Learn to Twerk at Hotel Washington
September 17, 2024
It started in the country.
And ended in the city.
With some Springsteen in between.
The Hotel Washington is our chosen destination in DC, and for obvious reasons—excellent hospitality. We hear rumors that this hotel is aptly run my Steph Vogel, but honestly we have not seen him for years. Anyway, from our base in the middle of nowhere, Washington DC is the big metropolis. This time we came in to see Bruce perform at the Nationals Park. An excellent show.
Back in the country, there were cocktails to be had and plans to be hatched. Somehow we overlooked the twerking in our planning.
We headed into DC in the early afternoon. We were greeted at the hotel with dueling amenities and greetings from Steph in our adjoining rooms 710 and 711.
The shower situation was non-plastic, though shutting the sliding door to the bathroom was nigh on impossible. The sink was in the hall.
After the show, we headed up to Vue to have a Corpse Reviver #2 or 2 and damage our hearing. Who knew that the night would end up with twerking lessons from the large group of (young) 50-turning women?! Much fun was had. All of a sudden it was 2am.
Did we need twerking lessons? Judge for yourself. Here is a before video.
Sadly no video of the after has been made available.
Five showerheads, a big thank you, and a fervent wish to get to the bottom of the Vogel disappearance for Hotel Washington.
The Hotel Washington, Washington DC
March 19, 2024
Steph Vogel now runs the Hotel Washington. And you know what that means…an attentive staff, attention to detail, and all around excellence. In fact, you might accidentally find yourself believing you have been transported to a Kimpton of yore. (Trust us, Kimpton used to be excellent…)
We arrived in the late afternoon, just in time for a cocktail at sunset in the rooftop bar.
The staff knew us by sight (due to the wanted poster in the staff room, no doubt). We were given an excellent suite, 820, bumped up three flights by someone paying attention. Sadly, Steph is out of commission with a major skiing injury, so we did not get to see him.
We were greeted with a personal note, a snack (saved for late night) and a bottle of Pinot Noir (much appreciated by Romey). Though it has been a while, all of our preferences were not only noted but met. Attention to detail is so rare.
820 is a beautiful corner suite with lots of room to spread out. We were bummed that our schedule was so tightly packed.
The bathroom is great. Only one quibble with the shower involves water pressure.
The bed room completes the suite.
We dropped our stuff in the room and headed up to the rooftop. After a few sips of our Negroni we were able to score a seat by the open windows.
We watched the sun set over the white house. We saw the President’s motorcade depart as well. Classic DC.
And then it was a fight through the wedding hoards and a quick uber to dinner. Rooster and Owl (recommended by Steph) is outstanding. We shared a bottle of champagne.
Next was the 9:30 club for the late show. Thievery Corporation was a blast.
We were in bed no later than 2:30am. Then up too early for brunch at the Jefferson (which you can skip).
Fiver showerheads but a distinct absence of Steph for this visit. We hope to be back soon.
The Dupont Circle Hotel: Washington DC
October 22, 2023
Generally speaking, we don’t frequent too many DC hotels since DC is so close to home. But sometimes timing is such that a night in a hotel is in order. The Dupont Circle Hotel is centrally located and not an unreasonable place to stay. Nothing to write home about, but good meeting facilities and proximity to plenty of good things to do.
The outside patio is a nice place for a Negroni on a fall evening. Do note that the bar closes down rather early.
A corporate dinner event at the Lafayette (in the Hay-Adams) was very nice but exceptionally old school even by DC standards.
We were assigned hamster cube 804. The view of the construction site (where jackhammers fired up at 7am) was unobstructed.
Though by no means plastic, the shower was still slightly wrong.
Jackhammer guys.
Excellent meeting facilities.
Four showerheads and some more imaginitive fun and games for the Dupont Circle Hotel. We didn’t get that room on the roof from the website. LOL.
The Lorien for Battery Recharge Through Cocktails, Art, and Conversation
December 16, 2019
Ah the Lorien, it has been a while! Since NPS last visited, IHG has done all it can to change the Kimpton chain it acquired into something we don’t recognize. The good news is that many excellent people remain, like Steph Vogel who we count as a friend.
We were assigned little nicely renovated rooms without plastic showers. Just right for this one night extravaganza. NPS was in 414.
arty bed
The shower is OK, not plastic, but who picked out that shower head?!
Thanks for the Negroni Steph!
