1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 20004, 202-628-9100,
Rates: Standard rooms with two queen beds start at $272 a night or one king at $312 a night on weekends; weekdays are usually about $30-$40 a night more. Overnight parking is $35 per night; Internet access is $9.95 per 24 hours. (Please note that hotel rates can fluctuate seasonally.)
Stay here if you: want to be in a very lovely hotel popular with dignitaries and celebs in the thick of things in the nation’s capital.
It’s close to: the White House (two blocks) and the Mall and theater districts (within walking distance).
The rooms are: beautiful. They are newly remodeled and comfortable, and offer soft beds with good linens, spacious desks, and big, bright bathrooms with magnified, wall-mounted makeup mirrors, scales and nice-smelling products. The rooms feel upscale in a classic way without being stuffy or pretentious.
They put all of the money into: making the lobby inviting, with fresh cherry blossom branches and other gorgeous foliage, as well as cozy seating areas that made it hard to go up to the room on my visit. The Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa is spiffy and welcoming (love the fresh fruit out at all times), and the fitness center is top-of-the-line. The Willard also features an aggressive green program that puts other hotels’ lip-service gestures to shame, and the staff participates in clean-up projects in the park across the street.
The bottom line: What’s good enough for the Canadian and Australian prime ministers is good enough for me — both were there during my stay, and Sean Penn allegedly was filming parts of his latest movie, “Fair Game,” at the hotel too, although I missed that by a couple of hours. Also, the food at the in-house eateries — notably breakfast at the Cafe du Parc, and dinner at the elegant Willard Room — is exceptional, locally sourced when possible and worth a stop even if you aren’t staying at the hotel. Despite its renown, the Willard is quiet, dignified and delightful, and remains one of my favorite D.C. lodgings. Kyle Wagner
