CHECK IN
Since the Embassy Row Hotel near Dupont Circle opened in 1970, it has been a neighborhood hangout and a home away from home for politicians and celebrities—Hillary Clinton, Peyton Manning and Danny Glover are just a few of those who have graced its halls. The hotel’s recent $15 million renovation was inspired by all things D.C.: The restaurant serves its daily special in bowls that were made by students and faculty of the Corcoran School of Art at The George Washington University; the coffee is from Compass Coffee, a startup by two ex-Marines who now live in the District’s Shaw neighborhood; and if you book the “SOME Suite,” one percent of the parlor suite’s revenue is donated to So Others Might Eat, a nonprofit that serves the District’s poor and homeless.
Photo Courtesy of Embassy Row Hotel
Photo Courtesy of Embassy Row Hotel
Each of the hotel’s 231 guest rooms is decorated in a gorgeous palette of blues and buttery yellows, and many have accent pillows embroidered with iconic D.C. landmarks. The lobby offers a mix of places to socialize, including couches and chairs for the laptop crowd, a cushy three-season patio overlooking Embassy Row, and Station Kitchen & Cocktails, a coffee shop by day and a bar serving small plates at night. The hotel’s crowning feature is the rooftop, which is home to a pool, bar and terrace with sweeping views of the city. Rooftop access is free to guests, and available to anyone else with a $25 day pass (or free after 5 p.m.). Room rates start at $179 per night (embassyrowhotel.com, 202-265-1600). If you book in May, make sure to check out the schedule of Passport DC, a monthlong festival that includes open houses at more than 50 embassies, cultural events and performances—many within walking distance of the hotel. For more information, visit culturaltourismdc.org.
OUTDOOR OASIS
Soak in a historic hot spring mineral bath and relax amid lush gardens at The Spa at The Omni Homestead. The Homestead completed a $30 million resortwide renovation in 2013, including the new spa and an adults-only outdoor spa garden, where you’ll find a naturally-pressurized deluge shower, spring-fed pool and whirlpool, private poolside cabanas, and a river reflexology walk over smooth stones. Access to the spa garden is complimentary with any 50-minute or longer spa service (available in one of the 28 new treatment rooms, which includes one family suite). Day passes also are available: $40 Sunday-Thursday; $55 Friday and Saturday; thehomestead.com/spa-garden.
An outdoor spa garden offers a spring-fed pool and private cabanas. Photo courtesy of Omni Homestead Resort.
Heated lounges in the spa. Photo courtesy of Omni Homestead Resort.
THRILL RIDE
When Hersheypark’s 13th roller coaster, Laff Trakk, debuts Memorial Day Weekend, it will be the first indoor, spinning glow-coaster in the United States. The family-friendly ride pays tribute to iconic fun houses from Hersheypark’s past, with 1,400 feet of track that zips past neon characters and passes through glow-in-the dark frames and a lighted tunnel. Four-person coaster cars rotate in response to the size of each rider, providing a different experience with each trip. Laff Trakk is included in the admission price, which ranges from $24.95 to $61.95 based on age (children 2 and under admitted free). For more information, visit hersheypark.com.
Photo courtesy of Hershey Park.