REPORT: Georgetown (D.C.) trio - FS, RC and Capella
 

I am currently in Washington DC checking out 3 hotels, the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton Georgetown, and the Capella.

I was in DC two years ago and missed the opening of the Capella by a few weeks and missed the Four Seasons as I ended up instead at GWU Hospital for the night. I did stay at the RC Georgetown and it was not a good stay so this is attempt 2.0.

I stayed at the Four Seasons last night. Tonight is the Ritz Carlton and the following two nights are at the Capella.

Very cool - keep us posted! ^

Four Seasons Washington DC
 

One of the oldest FS' in the chain this property has gone through major transformations over the years and is about to embark on another one starting this summer.

Originally comprised of one building (currently the East Wing) the hotel purchased the adjacent building and opened what is now the West Wing. Then the hotel reduced capacity by carving 2 rooms out of what used to be 3 rooms. This summer the hotel will begin renovating its rooms and suites(excluding the Presidential and Royal Suites) in what appears to be a pretty major renovation. Bathrooms are being re-done (rain shower heads are to be installed) and the colour palette and furniture is changing from the current mauve, or green, to a more neutral palette with accents.

Arrival and Check-in
I took a taxi to the hotel from Crystal City and upon arrival three staff members (doorman, bellman, and a manager) attended to the luggage and escorted me to the Front Desk.

Check-in was smooth and quick and I was offered a choice of a Premier King with C&O Canal view (what I originally had) or Grand Premier King with Rock Creek Parkway and city views. I was shown both rooms and decided upon the Grand Premier King.

Room product
The Grand Premier rooms are the largest non-suite rooms in the hotel and feature a variety of views, from courtyard, city, and C&O Canal views. They are about 500-600 square feet and have a nicely laid out bathroom with tub, dual vanities, separate WC, and separate shower cabin. There is also a sofa bed along with a work desk and 2 desk chairs. There are currently two colour schemes -- green and mauve.

Premier rooms, one category below Grand Premier, are smaller and instead of a sofa there is a arm chair and small side table.

Premier Suites are one category up from Grand Premier rooms and are the entry level suites. There are two variations -- East Wing Premier rooms are about 600 sq ft and are like classic Four Seasons Executive Suites with doors separating the living room from the bedroom and feature a full bath and a powder room. West Wing Premier Suites are larger (800 sq ft) and are more open plan (no door separating living room from bedroom area).

Above that are Georgetown and Capital Suites.

Looking forward to this since I will be in DC in May and haven't decided on where to stay yet.

Four Seasons Washington DC con't....
 

Food and Beverage
The main dining venue is Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak which serves both lunch and dinner and is located on lobby level. An extremely popular restaurant reservations are highly recommended in advance and in particular weekends. As with all FS hotels, staff here are extremely willing to make changes or customizations to suit tastes or dietary needs/restrictions. I ate dinner here and they were extremely vigilant about my food allergies which I had communicated to the hotel in advance.

The advice I received about dining here is "pace yourself" and this is so true! First comes out some triple duck fat fried shoestring french fries as an amuse bouche. These are rather addicting. Then follows warm dinner rolls with their signature truffle butter. These too are addicting and both combined, unchecked, are rather filling. Quality is high and the service is very very good.

The other venue is Seasons on the lower lobby which serves breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch. The room is bright and sunny and they serve all the usual breakfast staples but also are able to customize or make off menu items. Service is good but not stellar.

ENO is a wine bar that is on the grounds of the FS but is not run by the FS. As such, you cannot make room charges here. ENO pairs wines with light bites (cheese, charcuterie, etc) and while they feature wines from all over the world, they do put a spotlight on Virginia as a wine making region (I didn't know Virginia was a wine producing region until I enjoyed wine o'clock here!). Charcuteries options include many non-pork products (their duck sausage is particularly tasty) and the cheeses are all American made. Servers are all very knowledgeable without being stuffy or pretentious.

Fitness Centre and Spa
The fitness centre and spa is located in the West Wing and as a result there is easier access from that wing. From the East Wing, one must go to the second floor, walk to the the of the hallway, take what looks like an emergency exit, go down two flights of stairs, and then use your key card to enter right into the centre of the gym.

