The Ritz-Carlton Washington D.C.

Ironic in Washington D.C., a town full of French Neoclassical buildings, that the Ritz-Carlton would be a modern structure in glass and brick, with not a marble step to be found. Still, it's more traditional than its Georgetown sister — this mid-century institutional look is more familiar than the red-brick incinerator in Georgetown — and inside is the old-world luxury one expects from a Ritz-Carlton, all ornate detail, fine woodwork and antique-style furnishings.

This place sees more than its share of genuine VIPs, and it shows in the service, as attentive and professional as any. Rooms are outfitted in high style, with goosedown duvets, marble tubs and separate showers, from the relatively humble deluxe rooms all the way on up to the Ritz-Carlton and Presidential suites — perhaps best left for when a foreign government is footing the bill.

There's a fitness center that's honestly a bit above and beyond what's required: the complex spans 100,000 square feet, complete with full-service spa, junior Olympic pool, basketball courts, weight rooms and its own restaurant. The Grill is undergoing an extensive renovation at the moment, but the Bar and the Lobby Lounge are there to pick up the slack — the latter also the venue for the Ritz-Carlton trademark afternoon tea.