CHECKING IN: The Darcy, Washington, DC
A FORMERLY
ho-hum Hilton DoubleTree hotel has a new life as the first DC member of Curio, Hilton’s three-year-old brand of “indie” hotels. With its local chef-helmed restaurant and rotating pop-ups, the Darcy is aimed at both stylish visitors and hip Washingtonians.
WHY: The Darcy could not be more central, located in the Logan Circle district within walking distance of the Mall. While the immediate area is residential, the Darcy is minutes from the jam-packed 14th Street retail corridor, where everything from artisanal tapas spots to Starbucks is at hand.
LOOK: During its redo, the Darcy grew from 220 to 226 rooms. All are well- sized, awash in light and feature modern design elements like light woods and distressed metal; many of the larger suites include dreamy tubs. Men’s fashions are on display in each room — a surprisingly chic collection of guy garments (ties, pocket squares, etc.) curated by local clothier Read Wall and available to borrow if needed. Flag down the cocktail cart that roams around the hotel, armed with specialty drinks crafted from local tipples, like Green Hat gin from New Columbia Distillers.
MUST TRY: Siren is a seafood eatery from local chef Robert Wiedmaier, beloved for his mini-empire of European boîtes across DC. At Siren, look for local catches (Maryland crab, Chesapeake Bay eels) and global goodies like turbot presented as both shellfish towers and intricately prepared mains.
DON’T MISS: Despite its newness — and being part of a chain — the Darcy team was astonishingly attentive. One day, we needed to change our infants’ diapers and staffers offered us an entire empty conference room.
NEEDS WORK: During our stay in late July, the Darcy’s Lil’B café had yet to open, which meant a short — but annoying — walk for afternoon coffee. BOTTOM LINE: The Darcy has the efficiency of an established brand paired with the neighborhood-y nods of a boutique retreat. DETAILS: From $139; TheDarcyHotel.com. — David Kaufman (The author was a guest of the hotel.)