Two blocks away, Rosewood Washington, DC (1050 31st Street, Tel: 202-617-2400. www.rosewoodhotels.com/washington-dc) is an intimate 55-room hotel tucked away on a quiet street (one block from M Street), also situated along the canal. Rosewood doubles down on privacy; it’s why A-list celebrities and heads of state who prefer to be off the radar check in. Rosewood D.C. has a boutique feel (the check-in desk is snugly located at the elevator bank) but it’s unarguably posh. I was a fan of Cut by Wolfgang Puck, an incredibly swank restaurant that feels more like a private club. The rooftop indoor/outdoor pool, the only one of its kind in the area, was my go-to spot. While the pool, like the hotel, is small (about the size of two large plunge pools), it was a sweet little sanctuary after a long day of exploring D.C. by foot.
Rosewood’s most standout feature are the six new luxury townhouses adjacent to the hotel. Debuted in 2020, each townhouse has a private entrance on the quiet street, so I truly felt like I was living like a local when I checked into one. The townhouse my friend and I booked was staggeringly spacious; in fact, it sprawled five levels. Transformed from a historic, early 19th-century brick rowhouse, the accommodation is elegant and sophisticated, furnished with elevated amenities and features you’d expect from a Rosewood hotel, from a stylish bar cart to high tech marvels, such as an electronic Japanese toilet with remote pad and voice activated refrigerator. All rooms are drenched in sunlight, including the bathroom with rain shower and separate tub, and a private, ground-floor terrace perfect for the piping hot pancakes we devoured for early morning breakfast.
Speaking of dining, Washington, DC ’s restaurant scene has become competitive to renowned foodie cities like NYC, Chicago and San Francisco. Its dining revolution truly marched into stride in 2016, when Bon Appetit named D.C. “Restaurant City of the Year” and Michelin published its first restaurant guide to the city. While new chefs are making a mark and steering the city in a new direction, plenty of “old school” chefs are reimagining their dining concepts.
