Business Travel Guide: Washington, DC
Perhaps more than in any other city in the world, politics, then commerce, define the rhythm of daily life and dictate to some extent how people dress, where they dine out and live and with whom they socialize. That said, the city itself, with its resplendent architecture, historic sites and numerous world-class museums and monuments, makes a memorable destination for business travelers and residents alike. All this history and charm come with a price tag, and good hotels and restaurants within walking district of the various seats of power and to the Convention Center tend to escalate the closer you are to the hub. On the other hand, with its bustling growth, the city has sprawled beyond its geographical boundaries, with business hubs established in the high-tech Dulles Technology Corridor (the "Netplex") that spreads from the banks of the Potomac out west through Northern Virginia, and across the Potomac in the immense complex called National Harbor, where the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center offers businesses a one-stop meet-eat-greet destination in Maryland. |
Facts
to Know Before You Go |
Transportation:
Airports:
Washington has two major airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National airport and Dulles International Airport. A third option is flying into Baltimore to BWI. Newcomers will find getting down to business simpler and faster by landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National, a short taxi, Metrorail (subway), bus, or shuttle ride from downtown D.C. But if business takes you to the Dulles Corridor in Northern Virginia, flying into Dulles International Airport makes more sense.
Taxis and Shuttles:
Taking a cab is an expensive option, with few exceptions. Coming from Dulles airport to downtown DC will cost more than $50, with lesser charges along the Northern Virginia route into the city. If you are doing business in Northern Virginia, however, cabs from Dulles will not be prohibitive. From Reagan into downtown Washington, the fares are obviously less costly because it is so much closer to the city, but the taxis are not metered and instead, charge by zones. Best bet: Familiarize yourself with DC's area jurisdictions so you know if the fare charged is correct. Note that local government is trying to change this system.
Metro:
From Dulles, take the Washington Flyer Coach Service, which shuttles passengers to the West Falls Church Metro station on a regular basis. The ride takes about 20 minutes and costs $8 one-way. From there, the train ride to DC will take about 35 minutes and costs about $2.30, depending on your stop.
Washington Reagan, located only five miles from Downtown DC, has easier access. Taxi fares are much more reasonable and will run between $8 and $17. The Metro will get you to Downtown DC in about 15 minutes and will cost about $2 one-way, depending on your stop. Stations can be found in terminals B and C.
Rental Cars:
While traveling within the District of Columbia by cab or mass transit is easy, if your business takes you to the Dulles Corridor or nearby Maryland, consider renting a car. Most major car rental companies have counters at both Dulles and Reagan airports. |
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Information:
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Newspapers:
The Washington Post is a daily newspaper with extensive national and local coverage. Its business section provides current information. It has an online edition.
The Washington Examiner publishes six editions, and concentrates coverage on happenings in DC and the metro area.
The Washington Times is a daily newspaper with both local and national coverage.
Politico is a must-read for any political junkie, but its print and online versions offer more than politics, such as national economy, health care and defense reporting.
The Washington Business Journal is a valuable resource for breaking local business news and extensive coverage of commercial transactions; it publishes weekly and has an online edition.
For goings-on in Congress, The Hill is a must-read newspaper with an inside look at America's lawmakers.
For congressional news and information, Roll Call is valuable; it is published Monday through Thursday while Congress is in session.
Magazines:
Washingtonian Magazine is the premier guide to what is happening and to whom in the metro area. Published monthly. |
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The Hay-Adams
One Lafayette Square
Washington, DC 20006
202-638-6600
www.hayadams.com
One of Washington's most venerable guest destinations and a city landmark, The Hay-Adams is located on Lafayette Square, across the street from the White House and just blocks away from other federal buildings and agencies. Elegant and history-filled, the hotel is a notable meeting place for the rich and powerful, including world dignitaries. Besides luxury accommodations, there's a world-class restaurant and upscale spaces for meetings and corporate gatherings. Six meeting rooms, including The Rooftop Terrace with its sweeping vistas of Washington, provide amenities for business gatherings. For off-hours, the hotel's central location makes it ideal for shopping, dining, and entertainment areas around town.
