Hotel Crush

Hotel Crush: a vehement, furious, downright pathological appreciation for hotel design and culture

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D.C.

Our Favorite Hotel Summer Drinks

D.C., Hollywood, Palm Springs, The Beat

The hotel cocktail can be overpriced, rushed, and cranked out with the same care as a beer on tap. But it can also be deliciously reviving, the perfect complement to a sunny afternoon or evening outdoors. Here are our favorites to move you gently through the last few weeks of scorchingly pleasant weather.

The Parker Palm Springs – Fresh Squeezed Lemonade: We love the cold, tart taste of fresh squeezed lemonade and the Lemonade Stand at the Parker is devoted solely to this. With poolside ordering and shady lounge chairs, this is our favorite setting for an hour drowned in our Kindle and some Balzac.

W Hollywood – Berry Caipirinha: A good caipirinha is neither too sweet nor too sour, and the W Hollywood has struck the perfect balance of both. We love the addition of muddled strawberries which nearly turns the drink from a cocktail to a Jamba Juice.

W D.C. – Mixed Berry Mojito: Nothing seems more decadent than sipping a mint and berry cocktail on a weekday afternoon against the backdrop of snipers patrolling the rooftop of the White House. We love this refreshing cocktail for all the reasons we love mojitos (mint, lime) and berries (sweet, slightly acidic).

St. Regis D.C.

D.C., The Beat

The St. Regis is known as Starwood’s flagship luxury brand, and each instance shares the hallmarks of quiet opulence and comfortable leisure. Our first venture in D.C. brought us through the doors of the beautiful St. Regis D.C. property two blocks above Lafayette Square. A full drawing room extending the length of the building, the lobby is accented by the chandeliers that come standard issue in this town. But it’s the north end where you’ll want to pause for a glass of rosé on the blue velvet tufted couches in the bright, secretive corner lounge.

The St. Regis D.C. Lobby and Rosé Toast
st regis washington dc lobbyst regis washington dc lounge sparkling rose

The St. Regis D.C. Lounge
st regis washington dc amour loungest regis washington dc amour lounge with view of amour restaurant

Welcome to the W DC

D.C., The Beat

Roaringly theatric like the scene of a masquerade, the lobby of the W Washington D.C. welcomes you with more than high ceilings and plumes of red, white, and black ostrich feathers. The W’s signature purple and slightly sweet room fragrance are at full crank, as is the blue light filter and showroom cluster of white couches, tall black and cream chairs, and red vinyl opera couches. We clocked in hours in the lobby catching up with friends and plunging through our latest Gilded Age read, and spent afternoons on the rooftop with our sketch book and a plate of something delicious. Perfectly on beat with our morning, afternoon, or end of the night, we’re smitten with another W and feverishly on the path to collecting them all..

Noted:

  • immediate access to our room after arriving at 7am
  • check-out at 3pm
  • W welcome wagon from which children are allowed to pick a toy
  • full access to the lobby and P.O.V. rooftop for us and our guests without a wait
  • excellent room service, on par with or better than the P.O.V. Lounge menu
  • Easily reserved complimentary Acura car drop-off service within 5 miles (perfect for a trip to Georgetown), an amenity often completely booked in locations like New York

The Lobby and Bar of the W Washington D.C.:
w hotel washington d.c. lobby front deskw hotel washington d.c. lobby bar during the day

P.O.V. Lounge on the Rooftop of the W Washington D.C. – Day and Night:
w hotel washington d.c. p.o.v. rooftop lounge during the dayw hotel washington d.c. p.o.v. lounge at night

View from P.O.V. Lounge:
w hotel washington d.c. view from p.o.v. rooftop lounge during the day

The Hotel Room at the W Washington D.C.:
w hotel washington d.c. hotel room view of the bedw hotel washington d.c. hotel room view of the desk and tv

The Bathroom and Bliss Spa D.C.:
w hotel washington d.c. hotel room bathroom and sinkw hotel washington d.c. bliss spa

W-here’s the Pool?

D.C., It's Not Going To Happen, The Beat

We accept certain things as hotel standard issue – body lotion as part of the bath amenities, a chocolate brownie on 24/7 room service, negotiable checkout of at least +1 or 2 hours, and, if the climate is widely known as one of the most humid and punishing on the East Coast, a body of water to park next to with a lounge chair and glass of lemonade. So things aren’t exactly coming together for us. We love the W with the passion of 13-15 room keys, and have found pools in unlikely (and no doubt underappreciated) circumstances like the W San Francisco. So, a few steps from the White House (also known as a building with prime undeveloped rooftop real estate), our horror was realized as we ascended to the roof and took a stark look around. Reality setting in, we acknowledged the obvious – we should have checked Tablet.