There is a 2 lane pool (the hotel has disposal swim shorts for those who forgot theirs), men's and women's change rooms with steam and sauna rooms and a full service spa. Note that spa treatments are more expensive on weekends, Friday through Sunday inclusive.

Miscellaneous
The hotel has a full Concierge service staffed by several Clefs d'Or Concierges. The hotel also run a house car. Officially, it is on a first-come-first-served basis and within a 2 mile radius. Unofficially, YMMV. ;)

Internet is fairly fast and reliable. Premium internet upcharge (for guests in rooms) is $20 per day.

Observations
This is a smoothly running Four Seasons and the service levels were pretty high. It is a popular hotel for diplomatic events and when there are Heads of State in residence at times it can feel a bit locked down.

I like that even at higher occupancy the staff do not cut corners and help you in an open and honest way. Requests are fulfilled quickly and accurately. I liked that the house car operates all day every day, even on weekends.

The rooms are kept up well on the whole but there is a bit of tiredness starting to show and the renovations this summer should remedy that. Hopefully, they will also add power sockets bedside as my room had none. There are ample outlets by the work desk.

I like that rain shower heads will be installed in the bathrooms. I really like the Grand Premier room as there is enough space for one or two and the layout of the bathroom is not your "classic" FS bathroom layout, which is featured in the suites. Personally, I would highly recommend the Grand Premier room. For families, the East Wing Premier suites are the best way to go.

All in all, this is a solid hotel and is running rather smoothly. I am excited to see the results of the renovations -- the hotel is being VERY tight lipped about further details.

FSPP amenities: Daily full breakfast for 2 including room service; upgrade if available upon arrival; $100 Food and Beverage credit once per stay; complimentary standard internet for rooms and Premium internet for suites.

Photo's of Room, View from room, and Welcome Amenity

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ENO Wine Bar

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Check out The Jefferson. ^

Ritz Carlton Georgetown
 

Sorry for the delay in posting this -- I wanted to speak to the hotel first before writing the report.

The RC Georgetown was built out of an old incinerator so the building does have a lot of charm. However, this also poses a not-so-straight forward layout. There are two wings, east and west, and the west wing requires one to go down one level to go back up. Many of the rooms on the "first" floor of the west wing are actually below grade due to the topography. South Street is convex, where the two low points are Wisconsin Avenue to the west and 31st Street to the east. The apex of the convex is where the RC is and this makes for most second floor rooms to be about ground level.

Arrival and Check-in
I arrived at about 3:45pm on a Sunday afternoon on the Four Seasons House car (a S550). Upon arrival, there was none at the door. My driver unloaded the luggage and we stood there for 5 minutes waiting for someone to come out. Once it became clear that no one was home, the driver went into the hotel and called for someone for help. A few minutes later, a doorman appeared, loaded the luggage on a cart, and told me that check-in was in the doors and around the corner. There was someone else being checked in (the hotel, for the most part can only check-in one party at a time) as instead of a check-in counter, they have 2 desks, one for check-in and the other, while can be used for check-ins/outs, is mainly used as a "concierge" desk. Breakfast and internet were to be included but the agent made no mention of these. When I asked, she told me that they were not included. (Apparently notes were on the file) After about 10 minutes she gave me my keys and told me how to get to my room (down the stairs, take the hallway, and then the elevator up). A bellman showed up just then and offered to take me to the room. Also during check-in I asked for ice and a tea kettle which were promised immediately.

Room
I was upgraded to a 1 BR suite on the second floor of the west wing which was effectively the ground floor -- last time I was in a first floor suite which was for all intents and purposes underground. The suites have been newly renovated. Mine had a grey and blue color scheme. While it was more masculine it was also a bit dark, even with curtains open and all lights on. The 1 BR suite has a half bathroom, living room with a sectional sofa, coffee table, easy chair with ottoman, side table, and a work desk with 2 arm chairs. Interestingly enough, on the TV stand, there is a sign stating that for my convenience the mini bar is in the closet!

The bedroom has a king size bed, another easy chair and ottoman, a walk in closet and a large bathroom with dual vanities, separate WC, bath tub and separate stall shower. Bathroom amenities are Asprey and shaving and dental kits are provided.