The Hotel George
15 E. St., NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-347-4200
www.hotelgeorge.com
A fashionable boutique hotel, this location is close enough to Washington's seats of power so that guests can easily walk to Capitol Hill, and then can just as easily leave town by train from nearby Union Station. Although the exterior fits into its historic surroundings, the interior is pure 21st century: Chrome, glass and granite are spiced up with bright Warhol-style silk screens of Washington and Lincoln. The 139 guestrooms and suites are tastefully done in a warm mix of beige and white. All rooms include convenient amenities like T1 lines for high-speed Internet access, cordless phones and CD players, but business rooms, located on the upper levels, come with complimentary fax machines and VCRs. With its zinc bar, tile floor and innovative cuisine, the hotel's famous restaurant Bistro Bis is a favorite power spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner—especially when Congress is in session.
Hotel Tabard Inn
1739 N St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-785-1277
www.tabardinn.com
With its quiet air of reserved gentility, the Tabard Inn remains one of the city's most sought-after destinations. Located in the very busy Dupont Circle area, it is close enough to the heart of commerce, the government and DC's new Convention Center. The Tabard Inn creaks with history and is filled with character and charm, and offers private dining and meeting rooms for commercial gatherings. Its restaurant features eclectic American cuisine, and its breakfast doughnuts are legendary.
Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC
1330 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20024
202-787-6140
www.mandarinoriental.com/washington
Near the Jefferson Memorial, the National Mall, and the Washington Monument, The Mandarin Oriental enjoys a prime location while being just far enough from congested downtown areas to provide its guests with a respite from the city's rush. The hotel's generously proportioned guest rooms and suites—a marriage of Asian elegance and traditional touches—have been designed in keeping with the principles of Feng Shui to create sanctuaries of calm for high-powered guests. Rooms come with countless amenities, such as imported linens and flat screen TVs with DVDs. With onsite CityZen restaurant and Café MoZu, both featuring Asian-fusion cuisine, your palate will be spoiled. Business amenities include a fully equipped Business Center and individual communications facilities in every room, as well as wireless Internet access in all hotel function areas. Be sure and book a table at the hotel's CityZen restaurant, helmed by the celebrated Eric Ziebold.
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The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.
1150 22nd St., NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-835-0500
www.ritzcarlton.com
The Ritz-Carlton brand has two locations in DC proper, but the 22nd Street site is more centrally located, offering quick access to power players. Besides well-appointed rooms and a grand lobby, the hotel has a large onsite gym, the Sports Club LA. Gourmets will appreciate the Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert; and if you don't want you and your colleagues to travel far afield, the hotel offers well-appointed meeting rooms plus a ballroom for celebratory events.
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 Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this restaurant is one of Capitol Hill’s most popular eating spots and watering holes. Noted for respecting guests’ privacy, management has inspired a following of Hill types and their business pals, seeking a meal without the bother of signature seekers. No wonder its tagline is "Where Capitol Hill dines." Chef/owner Jeff Buben offers French-inspired menus, starring at night such dishes as sweetbreads Nantua and steak frites; at lunchtime, the menu includes a whopping American burger with luscious fries. Note, however, that like many other DC destinations, Bistro Bis adjusts the menu to the season. If you are considering a big business meeting, ask about their private dining. |
 Located in one of DC's most luxurious hotels with special suites for very VIP guests—think "royalty"—this elegant Michael Mina restaurant has steak in the title, but the menu also highlights a selection of VIP fare, from roast duck to curried scallops and a stunning lobster pot pie. For those wanting to hold a team meeting over oysters, or woo a reluctant client, the elegant décor provides a perfect backdrop. Besides, guests receive first-class service and can expect to conduct business and personal matters with their privacy respected. For casual gatherings, and weather permitting, ask for patio seating. A fine wine list and an imaginative cocktails menu amplify the pleasures of a BOURBON STEAK experience. The food, of course, is exceptional, fit for a king. |
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Belgian/French/Brasserie
15/20
$$$$$ |
 Hot, hip and happening, Brassier Beck is chef Robert Wiedmaier's Belgian fantasy with superlative mostly Belgian food and more than 100 Belgian beers to pair with each course. If you like the night scene and want to impress business pals, reserve ahead or cozy up to the bar and wait for your table. But for serious talk—the acoustics aren't conversation-friendly—plan a business lunch here. You will miss the nighttime hubbub, but you will still get the same steamed mussels, hot breads and pear tarte tatin with caramel sauce. With such culinary pampering, you can seal just about any deal.
