Lobby view, with bar (photo courtesy Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown)
by Ron Bernthal
There are so many components to the 413-room Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown Hotel’s history and current status that it is difficult to know where to begin.
In 1885 the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and Beach Club opened its doors, earning the title of the oldest member of the Fairmont family. The Fairmont San Francisco followed in 1907, and the company brand continued to grow with a collection of upscale properties in exciting and beautiful destinations.
In 1999 Fairmont merged with the deluxe Canadian Pacific Hotels group to form the largest hotel management company in North America. In 2016 the rapidly expanding French hotel company, Accor, finalized the acquisition of three additional luxury brands — Fairmont, Raffles and SLS.
The noted architect Vlastimil Koubeck designed today’s iconic Fairmont building in 1985 which opened as a Westin hotel property. Westin sold the building four years later, and after a series of various owners, it was purchased by Fairmont, renovated, and re-opened to Fairmont guests in 2002. Koubeck, who designed more than 100 Washington buildings (offices, hotels, residential, commercial) during the 1960’s-80’s, died in 2003 at the age of 75, but his Postmodernist architecture definitely played a big part in developing the city’s skyline. In 1985, Washingtonian magazine considered him to be one of 20 people “who in the past 20 years had the greatest impact on the way Washingtonians live, and who has forever altered the look of Washington, D.C.
Vlastimil Koubeck’s beautifully designed building (photo Ron Bernthal)
In a strange twist of hotel fate, in 1996 Westin purchased another building just caddy-corner from the Fairmont, and these days it is known as the Westin Georgetown. But this building’s interior and exterior appearance is quite generic, without any soul or history, so unlike the original Koubeck building they once owned across the street. The Westin Georgetown lobby is small, with a lot of glass and chrome, with no distinctive features, while the Fairmont’s lobby was designed by Koubeck to be extremely spacious and elegant, with abundant natural light, comfortable sitting areas and a wonderful lobby bar. A grand staircase anchors the U-shaped bar, which seats up to 16 and offers commanding views of the lobby and the courtyard garden. The Fairmont’s sedate and refined interior reminded me of a luxurious London or Parisian hotel. I wonder if Westin ever regretted selling its stately-looking Koubeck building?
Long view of lobby (photo Ron Bernthal)
All 413 guestrooms at the Fairmont have larger-than-average floor plans and original artwork, with all the customized furnishing and hi-tech amenities that befit a deluxe property. Guest rooms, public areas and event spaces underwent a $27 million renovation in 2017 and are in tip-top condition, from the conversion of the executive forum amphitheater into the 2,900-square-foot Kennedy Ballroom to the 17,500 square-foot fitness center (one of the city’s largest).
King Room (photo Wemberly Interiors)
Designers from Wimberly Interiors of New York were inspired by Washington, D.C. itself and provided the rooms with a sophisticated ambiance, conveying history, politics and power. Modern furnishings are combined with classical detail pieces. For example, no typical working desks are to be found in guestrooms. Instead, there is an inviting chaise and a round table that can be used for dining or as a flexible working space. Marble bathrooms feature large walk-in showers and vanities, and the artworks in all the rooms reflect Washington’s fascinating history and importance.
The Presidential Georgetown Suite and the other large suites on the Fairmont Gold Floor, which have hosted hundreds of foreign dignitaries and celebrities, were also spruced-up. Guests on the Gold Floor are provided with private check-in, a personalized butler, concierge services and access to an exclusive club lounge serving daily breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres. Past VIP guests have included Muhammad Ali, Itzhak Perlman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lauren Bacall and numerous U.S. and international media and political leaders, many of whom make The Gold Floor their “home away from home” during Washington visits. Movie buffs will probably recognize the hotel in many of the scenes from the 1998 film “Enemy of the State,” and film crews from “Pelican Brief,” “Hollow Man,” “Contact,” “Broadcast News,” and “Nixon” have stayed at the property.
left, Suite at Fairmont (photo VRX Studio for Fairmont) right, Suite (photo Wimberly Interiors)
The lobby and the courtyard garden were part of the hotel’s second phase of the renovations and redesign, organized by the noted Dallas-based Forrest Perkins hospitality interior design and architecture firm. Inspiration for the lobby design and color scheme came from the geometry of an aerial view of Washington, D.C. A unique, geometrically abstracted map of the city in warm gold tones with brushed, polished and satin finishes can be found behind the front desk. The geometry theme is also brought into many pieces of furniture.