Negroni with Watershed by Catoctin Creek
Chef prepared us dinner (we didn’t order, just reveled in what arrived). Delicious.
Must say that all of the cocktails are too sweet at the Lorien now.
We called in the usual set of favors to get the booth at the Colimbia Room. Perfect evening for talking, drinking and figuring out life.
Columbia Room menu
Breakfast the next morning was the highlight of the visit! Great to see Steph and catch up.
Then it was off to a day of art at the Hirshhorn, the Phillips, and the Renwick…oh yeah and Richard’;s house too! Just look.
Make sure to go back to the Hirshhorn. It is vastly improved
Lunch at Bistrôt du coin. Always French as all getout.
The Phillips is a favorite most anytime
Dinner with Richard was followed by an evening of conversation. Anytime.
All in all, an incredible visit. Life affirming on all counts.
Four showerheads for the Lorien. This IHG thing. Harumph.
Palomar DC and March for our Lives
March 25, 2018
It all came together just about perfectly. A morning talk at Georgetown, a nice dinner out (sadly not at Rose’s Luxury), cocktails at the Columbia Room, and then the highlight of the weekend, attending the inspiring March for our Lives. Our base of operations was the commendable Palomar DC (a Kimpton).
March over now getting our gear from the Palomar @Kimpton pic.twitter.com/S9wVRFRxvw
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 24, 2018
Turns out that our friend Matt Hurlburt (once of the Alexnadria Monaco) is now Director of a bunch of DC properties, including the Palomar. And Harald Han, as assistant GM, is running the ship day to day. The front desk staff is as professional, courteous, and great as always, remembering us from our time at the Lorien and from previous visits in the mosquito. This is a great thing!
We finagled our way into 1024 (again), a gorgeous room at the very top of the hotel. Nothing makes us wag our tails like the Presidential Suite (though, we agree with Jacques that maybe they should change the name of it for now until the #assholeinone is impeached and out of office).
palomar 1024: yes please
The shower is NPS approved.
bed room 1024
extra bathroom
the usual mess
An amenity of cheese, fruit, and a cocktail arrived with a note from Matt just before we headed out. Very nice. Thanks you guys!
We spent the mid-afternoon wandering around Dupont and getting a coffee. Then it was off to try our chances at Roses Luxury. When we arrived at 5, the line was already way too long. We could have been seated at 9, but instead went to plan B, a dinner at Convivial (in Shaw). The food and cocktails were great (as was the company), but the service was terrible. Super nice, and caring, and about as unprofessional and useless as possible. Can’t win them all.
More roundstone in the wild @convivialdc @catoctincreek pic.twitter.com/TBPhqf8O87
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 23, 2018
Adjusted lions tail with lemon, apple brandy, half allspice. Very well constructed pic.twitter.com/q0mlYeOMHv
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 23, 2018
Then came the booth at the Columbia Room, always just an incredible experience. If you have not yet made it to the Columbia Room, do it. Make sure to do the tasting room and go for the entire experience.
https://twitter.com/noplasticshower/status/977522990857572353
No sign of @betterdrinking last night @ColumbiaRoom but fantastic new menu pic.twitter.com/O4PfXhaTvB
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 24, 2018
Boss hog @WhistlePigRye and @catoctincreek side by side @ColumbiaRoom after menu pic.twitter.com/odreWPH4bq
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 24, 2018
A late night drink at the Urbana bar was just what was needed for a good night’s sleep.
The next day we headed in to DC for the March for our Lives rally. Incredible. So proud of what the Parkland kids have done. Keep it up and we will change this country for the better!
#marchforourlives pic.twitter.com/hdcdPTSWkT
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 24, 2018
The march #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/HC1TFwp3y9
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 24, 2018
The chant "Vote Them Out" happened spontaneously several times at the DC parch #MarchForOurLives
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 24, 2018
#marchforourlives pic.twitter.com/SmaD2n0MYA
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 25, 2018
A sign for the congressholes. Especially the @gop ones like @RepComstock #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/7llgByfLr8
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) March 25, 2018
After some great ramen at Jinya and a chance encounter with our neighbor Harry, we headed back to the Palomar to retrieve our car and our bags.
It was chaos. And the reason why turned out to be that the kids from Parkland had been staying at the Palomar as well. They boarded their bus to fly back to Florida as we hopped in our car. Amy got a hat from Emma’s mom.
