Travetta

Fodor's choice

Having completed a whopping $40 million renovation in 2005, the Four Seasons has reasserted its role as Washington's leading hotel. Impeccable service and a wealth of amenities have long made this a favorite with celebrities, hotel connoisseurs, and families. Luxurious, ultramodern rooms offer heavenly beds, flat-screen digital TVs with DVD players, and French limestone or marble baths with separate showers and sunken tubs. A 2,000-piece original art collection graces the walls, and a walk through the corridors seems like a visit to a wing of the MoMA or the Met. The formal Seasons restaurant offers traditional dishes with an elegant twist, as well as a popular Sunday brunch. The sophisticated spa here is one of the best in town.

"No sooner did the Four Seasons complete an immense renovation in autumn 2005 than it embarked on another to the tune of $35 million in spring 2008. Changes include renovations of suites in the hotel's ""west wing,"" the addition of a fifth presidential suite, a complete transformation of the lobby and the restaurant, and the introduction of ENO, a wine, charcuterie, and chocolate bar. Located at the mouth of Georgetown, the hotel's original (east) wing holds spacious guest rooms (500-700 sq. ft.) designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon (also tapped for the west wing's re-do), with custom-crafted furniture and color schemes of either celadon or purple. Most rooms have sleeper sofas, and all have 32-inch plasma-screen televisions. Bathrooms are prettily turned out in pear- and maple-wood accents, with a deep soaking tub separate from the shower."