The reliable five-star Four Seasons Hotel Washington D.C., which sits at the entrance of Georgetown, has great service and food.

This property has a quiet, intimate and impeccably elegant atmosphere. Its gracious décor includes such fine details as sage green or brown toile fabrics and exquisite carved plaster ceilings (most of which is original, and nearly 100 years old). Downstairs, the Lafayette Room restaurant is the power nexus for breakfast, while the Off the Record Bar is a hot spot for politicos at cocktail hour. The rooftop, from which you can see the White House, Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial, is a glamorous venue for private parties, such as luncheons.

Indagare Tip: Most of the guest rooms are similar in layout and design, but views vary greatly. Contact our Bookings Team for specific recommendations.

Within only two hours of Washington DC, Inn at Perry Cabin evokes a sense of serenity from the moment one turns onto the driveway lined with the Inn’s signature linden trees. The grand colonial mansion— decorated with elegant antiques, light wood furnishings and fresh flowers— boasts countless windows overlooking the expansive lawn and the Miles River. The 78 rooms and suites are graciously decorated, feature marble bathrooms and were renovated in 2017. The Master Suites have terraces from which to enjoy the gorgeous water views, and the one-bedroom suites are spread over two levels, offering a spacious layout and plenty of natural light.

The property’s prime position on the river allows for such resort activities as sailing and paddle boarding as well as simply relaxing. Adirondack chairs skirt the edge of the river, offering a peaceful spot to read or enjoy a cocktail, and the Inn docks its six boats off its pier for sailing lessons, sunset cruises and touring the coastline. The acclaimed Linden Spa is located on site with treatments inspired by the Inn’s gardens plus an indoor/outdoor relaxation room. The beautiful outdoor pool is open seasonally. Fine dining is available alfresco or in the airy dining room at Stars. Chef Gregory James serves delicious and locally sourced dishes focused on seafood, including, of course, excellent crab cakes. For those who want to explore the surrounding area, St. Michaels, an idyllic small town full of shops and restaurants, is located only a few minutes’ walk from the property.

This exquisite Downtown property pays homage to the third U.S. president it is named after—but in a truly modern way. Thomas Jefferson’s influence, as well as his passion for architecture, literature, botany, wines, and fine dining, can be felt throughout the residential-style hotel, located just four blocks from the White House.

Built in 1923, the Beaux Arts building that houses the Jefferson has been returned to its former glory (it was converted into a hotel in 1955): a once-covered vaulted skylight now casts natural light into the lobby whose magnificent Wedgewood-style plaster work also has been fully restored. There are 99 rooms and all are classically appointed with touches of velvet, mahogany, alabaster, down and Dupioni silk. Two unusual (and complimentary) services are the overnight shoeshine and pressing of one item of clothing. Respect for history did not exclude technology in the Jefferson’s redesign: free high speed WiFi is available throughout and rooms come not only with high-definition flatscreens but also with seventeen-inch televisions embedded in the bathroom mirrors. Housekeeping and your butler (each room is assigned one at check-in) are alerted to your housekeeping and privacy needs via a subtle light outside your room (no need to hang up signs). You don’t even have to call room service anymore to clear away plates: a microchip in the cart alerts the staff.

On the public floor, guests can lounge, meet or work in several private seating areas. The Book Room, with honeyed wood paneling, a working fireplace and shelves lined with vintage hardcovers chosen to reflect Jefferson’s time and interests, is one of the most welcoming. Products named Monticello Grove, found in the guest bathrooms, were custom-made using orange, jasmine, peach and more, based on flowers and fruits that grow at Monticello. The hotel also has a small but well-equipped fitness room and offers access to a larger fitness facility and pool across the street in the University Club.

The two restaurants and cool bar also invite lingering. Greenhouse serves perfectly wonderful dishes, with house-made ingredients, available during breakfast, lunch, brunch, afternoon tea, and dinner, and Quill is a cozy, low-ceilinged space, with an amber-colored bar, live piano music on most nights and house-made mixers and herbal alcohols (the likes of ginger, pear, Prosecco, watermelon, basil and mint are incorporated into inventive and not-too-sweet cocktails. An added bonus of having a meal as a guest of the hotel is that when you arrive back at your room, you discover house-made caramels or other treats.

Walking around the property, it’s impossible not to be reminded of the visionary president: beyond the elegant reception desks, original signed documents line a wall; there are toile patterns custom-designed with different Jeffersonian architectural themes; and a dumbwaiter (a Jefferson invention) carries wine up from the 1,000 bottle cellar to the private dining room. The only downside of The Jefferson might be the neighborhood, which is convenient to many sights but is not that interesting at night. Great restaurants and bars are just a short cab ride away in Penn Quarter, the more edgy U Street Corridor, or in Georgetown. There are also three Metro stops within five blocks.