Turns out the Parkland students were at our hotel! As they were leaving Emma's mom gave me a hat! #MarchForOurLives #humble #NeverAgain #EmmaGonzalez #grateful #motivate #BanAssaultWeapons pic.twitter.com/ULsBECxM9T
— notyou (@AmyBarley) March 24, 2018
Five showerheads and a hope that our next visit is just as incredible.
They Said There Would be Cupcakes: Palomar Washington DC
February 15, 2014
First things first. We left this:
Snow, dogs, cats, and the chicken palace
For this:
No snow, no dogs, no cats, and no chicken palace
So that was good.
Getting in to DC was going swimmingly until Pennsylvania Avenue was blocked by police just at the wrong time (Whitehurst Freeway doom). Must be a White House thing going on. That debacle cost us 30 minutes and an excruciating crawl through Georgetown. Traffic thereby ate most of the allocated Phillips time.
A quick dash through the Phillips. Bees and Picasso.
Picasso
Beekeeper in the bee room
Then time for a tea at Soho Cafe just across the street from the DC Palomar. (The Soho is a great find, way better than the Starbucks next door.) There was even time for the tail end of a particularly crowded Kimpton wine hour. 30-year-olds everywhere.
Checkin was chaotic. I do believe the Palomar is full to the gills for the dregs of Valentines Day. At checkin, the computer had a hell of a time time finding us, mostly since newly minted GM Abe Liao had plussed us up to avoid plastic shower despair. Thanks Abe! You rock. (Steph Vogel has moved on to become GM of George. Time for a visit to the George it seems!)
Because of Abe, we’re back in the Presidential Suite at the DC Palomar. Sweet.
But due to a massive shortage of cheese, the amenity we were told about at checkin (as Kristen spoofed Abe to deliver a “personal” message) was not in the room when we walked in. Eventually it arrived, cheese included, and all was well with the universe. Great hotel on valentines weekend? Chaos! Chaos I say!
Chaos tilted our way. Cheese, sparkling water, and cupcakes. Awesome.
The cheese did it
Plus the Presidential Suite?! Yay. You should know that we’re here reaping the benefit of staying many nights at various Kimptons all over creation. The Kimpton InTouch program free night thing? Superb. No other hotel chain does it like this. And an quadruple upgrade to boot. As predicted, Kimpton is rocking our little world.
The no-amenity-yet table in 1024. (Yes, 1024.)
NY bag by the bed.
This shower is NOT plastic. Glass cube goodness.
Dinner tonight was arranged by Larry Kilbourne aka “baker Bob,” executive baker at Le Diplomate. So fun to have friends who include the best baker in North America.
Bread and oysters: le diplomate.
Le Diplomate is excellent. And Baker Bob’s bread is truly out of this world. The only thing we took home in a “doggy bag” was some slices of the gorgeous walnut/cranberry bread.
BTW, their bar is top notch too, though way overcrowded.
A negroni and a tete a tete: le diplomate
Let there be cupcakes!
Cupcakes from Jerry Chou
Error: Index out of Range (DC)
October 25, 2013
First things first, I absolutely love Volt (though I can’t afford to go there very often), so I have been itching to get to Range in DC to try out the new Bryan Voltaggio property and see what the great buzz is all about. Surprisingly, my verdict is: not so much.
Lets impose a roll call vote to get to the bottom of this:
YEA 7
Range has a beautiful clean layout (yea)
The blinking LED art in the hall somehow works (yea)
The wine program is supremely good with real sommeliers (yea)
Two dishes (of 7) were simply amazing (yea, real voltaggio)
Skip, the waiter, rocks (yea)
Great bread, especially the corn muffins (yea)
Management got a clue and interposed (yea)
NAY 12
Range is in a mall (nay)
The mall has Cheesecake Factory (nay)
The mall has H&M stores (nay)
Range feels like Las Vegas (nay)
Range has TVs behind the bar (nay)
Five dishes (of 7) were workaday (nay)
Wine glass was completely empty…three times (nay)
Not the best bread in DC, that goes to my fiend Larry (nay)
Management had to get a clue and interpose (nay)
Our waitress (not skip) was a newb out of her depth (nay)
No hot chocolate?! Can’t make it?! Really?? (nay)
Range is in a mall (nay)
The Nays have it.
What this all means in my little world is that I will stick to Volt. Malls give me hives, and Las Vegas is my personal idea of Hell.
Be forewarned.
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