W Washington D.C.

The August 1, 2009, opening of W Washington, D.C., should lift a few eyebrows on Pennsylvania Avenue. The new hotel occupies the former Hotel Washington, a classic Italian Renaissance–style structure redesigned in 1917 by the same architects who gave us the Senate and House on Capitol Hill. The W brand's supermodern style will set off magnificently restored columns, high arched windows, and sweeping views of the White House lawn.

The president's new neighbor will offer a steak house orchestrated by superstar Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a Bliss Spa, and a Sweat fitness center. The 317 guest rooms and suites will entertain with sumptuous featherbeds, fully wired technology, and state-of-the-art multimedia. For groups, 13,000 square feet of flexible conference space will include Altitude, an eleventh-floor venue with direct views of the White House and Washington Monument.