DC Hotels with the Best Views

You’ve come to see Washington’s iconic buildings, and for a price, you can stare at them out your hotel window, although you’ll pay a premium to stay on the side with the view at any hotel that offers one.

Many hotels near the National Mall offer panoramic views of the city’s most famous sites, starting with the trendy W [1], with its rooftop lounge and guest rooms that offer commanding views of the White House [2], Lincoln Memorial [3], and Washington Monument [4].

Next door and two doors over, the Willard InterContinental [5] and JW Marriott [6] offer the same vista, just slightly farther from the White House and, in the case of the JW Marriott, a better view of the U.S. Capitol [7].

At the Hay-Adams [8] you can gaze at the scenery while appreciating the city’s symmetry and historic design: The Hay Adams has nearly direct unobstructed views of the White House across Lafayette Square [9], and beyond it, the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial [10], both of which are aligned with the presidential mansion.

The Capitol Dome is hard not to miss from many of the hotels along the National Mall, but the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill [11] offers a nearly straight view up New Jersey Avenue of this magnificent structure.

For panoramic views that include the Tidal Basin, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Potomac River, Arlington House [12], and Arlington National Cemetery [13], a west-facing guest room in the Mandarin Oriental [14] offers some of the best vantages in the city. Even if you don’t land a room with that view, the other guest rooms in this nine-story hotel overlook the Potomac, east Potomac Park, and scenery that includes Reagan National Airport.