The Rooms

Spacious and clean, the rooms at the Marriott Georgetown have a lovely silver and purple décor, making them soothing and elegant. The bathrooms are modern and comfortable. I would definitely recommend booking a room with M Club Lounge Access, it is totally worth it!

The Amenities

The Marriott Georgetown has a great fitness room and a casual restaurant with a variety of options. However, the M Club Lounge may be the best amenity of all. The lounge has a sitting area with plush couches and chairs, a large screen TV, and wonderful staff who are willing to meet your every need. During the day, enjoy snacks like salad, cheese, bread, and small sandwiches. Then, late night there are decadent desserts like mini tarts and tiramisu. Candy, chips, and granola bars are available all the time, as is the wine bar. The wine bar has an awesome automatic dispensing system, so you don’t have to wait for someone to serve you, and you can just charge the drinks to you room. The food is all complimentary.

The Neighborhood

The Marriott Georgetown is located in West End, near a selection of fantastic restaurants like Rasika West End, Blue Duck Tavern, and West End Bistro. The neighborhood also has an Equinox Gym, a Solidcore Studio, and a Balance Gym. You can easily catch the Circulator (bus service) to M street in Georgetown for shopping or drinks. Best of all you are right by the Kennedy Center, where you can see a show, musical, or dance performance. Head back to your hotel at the end of the day for a nightcap, either at the hotel bar or in the M Lounge.

Marriott Georgetown: The Verdict

The Marriott Georgetown has a great location, comfortable, and has great amenities. Consider it for a staycation or recommend it to friends who are coming to town.

Disclaimer: I was hosted by Georgetown Marriott but as always, opinions are my own.

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The Property:  I’ll be honest, I am not a big fan of large hotels, but the Grand Hyatt DC does it right.  The big skylight in the lobby brings in the natural light, making you feel suddenly happy. Although the hotel was crowded with conference groups, check-in was a breeze and once we entered our room, we were in our little oasis, a quiet space from the madness that is downtown Washington, DC.

The Location:  The Grand Hyatt DC is ideal for those who want to discover all the main attractions of Washington, DC by foot or public transportation.   There’s a metro stop adjacent to the hotel on the blue line which takes you to all the key sightseeing spots of the area from the Arlington National Cemetery to Capitol Hill.  One of my favorite places in the city right now is City Center DC, a new luxury shopping and restaurant area, which in conveniently located in front of the hotel.  Don’t miss the aperitivo happy hour at Fig & Olive, indulge at Centrolina, a new Italian restaurant by chef Amy Brandwein, and treat yourself to cake at Raresweets, a local favorite.  For the lovers of art, the National Portrait Gallery is a short walk away or wander on a cool summer night at the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art.

The Rooms:  We were fortunate to be upgraded to a suite, which was fantastic as it had a separate dining and living area with a spacious bathroom and closet space.  Perfect bridal suite or for a business meeting as my husband suggested.  The bed was plush and comfortable; it was hard not to sleep in! All in the details: I am a sucker for good toiletries in hotel rooms.  I was thrilled to see not only bath toiletries but also facial care products.

The Amenities:  The Grand Hyatt DC has a club level, which allows club members and guests staying at the club floor access to continental breakfast, snacks, and a cocktail hour.  If you indulge too much (so easy to do in Downtown DC),  there’s a well-equipped fitness center and pool at the hotel.  Although the hotel doesn’t offer a spa, they do have treatment rooms at the fitness center where they provide massages.  I had an epic prenatal massage during my stay.

The Food: I am obsessed with hotel breakfasts.  I am not an early riser but if I am traveling for work and I see a good breakfast buffet I WILL wake up early for it.  The breakfast at the Grand Hyatt DC Cabinet Restaurant delivered.  There was something for every palate offered at the buffet.  It had an extensive fruit selection, hot and warm cereals, omelet station, and everything in between.  The best part is that the buffet, which includes unlimited juice and coffee is $25, which is an excellent price point in DC. Dutchman and I discussed returning there just for the breakfast.   Although the food was yummy, our highlight was the service: the wait staff was super friendly with all of the guests.

The Verdict:  Looking for a hotel in downtown DC with access to shopping, public transportation, good food?  This is it.  Grand Hyatt DC strikes a great balance between great business and leisure hotel with its excellent hotel and amenities.  Dining Traveler Tip:  Sign up to become a Hyatt Gold Passport member in order to get up to 10% off on your next booking.  Booking before July 31st? Get 15% off your stay before September 10th!

Grand Hyatt, 1000 H Street NW, Washington, D.C., USA, 20001; Website: http://washingtondc.grand.hyatt.com/

Disclaimer: I was graciously hosted by Grand Hyatt DC but as always, opinions are my own.

