2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
202/342-0444 or 800/332-3442
www.fourseasons.com/washington

COST: More than $250 per night

The luxury Four Seasons is the city’s only Forbes five-star hotel, a property with 222 guest rooms, top-notch service, lavish appointments, and even a 1,650-piece contemporary art collection. The hotel underwent a $34 million makeover in 2008, opening just before President Barack Obama’s inauguration and quickly reclaiming its spot as the preferred lodging in the city for Hollywood stars, music icons, and foreign diplomats.

The staff is trained to cater to guests’ every need, and the concierges are among the city’s finest, well connected and able to obtain difficult-to-get tickets, private tours, and more.

Guest rooms are spacious and stately, with views of Georgetown, the C&O Canal, or the property’s landscaped courtyard. Furniture is traditional with modern lines; luxuries include fresh flowers, fine linens, and marble bathrooms with imported toiletries.

Bourbon Steak, in the rear of the hotel overlooking the canal, is one of the city’s top restaurants and also draws a vibrant crowd nightly to its chic bar.