I did not see any other rooms on this stay

Dining
The hotel only has one all day restaurant, Degrees, on the Lobby Level. It is a casual place with decent food and an extremely laid back service style. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served here. The Lobby Lounge is available for drinks and light bites in the afternoon and evenings and the hotel does offer a complimentary nightly S'mores offering from 6:00pm for about 30 minutes.

Issues
I think it is quite evident the effect Marriott is having on Ritz Carlton as the quality of staff have declined significantly. In some ways, they just don't know how to give the kind of service the brand was once known for; arguably, for many, they don't want to learn either. It is one thing to see staff hustling and that they are having an off day due to whatever back of house reason; it is another to see someone dish out mediocrity and that IS their everyday. Those that shine are outshone by those who really should not be working in the hospitality industry.

Asking if the hotel had any distilled water the first response was "huh" or "what" followed by instructions to go to the bathroom where I would find two bottles of "distilled water". To point out those are mineral waters, and receive an "I don't know -- I guess CVS would have it" without telling me where the closest CVS is (fortunately, or unfortunately, it is right across the street from the Four Seasons) nor offering if they could send someone to get some for me. I didn't expect them to give me some complimentary nor did I expect, should someone go out to get some, that it would be free also (both cost of water and delivery fee). But those options were not presented.

The ice and tea kettle never showed up, even after the bellman promised to follow up on those requests. After an hour I called for those items and also asked for the dinner menu from the hotel restaurant, Degrees. After 20 minutes, the ice arrived. A further 20 minutes later, the tea kettle arrived. The dinner menu never showed up. I think we can guess where I did not eat at that night.

I have stayed twice here and twice it has been bad -- the first time they were so rude it was shocking. Many of the issues still persist. I think there are basic issues (no real dedicated Concierge, only one check-in desk) that were designed into the hotel which do not serve it well. There are ongoing staffing issues. For me, it would be hard to return or to recommend to my clients.

Photo's of the room

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-this is a 2nd floor suite, practically at ground level, due to the lay of the land

Capella Washington DC
 

I finally had the chance to stay at the Capella Washington DC. I had high expectations of the hotel based on feedback I have heard and in short I was not disappointed. In fact, I was most impressed.

The hotel is situated on 31st Street between South Street (where the Ritz Carlton Georgetown is) and M street, the main large perennially congested main thoroughfare of Georgetown. The Capella is on the C&O Canal and occupies a former office building. It now consists of 49 rooms and suites.

I had made arrangements for a Capella bellman to meet me at the RC and walk me over to the Capella and assist with my luggage. For some reason, the bellman never showed so the RC bellman escorted me to the hotel where the Capella doormen swiftly took over and transferred the luggage to their own cart.

The doormen asked if I was luxury and once I responded affirmatively, they quickly welcomed me to the Capella and mentioned that they were expecting me. From that point onwards, virtually every staff member in the hotel addressed me by name. By the time I entered the private hotel guests only area my paperwork was completed and keys waiting. I was escorted to my room, a Deluxe room overlooking the C&O canal.

Room Product
Entry level rooms are Superior rooms and are a bit small and may be better suited for single executive travellers. There are no bathtubs in Superior rooms, the only room category not to have bathtubs. Deluxe rooms are larger and come with bathtubs. Georgetown rooms are the largest of the rooms and have corner locations and are like studios -- while I was unable to view one, these are the preferred rooms.

Capella Suites are the entry level suites and are a little larger than the Georgetown rooms but have separate living room and bedroom. Executive Suites are larger and there are 2 Presidential Suites. If you absolutely require large large rooms and suites, this may not be the hotel for you -- Presidential suites are about 1300 sq ft.

The Capella does offer great value with flexible check-in/check-out; complimentary fast wi-fi; complimentary non-alcoholic beverages in the minibar (stocked to your preferences) as well as complimentary tea and coffee making facilities. They use Illy coffee which much tastier than Keurig. Two large bottles of water are placed in the room and in the Living Room, the residents private Lounge, they serve all day complimentary coffee, tea, water and sodas, along with Continental breakfast in the mornings.

My Deluxe room was about 450 sq ft and faced the C&O canal. Upon entry are closets on the left, the entrance to the bathroom on the right and straight ahead the room itself. There is a work desk with two chairs, by one of the two windows, and along the right side wall, a make up table with mirror and chair for the ladies. The TV is on the wall directly in front of the bed and is framed by the two windows I mentioned above. There is an easy chair with ottoman and glass side table, as well as a low bench at the foot of the bed. Lighting can be controlled by bedside panels along with the curtains but oddly, the DND and Service (housekeeping) only from the panel by the door.