The Lyle is an understated boutique hotel that opened in the spring of 2021 in a 1940s Art Deco building, in a residential area near Dupont Circle. Staying at The Lyle feels like staying at the apartment of your ultra-chic friend—a unique and welcoming experience. It's a nice option for travelers looking for a more affordable, residential hotel.

Located in a residential/commercial part of West End, this eye-catching property is close to Georgetown, and about a fifteen-minute cab ride from the major museums. The 216 spacious guest rooms have a modern elegance, with sleek work desks, supremely comfortable beds, WiFi and gorgeous limestone bathrooms with rainfall showers. A clever touch: a flat-screen television that swivels between the bedroom and sitting area (it’s backed by a decorative chess board). The indoor pool with a skylight is pretty, if a bit tricky to find through several corridors and stairwells. Don’t miss the hotel’s Blue Duck Tavern, an American bistro, where chefs in the open kitchen roast seafood and meats to perfection in a wood-burning oven.

A stylish retreat on the waterfront of D.C.'s up-and-coming Wharf development, the Pendry Washington DC is a sleek and sophisticated option offering a blend of modern luxury and amenities in a hip atmosphere.

In Penn Quarter, devotées of design hotels should not miss the quirky yet grand Riggs Washington DC, which opened in early 2020 within a restored 19th-century bank once employed by the presidents. The façade matches the surrounding monuments—but the décor inside is alive with color and energy, with abstract marbled wallpaper and a massive floral sculpture on the ground floor. For a weekend splurge, book one of the four magnificently fanciful First Ladies suites, which are equally opulent (and all sized at 500 square feet) but feature entirely different color schemes, from Millennial pink to canary yellow. If nothing else, stop by for an aperitif at the Café Riggs, where soaring Corinthian columns, a long marble bar and a swanky atmosphere practically require the ordering of Champagne and oysters.

The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown is a stylish and zen retreat located on a quiet street in the heart of Georgetown, within walking distance to the waterfront and Georgetown’s best shopping and dining.

The intimate Rosewood Washington, D.C. delivers scrumptious accommodations and high-touch service.

Over the years, this elegant property has hosted more than its share of luminaries, including Audrey Hepburn and Howard Hughes, plus many American Presidents. Its 175 rooms, designed by Sills Huniford, are done in gold tones and feature custom-designed furniture. Amenities are top-notch: Pratesi linens, flat-screen TVs, Bose iPod/iPhone docks and, in the bathrooms, Italian marble vanities, mosaic tiles, and brass fixtures. Food enthusiasts will love Decanter restaurant, designed by David Rockwell and helmed by executive chef Sébastien Rondier, who creates Basque-inspired Mediterranean cuisine.

Style mavens and scene-seekers will adore The Dupont Circle, with its delectable Clodagh interiors, airy suites (the best have private terraces overlooking the neighborhood’s elite manor houses), and chic, upscale vibe. Ideal for business and solo travel, as well as relaxing long weekend getaways with friends or loved ones, the hotel is warm and welcoming, largely thanks to the influence of its parent brand—the Irish, family-owned Doyle Collection.

The Morrow is a modern hotel with 203 rooms and suites in NoMa that opened in November 2022. Convenient for business travelers, it's just a five-minute cab ride or 20-minute walk south of Union Station.

The Willard is so popular with visiting dignitaries that it actually has two Presidential Suites, so that if two heads of state arrive on the same night—as happened when I was there—one doesn’t feel short-changed. (How many other hotels have actual presidents staying in their presidential suites?) These visitors prize the hotel’s fabulous location right next to the Treasury, resplendent décor—Corinthian columns, lots of gilt and marble—and rich sense of history: Abraham Lincoln held his inaugural lunch in the Willard’s dining room, and Julia Ward Howe wrote the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” from her guest room there in 1861. In the 1800s, President Ulysses S. Grant liked to hang out in the hotel lobby, drawing a regular crowd of favor seekers, for whom he coined the term lobbyists.

The hotel’s 332 rooms are spacious and feature high-speed and Wi-Fi connections, iDock systems and DVD players. On-site restaurants include the casual Café du Parc, which has a fantastic breakfast buffet. If you need a pick-me-up, visit the second-floor Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa for a massage, facial or body treatment. Critics find the hotel a bit stodgy, but there is no doubt you will be well-taken-care of by the superb staff, with turn-down treats and all the indulgences you would expect of a grand hotel.