PAs help in any way they can: arranging guides; securing restaurant reservations; booking tickets for hard-to-get performances. The system works very well, and we found “If we can, we will” to be the staff’s prevailing attitude. Our PA escorted us to a Deluxe Room via a guests-only elevator, and there provided a clear and thorough briefing on the lighting and bedside controls. The décor was comfortable contemporary, and I found its mix of dark woods, cream walls and judiciously placed art to be extremely pleasing. The bed was made up with Pratesi linens; a small but well-supplied console came with an illy coffeemaker, an electric kettle and a mini-fridge well-stocked with water, milk and soft drinks; a plush club chair provided a fine spot for an afternoon read; and the work desk was equipped with ample plugs and connections, as well as with pencils, erasers, even a stapler. In the black marble bath, we found the same attention to detail. The lighting was perfect; we never had far to reach for towels, thanks to the many well-stocked racks; convenient hooks beside the sculptural freestanding limestone tub provided spots for hanging robes; and a generous supply of Acqua di Parma toiletries was much appreciated
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D.C. Guide Washington, D.C., drew almost 18 million visitors last year, so planning a trip can be a challenge. To make things easier, I recommend the services of American Excursionist, a company that works in conjunction with the Harper Travel Office. Not only can it tailor an itinerary to your specific needs, but it also offers many fascinating programs. These include curated tours of the Smithsonian, visits to the National Air and Space Museum with a former NASA astronaut, private tours of D.C. art galleries, and political briefings from influential lobbyists. You can even visit Woodrow Wilson’s private wine cellar, dating from Prohibition! americanexcursionist.com
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Lesser-Known Museums Washington’s major museums are justly renowned, but several other collections are worth consideration. Below are three personal favorites. THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION — In 1921, steel heir Duncan Phillips opened this museum in his family’s 1897 Georgian Revival home. The original holding of 237 works has grown to encompass more than 3,000, and the museum has expanded to two additional buildings. Strolling among the intimate galleries, you will find works by Matisse, Monet, Klee, Braque and Degas, among others. Perhaps the most notable canvas is Renoir’s sumptuous “Luncheon of the Boating Party.” 1600 21st Street, N.W. Tel. (202) 387-2151. phillipscollection.org
DUMBARTON OAKS — This beautiful house and surrounding gardens in Georgetown were once home to Foreign Service officer Robert Woods Bliss and his heiress wife, Mildred. They shared a passion for the art of cultures that were then little-known, and carefully collected works from both the Byzantine and pre-Columbian eras. In 1940, they donated their home and Byzantine collection to Harvard University. In 1963, they also donated the pre-Columbian collection, for which Philip Johnson designed a special pavilion. In 1944, a series of meetings at Dumbarton Oaks among China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States led to the founding of the United Nations. 1703 32nd Street, N.W. Tel. (202) 339-6401. doaks.org
NEWSEUM — This impressive museum opened in 2008, and through interactive displays, exhibitions and films, it explores the role of news and journalism throughout the history of the United States. On seven floors, you will find front pages from seminal moments in history, a map that delineates freedom of the press throughout the world, sobering portraits of slain journalists, a stunning gallery of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs, sections of the Berlin Wall and a gallery that explores news coverage of 9/11. I thought I might spend an hour here, but I lingered for three and could have stayed longer. 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Tel. (888) 639-7386. newseum.org H
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(as was the small white leather travel kit containing extras for the journey home). It is noticeable at Capella that in-house guests are accorded priority. At too many hotels nowadays, the restaurants, the spa and the public areas in general are overrun by people who are not staying there. Personally, when paying close to $1,000 a night I find it infuriating to be told that it might be possible to squeeze me into the dining room, assuming that I don’t mind eating at 6 p.m. or 10 p.m. Here, both the Capella Living Room and the rooftop bar — with its panoramic views of the Potomac, the Watergate apartments and the elegant Kennedy Center — are reserved for residents and their invited guests, as is the indoor/outdoor raised infinity-edge pool. Nearby, a compact fitness room affords sweeping views north to residential Georgetown. Hotel guests and Georgetown residents mingle in The Rye Bar. Polished mahogany, subdued lighting and leather seats make this a congenial spot yearround, but in clement weather, the canal-side patio is most in demand. The adjacent Grill Room also offers canal views through a wall of glass. Chef Jakob Esko serves a seasonal farm-to-table menu on which fresh seafood and bone-in meats feature prominently. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, highlights of which were a plump Maryland crab cake, nicely matched with a 2011 King Estate Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley, and a Virginia pork chop with crushed red potatoes, sweet baked peach, baby bok choy and smoked ham-hock jus, accompanied by a 2009 Miura Pinot Noir from Monterey. Staying in Georgetown is a little like being on New York’s Upper East Side, a similarly gracious enclave just a short distance from the center of town. Overall, the Capella proved a comfortable and civilized hotel, where we felt very well cared for by attentive, friendly and accommodating staff.
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or those who wish to be close to the White House, I have long recommended The HayAdams, whose location on 16th Street just north of Lafayette Square can scarcely be bettered. However, a serious alternative is now provided by Th e J efferso n , three blocks farther up 16th Street, which recently underwent a comprehensive renovation of its public areas and 96 guest rooms. Within easy walking distance of lively Dupont Circle and bustling Farragut Square, The Jefferson occupies a pleasing, if not especially distinctive, Beaux Arts building that dates from 1923. But its interior impresses immediately. On entering the