20005 Travel Guide
Political Hotels / POTUS Hotels / Hotel Packages / Washington D.C. Hotels / Presidential Suites / Barack Obama / Sweet Suites / → All Tags
Stay at The Madison Next Week And Eyes Will Be On You (and Obama, too!)
Next week, as the world watches President Obama during the US Presidential Inauguration, eyes will be on you, too if you book The Madison Hotel’s "Inaugural Town and Country Package". Why, you may ask? Well as part of this $47K five-night extravaganza, you get your very own Social Media Butler. That’s right--someone will post your comings-and-goings during the inauguration festivities in real-time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. So if you’ve ever fantasized about being a celebrity for a day (or five in this case), this is your chance.
As part of the package you get four nights in one of The Madison’s Presidential Suites (sweet!), a private presidential inauguration tour for you and 22 of your closest friends (with you in person, that is – you can have hundreds visit virtually), a $5,000 shopping spree at Brooks Brothers, and a personal car and driver at your beck and call during your stay.
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]
Hotel Rebrandings / DC Hotels / Thompson Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / → All Tags
Donovan House to Get De-Thompsonized by Kimpton as Well
After we got word that Thompson Hotels was dropping the Hotel Sax from its collection for "not being up to brand standards", we heard that the Donovan House in Washington, DC is getting dropped as well for the same reasons.
And just like in the case with Hotel Sax, the Donovan House is rumored to be picked up by Kimpton Hotels, although we are unsure of when the changeover happens.
HotelChatter Questions / DC Hotels / Thompson Hotels / W Hotels / Affinia Hotels / → All Tags
DC Hotel Help: Where To Send A Stylish Teacher This Weekend
Donovan House
HotelChatter Questions: In which, the intrepid HotelChatter editors and our hotel maven readers answer hotel questions that pop into our inbox. Have a question for us? Send it along. Think you have a better answer than we gave, or better yet, want to give a vote of confidence to our answer? Comment away below.
As hotel geeks we understand the concept of being teacher’s pet at school, which is why, this week, we’re helping out a teacher reader who’s looking for a hotel in Washington, DC. He writes:
I'm going to DC this weekend for Teach For America's 20th anniversary event. If anyone decides to annihilate DC off the map this weekend, this country is sh-t out of luck on the public education/social justice best and brightest front! Might try the Thompson Hotel (Donovan House) there; have you been and do you have a favorite DC hotel?
Yes, sir, indeed we have. We stayed at Donovan House when it was brand new, and we liked it a lot for its comfy beds, stylish digs, Kiehls amenities and, most importantly, its cocoon showers. And, of course, if you meet a lady teacher who gets you all hot under the collar (*Disclaimer: we know neither this reader’s marital status nor his sexual preference), you can smoosh in style at a teacher-friendly price.
Room rates are extremely reasonable, too – they start at $109 this weekend, and include free WiFi if you want to upload some photos to make your students jealous. In fact, the only thing we didn't like about the place, is that there was no view as such - you're looking at the street, and there's not much of interest on that street.
Washington DC Hotels / Hotel Packages / St. Regis Hotels / → All Tags
Play First Lady With The St. Regis Washington D.C.'s Latest Offer
With plans for a D.C. weekend this fall, we're totally psyched about seeing Michelle Obama's Jason Wu inaugural gown at the National Museum of American History. Now we're wondering if we should splash out and have a much more presidential experience, with the First Ladies: American Style at the White House package at the St. Regis Washington D.C.
Forget the Real Housewives! We want to live it up like a First Lady. So if we can rustle up the $509 a night necessary, here's what we'd choose to do over being tacky and crashing a White House party...
DC Hotels / Olympics Hotels / Curling / Hilton Garden Inns / → All Tags
Hilton Garden Inn in DC Kicks Off Curling Expo Today (Yes, Curling!)
Looking to get your curling on this weekend? No, not hair curling. Real curling, the Olympic sport where people throw a kettle down a sheet of ice and start sweeping up immediately after it.
Ok, so maybe that isn't the most technical way to describe curling but if you are curious about this sport and want to learn how to play it, pop into the Hilton Garden Inn at 14th and I streets NW in Washington DC where the hotel will be hosting a three-day curling exposition.
