WASHINGTON, DC: Ritz-Carlton Georgetown

I'm currently ensconced in a suite at the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, thinking about how I might get some coffee without getting dressed and trundling down to the restaurant... or calling room service. (sigh) Those may be my only two options.


Not that they're bad options.
The suite is lovely. It's a beautiful place to spend time, but there's work to be done.

The hotel itself is built in what used to be the area's incinerator. As a result, the layout is not at all traditional. One gets to the rooms through a smallish tunnel that was most probably used for stoking the fires. Red brick is everywhere. It's not a typical Ritz-Carlton.

That said, it's nice and the Georgetown location is close to the last vestiges of the Chesapeake and Ohio lock-and-canal system that George Washington envisioned as something of an interstate highway system. Very interesting!

I had breakfast at Fahrenheit, the on-site restaurant. While prices reflect the convenience (which is to say, they're higher than an off-site restaurant), both the food and service were excellent. The Eggs Benedict -- my standard for judging a restaurant's breakfast prowess -- were the best I've had in a long time. The Hollandaise sauce could have had a bit more lemon punch for my taste, but the English muffins were more like crumpets: very tender and delicious.

Also, just before leaving for a brief appointment, I called housekeeping to ask that my room be made up while I was gone. (Call me fussy, but I hate coming back to an unmade room.) They were very prompt and had almost completed their service when I returned to the room. The attendants were both polite, but one really got my attention when she addressed me by asking, "How are you, Mr. Carl?" (My last name is a bit unusual and gives some people difficulty.) The fact that she had my name at her disposal -- and, more importantly, USED it -- earns her very high marks in my book.

Lunch at Fahrenheit was quite delicious. I had tastes of their fire-roasted tomato soup, the roast butternut squash soup with candied walnuts, and a simple Turkey Club with fries. All were flavorful and well-prepared. If you dine at Fahrenheit, be sure to get a window seat, which will give you a great view of the smokestack.

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Photos by Carl Dombek
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