News

W Hotel Washington D.C.
515 15th Street N.W., Washington, D.C.; 202-661-2400; whotels.com. 317 rooms and suites from $312.

D.C. scenesters have a new gathering place. Located next to the U.S. Treasury and a heartbeat from the White House, the W boasts unmatched views of the city, and its stylish $100-million (U.S.) makeover is attracting not only the usual government types but the likes of Gloria Estefan and J.Lo with celeb husbands in tow. We arrived at the moment of their joint departure, and encountered a lobby crush of Spanish-speaking minions with dark glasses and guitar cases.

Embedded in a beautifully refurbished beaux arts building, the hotel retains the glam of the original structure and adds some edge. The lobby-cum-lounge pulsates with after-work beats, attracting well-heeled hipsters – and a few would-bes. (We overheard a gaggle of older lobbyists planning an assault on legislators while awkwardly perched on a gold-trimmed red leather sofa.)

The Washington hotel's rooftop club is close enough to the White House to make the Secret Service nervous.

Design

The cool quotient is high, especially by the standards of a city whose fashion tends toward debate-team chic. The makeover, driven by L.A. architect Dianna Wong, brings a glitzy Vegas-like energy: lobby furniture accented with animal-print fabrics; flashing digital projections in the old marble fireplaces.

The renovation uncovered elegant arches and ornate plaster mouldings. Historic elements were restored and cleverly updated. Turn-of-the-century crystal fixtures now house LED lights that change colour with the time of day, and the old hotel’s gleaming brass-and-marble reception desk has been transformed into a lobby cyber nook.

Service

Remarkable. Four staff members hunted inside and outside the hotel for a newspaper we requested. Room service is rapid. And the W provides a convenient single number to dial for everything from housekeeping to restaurant recommendations. First-time callers to this “Whatever/Whenever” service may be a little disconcerted as the receptionist answers with a Disney-esque, “And what is your wish?” Service manager Mira Bergeron recalls that most requests at the Montreal W were for the vaunted champagne Cristal. In D.C., she says, the most-requested service is quite different: “We get calls to steam and iron like nowhere else. It’s Washington. People have a lot of meetings.”

Amenities

The real draw here is the rooftop club, POV. The velvet-rope venue has a celebrity mixologist, Alice in Wonderland-inspired oversized chairs with harlequin patterns, and such a close-up view of the White House (including rooftop snipers) that it must give the Secret Service nightmares.

Part of the W's debut buzz is around its Bliss Spa, a W-chain trademark, which claims the best mani/pedi in Washington. The hotel’s small gym, however, is disappointing, as is the business centre, which provides guests with the exact hour across time zones but leaves one absolutely alone to figure out the highly automated fax and scanner system.

Rooms

Sleek. Low, white lacquer built-ins and large windows give a sense of space and airiness. Despite a stark palette, the smallish rooms are made restful and cozy by soft lighting, thick carpets and cashmere throws. However, anyone hoping for a long, leisurely bath after a day of sightseeing will be disappointed – only suites have tubs. We did love the room’s whimsical touches – a desktop kaleidoscope and a nightlight with a silhouette of George Washington. Minibar items include a nattily packaged black T-shirt and a bottle of EBoost energy tablets. Though we were thrilled to look out the window and see the President’s helicopter, Marine One, taking off over the White House, we were not happy crawling under the desk to plug in our laptops.

Food and drink

Steakhouses are the haunts of D.C.'s power operatives, and celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s J&G is about steak. However, the sweet-corn ravioli tossed in basil butter and seared scallops with caramelized cauliflower won our votes. As for drinks, the Wine Bar, still undiscovered by anyone except the White House press corps, has an interesting beer list that includes the unusual flavours of an Anderson Valley IPA and Duck-Rabbit Brewery’s Milk Stout, brewed with lactose.

Verdict

The old-school elegance one expects on a visit to the U.S. capital, plus extraordinary playfulness on the roof and in the lobby.

Special to The Globe and Mail