This particular hotel is actually the official hotel of the US Curling Association and the hotel's general manager (a curling fanatic) has gone to great lengths to get the curling expo set up at the hotel, including making a few trips to Canada. But he still needed the help of others. The Washington Post reports:
Hotel Renovations / Marriott Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / → All Tags
Washington Marriott at Metro Center Gets Spiffed Up
In recent years, Washington DC's downtown has transformed into a destination you might actually want to hang out. Or at the very least, those safe-clean-friendly claims being made about it a few years ago are now much closer to being true! Think haute restaurants, quality theatre and galleries, and much, much more foot traffic. (There's even a trendier name for the 'hood: Penn Quarter.)
For Marriott's part, they've responded to the neighborhood's spiffier image with an $11 million renovation at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center, just in time to celebrate the hotel's 15-year anniversary. The 459-room hotel recently unveiled its new contemporary look and feel, which includes 32-inch plasma screen TVs, tech-friendly plug-in panels, and check-in self-serve kiosks. In the lobby, "semi-private seating nooks" give comfortable spaces for guests to work or mingle, particularly thanks to the free WiFi.
Hotel Packages / Loews Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / → All Tags
Live Out Your National Geographic Dreams at the Loews Madison
We’ll admit, we’ve always been suckers for a good pile of in-room magazines. But the Loews Madison in DC is offering something even better — the chance to step into, literally, one of everyone’s favorite magazines, National Geographic. To coincide with the National Geographic Museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Terra Cotta Warriors,” the Loews Madison is celebrating its close proximity — two blocks away — with a package deal.
The “National Geographic Museum Terra Cotta Warriors” package features two premium “anytime” tickets to the museum exhibition, overnight “deluxe” accommodations, and a 20-percent discount at the NatGeo store.
The exhibit runs Nov. 19 through March 31, showcasing 15 terra cotta warriors and other artifacts from the tomb of China’s first emperor, from stone armor and weapons to coins and bronze vessels.
Package rates start at $149 and is available throughout the exhibition run.
Hotel Deals / Washington DC Hotels / Hotel Bars / → All Tags
Buy Champagne, Get a Free Night's Stay at the DC Sofitel
Few things make an ordinary evening sparkle quite like, well, good bubbly. (Not that we’re all that experienced in the realm of actual good-quality Champagne, mind you, but even the cheapo bottles of Andre always seemed to do the trick in college.)
So we imagine a nice bottle of Champagne would have the same effect on what might otherwise be a relatively ordinary — albeit, yes, fancypants — stay at the Sofitel in Washington, DC. The top-tier French hotel has paired with Champagne Pommery to inject DC with a double-dose of classic French luxury. Patrons of the hotel’s bar who purchase a $299 bottle of the Cuvée Louise 1998 Champagne will receive quite a nice reward: a free night’s stay at the hotel.
The offer fizzles Dec. 31 and is available with or without reservations (based on availability, obviously). Weekend rates for the next month at the Sofitel start anywhere from $175 (Halloween weekend) to $330 (tonight).
Hotel Pools / Hotel Bars / Thompson Hotels / Snapshot / → All Tags
Donovan House's Pool Looks Like More Fun Than Thompson LES's
Thompson's track record has been not so good with their outdoor pool scene. Well, back up: that's kind of a vast generalization based on the issues the NYC Lower East Side neighbors have (quite vocally) had with the pool crowd at the Thompson LES — namely, it's loud and obnoxious.
But mmm, doesn't this shot of DC's Donovan House's pool get you going a little bit? This space, which was (unfortunately or fortunately, depending on who you are) "modeled after the exclusive A60 at 60 Thompson in New York and ABH at Thompson Beverly Hills," is officially called Above D.C. (ADC). We're not quite sure what the scene is like up there during its first seasonal go-round (but feel free to tell us), but it sure does look posh, doesn't it?
It's rockin' a full service bar and lots of food from chef Susur Lee's Zentan, Brazilian Ipe decking and, yes, Cherry Blossom Trees — and you can sip on that infamous signature cocktail from A60, “The Thom”, while you're up there.
Meanwhile, we'd like to add this: Zentan needs to get its website together.
[Photo: InspirationDC]
Hotel Restaurants / Washington DC Hotels / Thompson Hotels / → All Tags
Donovan House's Zentan Restaurant Menu Revealed
As we announced somewhat exuberantly Monday, the Donovan House in DC has finally officially opened its embattled restaurant Zentan by chef Susur Lee. We’ll spare you another rehashing of the details, but needless to say, we’re all a little shocked the place finally seems to be up and running (they’re even on Open Table, like, um, a normal restaurant).
And there’s more! Though the restaurant's website remains black and white and a little creepy, Washingtonian magazine has revealed Zentan’s menu in its entirety, plus a few interior photos.
Check out the Washingtonian story for the full menu. For our part, here are a few highlights:
