The infamous Watergate Hotel is undergoing a $125 million “retro-luxury” relaunch that promises to give the Potomac-side perch a bold new identity on the D.C. scene. Slated for completion this fall, transformation highlights include updates of all 337 guest rooms. The hotel will also offer more than 27,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, including a new 7,000-square-foot grand ballroom.
Originally a luxury apartment building, the Watergate’s scandalous ’70s followed swinging times in the ’60s. Paying homage to both, staff will be attired by Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant. Certain to have “mad” appeal, too, are the hyper-stylish Whiskey Bar and the Top of the Gate, boasting 360-degree city and river views.
Next door, the Kennedy Center offers its Roof Terrace Restaurant for events and functions. Dedicated to the media and journalism, Newseum is another gem, offering dramatic views of the U.S. Capitol from its versatile 7th- and 8th-floor Knight Conference Center spaces.
Reflagged as the W Washington D.C. in 2009, Hotel Washington is the city’s oldest property. Overlooking the White House and Washington Monument, the hotel’s 11th-floor POV rooftop bar and lounge is the town’s most breathtaking spot. As the closest hotel to the U.S. Capitol, Liaison Capitol Hill has a rooftop deck with pool.
Offering five-star elegance alongside the C&O Canal in Georgetown, the 49-room Capella Washington, D.C. offers an exclusive rooftop bar and lounge area.
Kimpton’s renovated and rebranded The Donovan offers the newly refreshed 14th-floor DNV Rooftop Lounge. With sweeping views of Thomas Circle, the venue comes with an outdoor pool and bar, and inventive pan-Asian food from the hotel’s superb Zentan restaurant.
Fresh off a $15 million multiphase renovation, the 231-room Embassy Row Hotel has a two-tiered roof deck with a pool and grill overlooking Dupont Circle.
