tradition of saving a bird--but did you know that the turkey also gets an all-expenses-paid trip to D.C., complete with a stay at the W Washington D.C.?
In case you missed the pardoning ceremony held in the Rose Garden last week, this year's National Turkey is named Apple, and his feathered friend, Cider. As President Obama explained, the turkeys came from the Foster Farms Wellsford Ranch, just outside of Modesto, California. They made a shortlist and then the "big prize--life."
Snapshot / DC Hotels / W Hotels / Hotels Near the White House / Killer View / → All Tags
Spying on the President From The W DC
We’ve watched the President of the United States from our hotel bed many a time, but that’s usually via the magic of TV. But on a quick overnight stop in DC on Sunday, we found ourselves spying on the White House from our bedroom at the W Hotel.
Room 1017 of the hotel looked over 15th Street, with the Treasury in the foreground but, behind that, the White House itself. At first we got very excited because the flag was at half mast on Sunday night, but raised to full height on Monday morning so we assumed that it was like the flag on Buckingham Palace and meant that POTUS, FLOTUS and baby OTUSes had come home overnight. But then a DC insider person told us that it only meant that the Treasury had been mourning someone on the Sunday.
