View with a Room Washington Hotels Offer Spectacular Look At the Nationís Capitaló For a Price by Tim Deady Oh, what a beautiful view!" How much is that simple phrase worth? For a handful of Washington hotels, quite a bit, thank you. For example, probably the most famous Washington, D.C., view is from the downtown and very buttoned-down Hay-Adams Hotel. From its upper floors, guests on the south side of the hotel get a pretty much unobstructed, up-close view of the north side of the White House. In the background is the Washington Monument. Itís an ever-so-Washington panorama that is often used by television networks and movie studios, which rent out rooms at the hotel or use the Hay-Adams rooftop terrace for their film shots. But the view doesnít come cheap. To rent out a room with a White House view costs an average of $825 a night compared to $475 for all the other more pedestrian rooms. Hotel officials say demand for space on the upper three floorsóthe rooms with the viewóof the 143-room property is much stronger than for the rest of the eight-story hotel. "Those rooms are always the first s old, and I bet have an occupancy rate of about 80 percent," said a hotel spokesman who did not want to be named. The spokesman would not reveal occupancy for the rest of the hotel. Because of the cityís height restrictions on buildings, Washingtonís urban views are different from other cities. The views from Washington hotels may not be as spectacular as from hotels in, say, New York, Chicago or San Francisco. But no one can argue that the panoramas here can be quite inspiring. Itís hard to beat, for instance, a good view of the Capitol building, which is available at the nearby Hyatt Regency Washington, or a view of Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol. The JW Marriott and Willard Inter-Continental Washington both have ringside seats to the comings and goings along that world-famous thoroughfare, including the quadrennial Inauguration Day Parade. Hotels lucky enough to have a good view are not shy about promoting it to potential customers. Sight lines are big elements of promotional materials. Some hotels build packages and special events around their views. The Willard, one of Washingtonís most stately and well-known hotels, in May started promoting a "Capital night of romance" package in its Jenny Lind suite that will cost a couple $1,950 per night of frivolity. In addition to the champagne, chocolates, dipped berries, romance CDs, oval bedroom with canopied bed, Jacuzzi, bath salts and bubbles, candles, rose petals, loveseat and overnight parking, the package includes a "porthole window view of the Washington Monument." Here is a list of hotels with the best sights of Washington, D.C.: The Hay-Adams. Few dispute the views from the Hay-Adams are probably the best in the city. Located on Lafayette Square, the top three floors on the south side of the hotel offer the best views of the White House and the Washington Monument. There are also some obstructed views of the White House on the fifth floor. On the east side of the hotel, there are views of St. Johnís Church, the historic presidential house of worship. In addition to the rooms, the hotelís rooftop terrace has unobstructed vistas across the park to the White House and beyond. The 1,000-square-foot terrace is available for receptions and parties. Many trade associations, businesses, and of course political organizations, use the terrace for social events. The terrace rents out for $1,500 per event, exclusive of food and beverages. Because of its proximity to the White House, there are security issues when it comes to use of the terrace for public events. Entrance to the roof is limited. It is not open to the general public. In addition, the White House is notified of all scheduled events on the terrace. The Hay-Adams closes for renovation Nov. 5 to Mar. 1. The Hotel Washington. Though not as close as the Hay-Adams, the Hotel Washington, on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street, NW, has some good views of the White House, as well as other Washington landmarks. The hotelís rooftop terrace is a major part of the propertyís money-making operations. The terrace has a bar-restaurant that is open to the public and is available for receptions and other events. With its views of the White House, the Mall, downtown Washington, Washington Monument and the Pentagon, the daily evening happy hour on the terrace is a popular event. An open-air section of the terrace is also available for receptions and other gatherings. Events on the terrace carry a minimum cost of $5,000, which includes beverages and some food service. The open-air part of the roof is available for events between 11 a.m. and 1 a.m. from late April to late October. Guest rooms on the top floors of the hotel cost an additional $50 a night but are well worth it because of their views of Washington landmarks, said Jim Bischoff, director of sales and marketing at the 344-room property. Willard Inter-Continental Washington. This hotel, located close to the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, has some good panoramic views from the top floors and some good views for events along Pennsylvania from the bottom floors. This 12-story property recently completed a $14 million renovation and is prime Inaugural Parade viewing territory. JW Marriott. Close to the Willard along Pennsylvania Avenue, this property has space available for public events on its top-floor View Ballroom. Individual rooms with a view are also available. Suites that include a terrace overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue are popular and can be rented out for small events. The JW Marriott, a big property with close to 800 rooms that cater to commercial travelers, also offers good views of the Mall. Hyatt Regency Washington. This 834-room property at New Jersey Avenue and D Street, NW, boosts some of the best sightings of the Capitol building from its top-floor restaurant-bar. The same views are also available from suites on the top two floors of the 11-story property. The restaurant-bar area is available for private functions. It also has a private club, called the Capitol View Club, which is open to members for lunch only. Club members include many members of Congress, as well as other Washington movers and shakers, according to a hotel spokeswoman. The view of the Capitol is used by many film and television crews, said spokeswoman Heather Shea. SwissÙtel Washington, The Watergate. Of course, this property is known for many things. Often its views get overlooked. It is right on the Potomac River, so there are good views from many of the rooms of the river. For a minimum of $3,000, a rooftop terrace is available for public events. From the terrace, there are panoramic views of the National Cathedral, Georgetown, the Kennedy Center, the Potomac River and Virginia. The terrace, which can comfortably hold events for up to 200 people, just opened this past June because the hotel saw an opportunity to market its views, said marketing manager Atsuko Higuma. Key Bridge Marriott. Just across the Key Bridge from Washington close to the Rosslyn Metro stop, this 586-room property has a top-floor ballroom that overlooks the Potomac. The ballroom is available for events and is a popular site for wedding receptions and holiday parties, as well as business functions, said a hotel spokeswoman. In addition to the river, the ballroom is a good place to watch, from a distance, the lights and action of Georgetown. Sofitel Washington at Lafayette Square. The Hay-Adams, which for years has been the only hotel within earshot of the White House, will soon have some company. The 237-room Sofitel Washington at Lafayette Square is scheduled to open in late February. The historic Shoreham office building at 15th and H streets, NW is being converted into a hotel that will join the cityís other top-tier hotel properties. The Sofitel will be across the street from Lafayette Park, but because of the angle of the sight lines, it will not have views of the White House. Although the exterior of the hotel will retain its 1920s architectural style, the interior will be modern European. It could almost be classified as a boutique property compared to the Hay-Adams traditional motif, said a spokeswoman for the Sofitel. The hotel will open with nightly room rates of between $290 and $340 but expect those prices to increase after the hotel > Tim Deady is a regular contributor for The Washington Diplomat.