Courtyard at Night (photo courtesy Fairmont Washington D.C. Georgetown)
Opened in 2002, the 10-story Fairmont Georgetown is definitely elegant and charming. Located in an area called the West End, or Foggy Bottom, the neighborhood is one of the oldest in the District, sitting just north of George Washington University and adjacent to historic Georgetown.
left, Georgetown’s main intersection of Wisconsin and M Streets (Photo by Sam Kittner/Georgetown Business Improvement District) right, Georgetown, parade along Main Street, 1890’s (photo courtesy Georgetown Public Library Collection)
Founded in 1751, Georgetown’s original boundaries only extended north from the river a few blocks to Gay Street, now N Street. The western and eastern boundaries have remained the same. The first grant of land went to Colonel Ninian Beall. The second original landowner of Georgetown was George Gordon. Most of the original European landowners in Georgetown were Scottish, so there seems to be no historical consensus regarding which George the town was named. It may have been to honor King George II of England or could have been named after one of the first two European residents both, named George. Once the government was looking for a new place to settle after the Revolutionary War, Georgetown was an ideal pick. It has an established community with taverns and boarding houses and a river that could support and help grow trade in the region.
Part of Georgetown’s one-mile section of the C&O Canal (photo Georgetown Business Improvement District)
When it became time for President George Washington to select a site for the new United States capital, he advocated for a place close to his estate in Mt. Vernon. In 1791 George Washington included Georgetown in the new Federal City plan to be built across Rock Creek and occupied by the new government in 1800. By 1860, a merger of the City of Washington and Georgetown was considered, but the Civil War disrupted those plans. Plans were finally settled in 1871 when it was decided that DC would include Georgetown and that Georgetown would become a territory, overseen by the US Congress.
As the tobacco industry continued to prosper, so did the residential community in Georgetown. Like most of the cities of the time, Georgetown was built with slave labor. At the time of the abolishment of slavery, in 1862, Georgetown had a sizeable Black American population of both slaves and freemen. The NW corner of Georgetown became an established community of freedmen with its own shops, lawyers, and schools. The tobacco industry continued to grow until the Potomac river no longer became viable for river trade. A creative solution was found in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. The Canal become an important part of the city with families moving to live along the waterfront. Between better railroad passage and the opening of the Q St. Bridge, the canal become less useful. Today the Canal is a historic park with recreational trails and has become one of the iconic features of Georgetown’s landscape, and is only a few minutes walk from the Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown hotel.
The Fairmont property is a 10-minute taxi ride to the White House, the Washington Monument, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Smithsonian Museums; 15-20 minutes (during non-rush hours) to Amtrak’s Union Station and National Airport.. Several Metro stations are within walking distance of the hotel, the closest (eight minutes’ walk) is Foggy Bottom station. Dozens of eclectic shops, eateries and art galleries can be found on nearby M Street NW and Wisconsin Avenue NW in Georgetown, also just few minutes’ walk from the hotel.
Dining options at the property include Juniper, for American comfort food, the lobby Bar, and The Loggia restaurant in the garden courtyard.
Ambassador Georgie (photo Fairmont Washington D.C. Georgetown)
Perhaps the biggest surprise I experienced at the Fairmont, and which dog owners will appreciate, is the hotel’s dog-friendly policy, including a special package that includes chef-made dog treats, a walking map of pet-friendly places in the area and even a special pet-centric “do not disturb” sign for the door. Every time a guest books this package and checks in with a dog, the Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown will donate $25 to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, where Georgie was adopted from. Yes, while other hotels may have gone pet-friendly, the Fairmont Georgetown property actually adopted a puppy to serve as the hotel’s Canine Ambassador. Georgie was adopted from Guiding Eyes for the Blind, as she was too friendly to be a guide dog, and better suited for the hospitality industry. Georgie, now a beautiful three year-old female Labrador, has a comfortable part-time home in the hotel lobby where she greets guests during the day, and when her “work” day is over, she heads home with Mark Huntley, Fairmont’s Regional Vice President and General Manager, for a well-earned sleep.
Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown
2401 M St. N.W.,
Washington, D.C.
202-429-2400
