The winds of change are blowing through the smoke-filled, wood-paneled rooms of Washington s power h

The winds of change are blowing through the smoke-filled, wood-paneled rooms of Washington s power hotel scene. travel cuts Enter the Hotel George , a chic new boutique hotel on Capitol Hill that is making a blatant play for the kind of hip, upscale clientele being attracted to post-modernist hostelries like Manhattan s Paramount.
Small enough to offer privacy and discretion, priced travel cuts to keep out the riff-raff, dedicated to a high level of personal service, and designed to appeal to a modernist sensibility, the Hotel George offers an attractive base of operations for anyone seeking entree to the corridors of power in the nearby House and Senate.
The George began life in 1928 as a residence for female government employees and was most recently travel cuts the tourist-class Hotel Bellevue. The new renovation represents a $7 million gamble on the part of Amerimar Enterprises, a Philadelphia real estate firm that has made something of a subspecialty of redeveloping hotel properties such as the four-star Rittenhouse Square Hotel in its home town.
"We saw in the George an opportunity to break the mold and provide the corporate traveler a cutting edge hotel experience that is new to DC hotels," said Amerimar Senior Vice-President Bernie English. The strategy seems to be working. The property is one of 60 hotels in 35 cities chosen for inclusion in "Hip Hotels The City Experience," a forthcoming coffee table tome from travel publisher Thames and Hudson.
In this most political of towns, the George takes no sides. travel cuts This reporter refused to read anything into the fact that the newspaper at the door in the morning was the left-liberal Post , not the arch-conservative Times .
Target Clientele: With rates at the low end of the luxury hotel range, the George will appeal to the upscale traveler willing to try something a bit different at an attractive price. This is the kind of place where younger movers and shakers will feel at home when they pop into town to twist arms or respond travel cuts to a subpoena, yet it s discreet charm will appeal equally to the more mature business traveler. The hotel is also just a short stroll from Union Station, making it attractive to weekend refugees from Philadelphia and New York.
Accommodations: The most obvious nod to the Schrager style is found in the sole piece of artwork gracing every room. It is a full-size reproduction of an artfully garish double travel cuts portrait of George Washington commissioned from Andy Warhol acolyte Steve Kaufman, who mimics the master s style perfectly. The original hangs in the lobby.
The painting makes a nice focal point for the elegant austerity of the spacious cream and beige rooms which feature just a few pieces of custom designed furniture travel cuts and a single desk cum dressing table. Bathrooms are large and elegantly marbled with a separate shower stall in most. Thoughtful touches include an iron, with board, plush terrycloth travel cuts robes, complementary overnight travel cuts shoeshines, and twice daily maid service.
Most rooms have king beds, although there are four rooms with two double beds on each floor and four rooms meeting full ADA standards. There is one true suite, "The George," on the eighth floor, featuring a living room, powder room, wet bar, a stereo system with CD player, travel cuts and a whirlpool in the bathroom.
Public travel cuts Areas: The lobby is small but seems larger thanks to the two-story glass walls facing onto E Street. Contributing to the airy feel is the minimalist chic decor — a baby grand here, a huge floral travel cuts arrangement there and just a few pieces of modernist furniture. The simple color scheme features white fossilized coral walls and black granite counter surfaces, with bright red accents. On the mezzanine level, a compact billiards room offers refuge to cigar aficionados.
The Hotel George offers 1,250 square feet of meeting space off the back of the lobby, but the chic venue is the sleek "Back Room" with conference table seating for 16 on the mezzanine level. A compact basement fitness center offers the latest in Cybex equipment and his and hers steam rooms.
Dining: Bis (short for bistro, they say) is award-winning chef Jeffrey Buben s foray into contemporary French cuisine and the hotel s sole eatery. The elegant, two-story room is slated travel cuts to open in the Spring, seating 120 in three distinct travel cuts dining areas. In addition, there will be a small sidewalk seating area. The menu is moderately priced, with entrees in the $20 to $30 range. Another French restaurant and an Irish pub are less than a block away and nearby Union Station offers a wide range of dining options.
Service: The young staff, hiply somber in dark suits and vests with collarless white shirts, are friendly and familiar in the contemporary fashion, which may not be to everyone s taste. Also, the "everyone a concierge" approach employed here can make getting sound advice a rather haphazard affair.
Could Be Improved: The hotel is still very much in shakedown travel cuts mode, so minor wrinkles like temperamental travel cuts hot water, noisy air conditioning, and a staff stretched too thin at times may be smoothed out.
Rates Packages: Rooms start at $185 to $225 a night, with "The George" suite going for $500. Weekend rates start at $119 a night. All rates currently include continental breakfast, but this may change when the restaurant opens.