luxury hotels in Washington, D.C.
 

My husband and I are planning a trip to Washington D.C. over Labor Day weekend. We would like to stay at an upscale hotel which is walking distance to the major tourist attractions. Also, good restaurants.

The JW Marriott is a good central location and is a premier Marriott hotel- ie. a flagship hotel..

Also there is a BRAND NEW Ritz Carlton in Washington---http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/washington_dc/

There is an excellent and safe subway system in DC in addition to a tourist bus that lets you hop on and off at various locations to avoid taking your car out during the day--as parking is almost impossible to find and parking garages charge $25 to park.

For restaurants in DC- go to
http://chowhound.com/midatlantic/boards/dc/dc.html

THERE are tons of DC people that interact on that website and can give you the newest and BEST restaurants..

We have eaten at 1789 in Gerogetown and it is terrific...incredible wine and brandy list...Fabulous food and they have VALET parking.

We have also been to Kinkeads and it was terrific..need a coat and tie.

Citronelle has been recommended to us but we have not been yet...

You can also go onto the Washingtonian Magazine website- they listed tons of great restaurants.

The Washington Mandarin Oriental hotel is beautiful. Stayed here last November 2004 and had an outstanding stay. The hotel rooms are luxusious and the hotel itself is in a very nice area.

For luxury try the Willard, Hay Adams, and the Ritz.

Would not reco the Marriott. The location is fine- but this is a standard business class hotel geared for conventions and busines travelers. Not really luxe.

For true luxury you would be better off with the new Mandarin Oriental, Ritz or Hay Adams.

There's also a Four Seasons, on the edge of G-town.

You can't beat the Willard and the Hay Adams for their central location. Both are within close walking distance to major attractions and Metro. The Hay Adams is right across from the White House. I've heard great things about the spa and the main restaurant (CityZen) at the Mandarin Oriental, but the location of the hotel is not as central as the other 2.

If you let us know the type of food you like and your budget, we can provide appropriate restaurant recs. DC has quite a few "good" restaurants at different price points.

Another vote for the Hay-Adams, my favorite hotel in DC.

Great views of the White House

Have a weekday breakfast in the Lafayette room and check out the "power scene".

I appreciate all of the information. A good travel agent gave us a list of her 5 favorite Washington DC hotels and it included Willard, Hay Adams, Mandarin Oriental, Fairmont, and Four Seasons. So far it's looking like either Willard or Hay Adams, not sure which one is better.
As far as restaurants, we love some good basic places for lunch; as far as dinner, it's always nice to eat at one upscale/elegant restaurant and have lots of other casual, but nice, options.

Another vote for the Hay Adams. I enjoyed my stays at the Willard as well, but it feels like a bigger hotel. I think the Hay Adams is about half its size (or at least it feels that way). They're both very well located.

rolfene,

I think you'll love either one. They both fit all your initial requirements. The Hay Adams is a fraction of the size of the Willard, depending on whether you prefer smaller or larger hotels. If you decide on the Hay-Adams, the upper floors (4th or 5th) overlooking Lafayette Square have great views.

Let me know where you decided to stay and I'll suggest some upscale and some casual dining spots that are nearby.

Love the Hay Adams, feels more intimate and refined. Willard is good too but larger/more glitzy.

Stayed at the Wllard a month ago and loved it. We had a room with king size bed at front of hotel. We could see the Washington monument from there. We were very pleased with the hotel and the area.

For upscale dining, Galileo (ask about the tasting room "Il Laboratorio"), Citronelle and Kinkeads are all very well regarded and are priced accordingly. I like Kinkeads best for overall value, Citronelle for overall presentation and atmosphere, and Galileo for authenticity of cuisine (regional Italian).

Perhaps the best value for fine dining in DC is at Palena which is uptown and very accessible by Metro (about a 10-15 minute Metro ride from downtown). As I mentioned earlier, CityZen in the Mandarin Oriental is getting very good reviews; though it's new and, apparently, still has a few kinks to work out. The expectations for this restaurant are very high because the chef was formerly at the acclaimed French Laundry. This one's on my "must-try" list.

For more casual dining in the downtown area, you might want to try the rooftop terrace at the Hotel Washington (great views of the city) and The Old Ebbitt Grill. The food at both places is decent, not great, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more authentic "DC" experience than at these places. Both restaurants are very close to the Willard and Hay Adams.

Many of the DC area's best restaurants are not in the city itself, but on the outskirts in Northern VA and Suburban Maryland. Don't know if you're interested in venturing outside the city, but most of these places would require you to have a car.

We recently stayed at the Hay-Adams and thought it was fabulous!! Very good location-close to lots of sites and great restaurants. My favorite (and we walked there) was Gerards-so yummy and romantic! Have fun!

You all are the best; thanks for all the info. It is very helpful when planning a trip.

I'd suggest Ana Hotel which is part of the Westin chain, its at the West End of D.C., within walking distance of Georgetown. Stayed there several years back, very elegant lobby and the rooms were really nice with those designer soaps and shampoos (Caswell&Massey) type. What is strange to me is that I've never stayed at a place with a telephone right at the toilet on the wall.

This place is not far from the Georgetown Univ subway stop.

Gerard's is an excellent restaurant and his baked goods are marvelous. But then he used to have this small bakery and pastry shop years ago!!

The Willard USED to be the hotel in DC years ago - went downhill and then was revamped and upscaled to its current status - great and louxurious.

The Hay Adams has always been a truly upscale hotel overlooking the White House. I used to work around the corner from the Hay Adams and have always been impressed with its subtle sophistication.

You can see which would be my first choice!!

Both Willard and Hay Adams are great hotels. Hay-Adams went through a total rebuild just a bit ago (a year or two?) and somewhere I read the cost per redone room. Can't recall the number, but I remember saying ``Wow.''