The bathroom had a single vanity, separate WC, a very deep tub, and an awesome rain shower with hand wand. Toiletries were Acqua di Parma. The shower pressure is excellent from the rain shower and the toilet is a dual flush toilet.

F&B
The Capella has one restaurant and one bar in the off-season and in nicer weather, an additional bar on the rooftop, open only to residents and their invited guests.

The Rye Bar is just off the lobby and faces the C&O Canal. In the evenings it is quite lively with an extensive cocktail and drinks menu.

The Grill Room is the only restaurant on property and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The new chef is elevating the cuisine and the cooking is simple but tremendously well executed. Portions are sensible. At breakfast, the juices (orange, apple, grapefruit, carrot) are freshly squeezed to order. Eggs are farm fresh and turkey bacon and gluten free bread is available. The new chef is hoping to start making their own preserves and bake their own breads in the coming months.

There is a great 3 course lunch for $35 which is a great value for the quality of food. Dinner is either a la carte, or through one tasting menu. They are famous for their roast chicken and I was very impressed with it -- crispy skin like the chicken in chinese restaurants with a lovely asianesque spicing and moist and succulent meat underneath. The corn bread and biscuits are heavenly and the butter is turned (shaped by two spoons) and is wonderfully creamy.

Service is sharp as they do address patrons by name. The servers pour the tea for you and ensure your cup is always full. Quite impressive.

Up on the rooftop, in season, there is another venue where residents and guests can have light bites or drinks on the rooftop terrace. In the off-season, you can still enjoy drinks up there, you just need to let your Personal Assistant know and they will assist you.

Facilities and Services:
The rooftop also has an indoor/outdoor heated pool, west facing sun deck, and a compact gym with treadmills, stair master, and free weights. For guests wanting more gym equipment, the hotel has an arrangement with a nearby gym to which guests have complimentary access to. Spa treatments can be arranged by the hotel.

The highlight are the Personal Assistants team. They are your main point of contact handling all requests from restaurant reservations, transportation, and all other requests. I originally thought that there may be limitations to what they can offer as I did not think they could replace the knowledge that a capable Clefs d'Or Concierge. I was wrong -- the hotel also has a Clefs D'Or concierge on staff as well. The Personal Assistants team will contact you pre-arrival to go over any arrangements prior to your stay as well note any preferences from newspaper, pillow type, and even the contents of the complimentary minibar.

A highlight for me was when I requested for some distilled water. At the RC, when I made the same request, it was met with a "what?" followed by a remark that there were two bottles in the bathroom. Those bottles were mineral water. At the Capella, the Personal Assistant answered, "of course, certainly!" It took a little while for it to arrive but it turns out the hotel didn't have any but sent someone out to go buy some. A bellman arrived in about 30 minutes with 4 gallons of distilled water. I fully expected to pay for the water but it never appeared on my room folio.

The hotel also offers a house car service for drop off only. While officially on a first come first served notice it is possible to schedule a drop off and depending upon how busy they are they are flexible with the range of the vehicle. They have dropped off guests at Union Station; I was able to "reserve" the car for a drop off between Dupont and Logan Circles. The hotel was almost completely sold out during my stay.

In short, this hotel may have the best service in the US and Canada. It certainly has the best service that I have personally encountered. The owner seems keen to maintain standards and this may be the key to longterm success of this hotel.

Photo's of the Deluxe room:

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Photo's of and from the Rooftop Deck

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The west facing sundeck which is set up with sunning chairs in season

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The pool is usually overflowing the edge in season

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Just sent that to the wife and that is the place she really wants to stay. The restaurant seems to be really good as well. That might be a good choice for our last day/night to just really relax.

Dc restaurants
 

Komi > rasika > cityzen> plume.

I just went on the Capella website. That hotel looks beautiful. I have never stayed in a Capella before, but the pictures look fantastic.

CityZen is now closed and is being "re-conceptualized."

Sorry for the delay -- I have completed the reports.

Any pictures ?

i will try to post this weekend....