Real Hospitality Local Luxury Hotels, Restaurants Each Offer Distinct Visits by Anna Gawel For this insert, The Washington Diplomat decided to add a slight twist to its usual industry coverage by taking a closer first-hand look at area hotels. The assignment for this lucky reporter: Stay at some of the finest hotels in the nationís capital, dine in their renowned restaurants, and essentially bask in utter indulgence for one night. We are grateful to each of these hotels for allowing us to peek inside their operations and for providing us with everything we needed for the story. And although all of the hotels profiled are undeniably experts at catering to every type of clientele and whimóhaving well established themselves in the hospitality industryólike different characters in a play, each hotel also proved to have its own distinct personality and niche on the Washington hotel scene, a fact that was reflected time and time again throughout each of these stays....more... Hotel Directory

The Bargain and Beauty of B&Bs Local Bed and Breakfasts Offer Specialty Amenities, Intimate Settings by Heather Nalbone Whether online or in person, most travel agents share a primary goal: To find you the best hotel rooms at bargain ratesóand fast. But thereís another hospitality domain that often falls through the cracks of routine hotel inventoriesóone thatís full of specialty bonuses, such as a morning bowl of homemade orange-coconut granola or special Egyptian cotton sheets purchased in Italy. Such amenities are singular to the lower-profile industry of bed and breakfasts and boutique inns. Yet these aesthetic lodges abound in the Washington area as a growing number of people offer the intimate settings of their own homes to provide personalized and sometimes budget-friendly alternatives to the regionís larger, pl ush hotels....more... Hotel Bars Pour for the World Posh Pubs Include More Sophisticated Patronsóand Drinks by Sanjay Talwani There are hundreds of places in Washington to get a drink. And for thousands of visitors, the quickest and easiest choice is at the bar in the very hotel theyíre staying. Some dismiss hotel bars as quick stops to make before heading out to other, more visible bars. But here, the endless stream of visitors and the abundance of large, high-end hotels means that hotel bars are destinations in their own rightófrom trendy lounges with daring dÈcor to classic rooms filled with dark woodwork, impressive supplies of single-malt scotches, and the feel of English gentlemenís clubs....more...