Mandarin Oriental $$$

1330 Maryland Ave. SW
888/888-1778
www.mandarinoriental.com/washington [1]

COST: More than $250 per night

The Mandarin Oriental is one of the city’s most luxurious hotels, an Asian-themed getaway with nearly 400 guest rooms decorated by the principles of feng shui, aimed at pampering guests and maximizing their comfort.

The hotel’s location, overlooking the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial [2], make it the ultimate stay during the city’s Cherry Blossom Festival, as many guest rooms overlook the trees—and the crowds—below.

The Mandarin Oriental is within walking distance of the monuments on the eastern half of the Mall as well as the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum [3]; otherwise, guests will find the hotel’s neighborhood quite dull, a business setting that clears out at night and has no nightlife or eateries. But the hotel has many amenities of its own, including CityZen, one of the city’s finest restaurants for foodies, as well as a 50-foot heated lap pool, a spa and fitness center, and a private gallery containing museum pieces on loan from the Smithsonian.