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Are Hotels Becoming The Next Rock 'n Roll Venues?

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

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?

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Thanksgiving Hotels / W Hotels / DC Hotels / Obama Hotels / POTUS Hotels / Animal Hotels / → All Tags

Obama Receives A Special Guest From The W Hotel. Again.

Where: 515 15th St Nw [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20004

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.

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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

Where: 515 15th St Nw [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20004

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."

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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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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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POTUS Hotels / Hotel News / Thanksgiving Hotels / W Hotels / DC Hotels / → All Tags

The W D.C. Spent Thanksgiving With Obama and a Turkey

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

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."

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Spying on the President From The W DC

Where: 515 15th Street NW [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20004

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.

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Hotel News / Washington DC Hotels / W Hotels / → All Tags

Can Washington D.C. Handle More W Hotels?

Where: 515 15th St Nw [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20004

So the W Washington D.C. is officially open after last week’s splashy opening party, and apparently now that the journalists who attended have emerged from their hangovers, we hear there was more than just John Legend, Marie Antoinette look-alikes, and powder-wigged folks working the crowd.

Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen not only made an appearance but revealed a juicy bit of news — DC is among the cities he’s eyeing for a “more expansive rollout of the W brand,” such as New York City’s 5 Ws, reports the Washington Business Journal. Of course, what that means in reality is yet to be seen, but it’s interesting to hear such optimism for D.C. only a few months after the nation’s capital finally got its first W.

“Washington is certainly a place where we’d love to do that, and we’re always looking at opportunities,” van Paasschen said. “I think the W brand brings something new to the DC market, fills a void.”

The WBJ also reports that Starwood plans to open 30 to 60 new W Hotels over the next three years.

Hotel Parties / W Hotels / DC Hotels / Frits van Paasschen / → All Tags

The Congress of Cool is Now Officially In Session (And Probably a Little Hungover)

Where: 515 15th St Nw [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20004

The W Washington DC opened to guests back in July, and has racked up some pretty partisan reviews ever since. But last night a scene-y DC crowd — the Congress of Cool, if you will — reached across the aisle to join in and play dress-up for the W’s official opening bash.

As we all know, the W loves splashy parties awash in velvet ropes and a purple carpet. And for this installation they hired John Legend for a rooftop performance (and to up the crowd’s star ante). This being DC, and with the W across the street from the White House, it’s also worth noting that Obama’s aide Reggie Love stopped by for the festivities. On the celeb circuit, actress-singer-songwriter Emmy Rossum was also in attendance. You can watch a short video here for a better sense of the scene.

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Refereeing Hotel Reviews / W Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / → All Tags

The W's 'Congress of Cool' Gets Some Partisan Reviews

Where: 515 15th St Nw [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20004

It’s been two months since the doors swung wide at what's arguably DC’s most hyped hotel opening of the year — the W, duh — so we thought we’d check back in on the swirling review chatter, especially now that people are talking about the hotel itself and not just the rooftop POV bar.

Over at TripAdvisor, it’s registering with a 68% approval rating. Not too shabby. But true to DC form, people seem to be awfully partisan when it comes to the Congress of Cool, making reviews range from scathing to glowing.

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Hotel Awards / Green Hotels / Intercontinental Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / → All Tags

Willard InterContinental Is Good For The Earth But Still Too Expensive For Us

Where: 1401 Pennsylvania Ave Nw [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20004

While we continue to ponder the hefty price tag on DC’s very-soon-to-open Jefferson Hotel, another chi-chi Washington hotel has caught our attention. The classic Willard InterContinental received a Conde Nast Traveler “World Savers” award for its commitment to the environment and communities in need.

This is CNT’s third year to give out the awards, which honor global travel companies for their leadership in social responsibility causes. The Willard was the overall winner in the City Hotel category (we guess living across the street from the White House must be inspiring). You can find the rest of the winners here.

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