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On our quest to have a vacation like experience without hopping into a plane, we decided to have a “staycation” at Old Town Alexandria.  One of the things that surprises me about Old Town is how you can be in a completely different world from DC just a twenty minute car ride away.  You enter to a land with colonial homes with colorful shutters, many with an American flag hanging from the front porch, and cobble stoned streets. King Street, the main street of Old Town maintains a old fashioned façade with many specialty shops, cafés, and restaurants. Here’s a snapshot of what we did, ate, and saw during our short escapade from the city. 

Lobby of Kimpton Hotel Monaco Alexandria Photo Courtesy of Kimpton

Stay: we stayed at the iconic Kimpton Hotel Monaco on King Street.  I arrived at the hotel at the peak of the wine happy hour, with plenty of guests taking advantage of the complimentary wine. The lobby is decorated with rich colors of red, blues, and greens which automatically make you feel welcome. We loved our room, the stayed at the Loft Suite, a beautifully appointed two floor room with a great view of King Street. The hotel is centrally located in the heart of King Street, which makes it a great starting point to discover the city.  We also enjoyed some post dinner cocktails at Jackson’s 20 which had a vibrant and elegant scene on a Friday night. 

The Loaner Bicycle at Kimpton

Do: We woke up early and borrowed a bicycle from Kimpton and went on a bike ride along the Mount Vernon trail. We enjoyed a lovely bike ride along the Potomac up to Reagan Airport. We returned to Old Town and went to the Saturday Farmer’s Market  at the town square where cooled down with freshly squeezed orange juice and bought ripe peaches to grill later. No trip to Old Town is not complete without a little shopping. We paid a visit to the lovely Katya from She’s Unique and added some beautiful pieces to my wishlist. 

Diver Scallops at Columbia Firehouse

Food Tour: We went on the Old Town Alexandria Food Tour. Katie, our tour guide gave us a very informative and delicious tour around Old Town Alexandria. We learned about the history of Old Town, the architecture, and special details about the city (it is believed Old Town has the oldest farmer’s market in the country). We started at Landini’s  a warm Italian restaurant on King Street. There, we had a simple yet delicious dish of chicken and veggies. Next, we sampled Virtue Feed and Grain where we had mac n cheese and soup. The food choice was underwhelming but the true winner was the Port City Belgian style wit beer which came with our meal. Wish we could have had the signature fish tacos we have had there in the past. However, the best was saved for last at the Columbia Firehouse where we started with a yummy pimento cheese dip, followed by Virginia ham sliders on a biscuit, but the highlight was the diver scallops with the cauliflower couscous. The scallops were seared to perfection and they paired very well with the cauliflower.

Suckling Pig at Brabo

Dine: We had dinner at Brabo, an intimate space at the Lorien Hotel on King St. One of the highlights of Old Town is that you can take a trolley that runs from the King St Metro Stop to the end of King Street. We took the trolley from Hotel Monaco to the restaurant, which gave me an excuse to wear heels. There, I ate an amazing pork roll with suckling pig paired with Sass Pinot Noir from Oregon. We concluded our dinner with a lovely chocolate mousse with berries.  The restaurant is perfect for a date night: intimate space, refined menu, and great service.



The Homes of Old Town



We had a great experience at Old Town and love the fact we can see a whole different environment just from crossing the Potomac.  We enjoy taking these little escapes and getting to know all these amazing worlds which surround our Nation’s Capital. 

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Casablanca at Dupont Circle

With the summer travels, I have not been able to do a DC post in a little while. Sometimes, we get caught up with travels that we forget how amazing our own city can be. In honor of the arrival of the Dutchman, I decided to do a little staycation less than two miles from my home: 24 hours in Dupont Circle. After my stay at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam through the Jetsetter Mystery Hotel Sale, I was sold on the same offer in Washington DC. I was excited to find out it was the Dupont Circle Hotel. The room had an amazing panoramic view of Dupont Circle, the bed was light and airy (which the Dutchman appreciated after a nine hour flight), and the location was perfect.

Soft Shell Crab at Ping Pong

Cozy Bed at the Dupont Circle Hotel

As we walked back to the hotel from dinner, we walked around the circle to be pleasantly surprised by the screening of Casablanca right on Dupont Circle. We were impressed by the magical display right in the middle of the city, an intimate setting shared by a diverse set of people. After a good night sleep, we headed to Kramer Books for brunch. The Dutchman is always impressed with the level of friendliness he receives in the United States, especially at restaurants. What I enjoyed about Kramer Books the most were the nice plates of mini-breads and fresh fruit we received upon being seated. Nice touch, especially as we arrived starving. The crabcake eggs benedict was delicious as a washed it down with a pomegranate mimosa.

Dutchman Chowing Away at Kramer’s

We walked off the brunch at the Dupont Circle Farmer’s Market. Much bigger than my neighborhood market at Bloomingdale, it had a great variety, especially of fruits and vegetables that are rare finds at supermarkets. One of the things I appreciate the most about DC is how much neighborhoods can change within a few blocks. I am in love with my neighborhood of Bloomindale but I am also happy that a whole new world and experiences are available in a two mile radius.

At the Dupont Farmer’s Market

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