- Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
- Why we love it: Recently renovated—and thoroughly stylish—public spaces that attract the best and brightest
- Loyalty program: I Prefer (Preferred Hotels & Resorts)
- From $215
- Book now
Fortunes and friendships change quickly in D.C., but the Dupont Circle Hotel has yet to go out of style. Set right on the roundabout itself, the eponymous hotel assumes a place of pride. Within, the site’s Martin Brudnizki–designed restaurant, The Pembroke—with its coral velvet banquettes, marble tables, and expansive outdoor terrace—has birthed a scene. Thanks to its location around the corner from Embassy Row, everyone from tony locals to visiting diplomats gather here to enjoy its mid-Atlantic-inspired menu, while the walnut-and-brass-clad Doyle is a whiskey bar fit for Ireland (home base of the Doyle Collection).
The 327 sleek guest rooms take similar advantage of their surroundings, most with large windows overlooking the circle. Upstairs, Irish designer Clodagh refreshed the penthouse suites, where spaces for relaxing include deep soaking tubs and private terraces with sun loungers. Clodagh also redesigned the lobby, which has the look and feel of a high-end apartment, thanks to details like a cozy fireplace and a look-through bookcase with brass accents. Best of all, though, is the feeling of walking out the front door in the morning and knowing that the capital is at your doorstep.
Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Washington, D.C.