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American/Bistro
14/20
$$$$$ |
This casual American bistro attracts a constant state of hustle and bustle to its lively dining room. Wow your business partners with dishes such as gougères (cheese puffs), "faux gras terrine" and Michel's charcuterie plateaux, all rather tongue in cheek. There are plenty of entrée choices, including fried chicken with mashed potatoes, skate with caper sauce, and sautéed calf's liver with bacon. The wine list offers about 100 different selections from small French and American producers, and a smattering of options from Australia, Italy and Spain.
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 This famous restaurant with its oyster bar, dark woods, and velvet trim is one of DC's most popular venues, noted as the place for lawyers, politicos and journalists to drop by and swap stories. Steps away from the White House and with the State Department within walking distance—Capitol Hill is a short taxi ride away—the Ebbitt draws folks not only for its convenient location but also because the food is hearty mainstream American fare. Like oysters? Don't miss the Oyster Bar in the back room. Super busy all the time.
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| International Spy Museum
800 F St., NW
Washington, DC 20004
202-eye-spy-u
www.spymuseum.org
Ever fantasized about being a spy? Dreamed of traveling the world incognito while gathering evidence, drinking shaken martinis and racing cars tricked out with machine guns and cloaking devices? We thought so. Visit the International Spy Museum and realize your fantasy. See the largest collection of espionage artifacts ever publicly displayed. Then enroll in spy school to learn from the pros. Find out how to morph your identity and hone your intuition and observation skills. To aid you in your education, visit the gift shop for some spy books or spy trinkets. Spooky stuff. Upstairs, Zola restaurant continues the spy theme, but throws in excellent food and drinks.
The Kennedy Center
2700 F St., NW
Washington, DC 20566
800-444-1324
www.kennedy-center.org
One of the nation’s most prestigious entertainment destination where outstanding performances of every format—from live theater to symphonies—receive huge crowds, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sits on the banks of the Potomac, far from the hustle-bustle of downtown DC and Capitol Hill. Be sure to check the calendar listings of performances at the website, and plan on dining at The Roof Terrace restaurant atop the center prior to attending your selected event.
Newseum
555 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
888-NEWSEUM
www.newseum.org
With its 2008 opening, this museum, dedicated to honoring news and information media, is a source not only of late-breaking news broadcast in its Great Hall of News on giant electronic screens but a showcase of many exhibits highlighting America's most momentous, newsworthy events and people. Visitors will also find an interactive newsroom to play reporter and a photo gallery of Pulitzer Prize-winning pictures. The two-level Newseum Store offers books, prints, photographs and souvenirs. Hungry visitors can go through a self-help food court or dine in style at The Source by Wolfgang Puck; the food in both locations is inspired by Wolfgang Puck.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
202-633-1000
americanhistory.si.edu
One of several Smithsonian destinations, this renovated venue traces American history and its highlights. With the goal of helping Americans and foreign visitors to understand the glories of this democratic nation, the museum's staff have collected and displayed American icons, such as the original Star Spangled Banner, and memorabilia such as Dorothy's ruby slippers from the movie Wizard of Oz. Foodies can even find a rendition of Julia Child's kitchen, including the six-burner Garland stove Child used in her cooking career. Although the museum is immense, with room after display room, Washington visitors should eke out enough time to visit parts of the museum.
Verizon Center
601 F St., NW
202-628-3200
Washington, DC 20004
www.verizoncenter.com
This multi-venue facility in the Penn Quarter section of the city features a plethora of entertainment, sports and cultural events. Conveniently located near a metro stop, and with ample restaurants in the vicinity, the center is a major draw for shoppers, diners and anyone looking to support the home team or watch concerts and other entertainment like the Wiggles. The Center also contains executive suites for business entertaining, plus a restaurant, clubhouse, fitness club and spa, sports bar and shopping for fans' memorabilia. (Author:
Alexandra Greeley) |
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* Images courtesy of the respective properties
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