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The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown
Washington, D.C.United States
The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown
3100 South Street, NW
Washington, DC
Tel: 202-912-4100; 800-241-4199
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86 rooms incl. 29 suites
The Experience
You won't fine a stitch of brocade or even a china hutch at this classy baby Ritz that's been a hit since it opened its doors in 2003 in a former incinerator, steps away from lively M Street, the heart of the capital's Georgetown district. A striking lobby lounge lies just off the entrance, and the room, with its soaring ceilings and wood-burning fireplace, is a perfect place to settle in with a book or have a snack—like you might at a small boutique hotel, not your usual grandiose Ritz. How hip is this hotel? A 130-foot smokestack—now part of the restaurant—still stands above the property.
The Rooms
Some are more neutral in color, others play soft, powder greens off creamy yellows, but all are among the most serene guest quarters in Washington. To satisfy rules surrounding the adaptive reuse of historic buildings, the hotel is split into two separate wings. The East Wing requires a few steps across a courtyard from the lobby, the West Wing a walk down a narrow lower-level hallway. All the rooms are ample, starting at 450 square feet and reaching a sprawling 2,980 square feet in the gorgeously appointed Royal Potomac Suite. All rooms have deep marble baths and luxurious goose-down duvets, and some have views of the Potomac.
The Service
The only thing more delightful than being invited to have a seat at check-in is the friendly professionalism of the young staffer actually checking you in. One feature of that famous Ritz-Carlton training is particularly pronounced here: Everyone, from the doormen to the desk clerks to the housekeepers, addresses you by name from day one, and they'll remember your preferences from your last stay.
The Highlights
To really touch the past of the waterfront, book dinner for 14 in the Chimney Stack, which serves as the private dining room for Fahrenheit, the hotel's restaurant. Or just grab a table under its high ceilings and bricks walls, digging into chef Terence Feury's American menu, much of it grilled and paired with surprisingly affordable wines. Or channel the present with a night at Degrees, the high-energy bar located off the lobby that's a who's who of younger Georgetown society. Except for the omnipresent logo, you won't even know you're in a Ritz-Carlton.
