When the luxurious Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC opened its doors March 22, 2004 it not only brought the hotel company’s signature Asian service excellence to the nation’s capital, but also introduced a truly distinct ‘East Meets West’ design.  Brennan Beer Gorman Monk (BBGM) Architects and HBA/Hirsh Bedner Associates, the same team that created Mandarin Oriental, New York, have fulfilled the vision of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Washington with a design that combines the district’s classic ‘federal’ feel with elements of the Orient, while offering an urban oasis, bringing a sense of nature and calmness to the heart of the city. 

Breathtaking vistas of the water and city monuments serve as an enticing backdrop to Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC. The residential-looking hotel is the first thing the community and visitors see upon entering the district from the 14th Street Bridge, providing a dramatic new skyline. As part of the Portals development project, at the juncture of the Potomac Tidal Basin and Washington Channel, it is the only hotel in the city to boast this scenic waterfront vantage point. 

Built in the French style while reflecting the city’s iconic neoclassical architecture, the nine-story, 400-room hotel is located on Maryland Avenue, S.W., between 12th and 14th Streets, and follows the original L’Enfant Plan for Washington created in the late 1700’s. The hotel’s architecture features a limestone façade, with columns, cornices and ornate bay and portal windows topped by a metal mansard roof. These elements complement the materials and color palette common to the overall Portals development, while reinforcing the hotel’s residential character and serving as a contrast to the adjacent corporate and federal office buildings. Viewed from the waterfront, the green-roofed building’s silhouette curves away from the property line for acoustical and visual privacy, while at the same time allowing stunning views of the Jefferson Memorial, Tidal Basin and other Washington landmarks.  

To create further unity with the neighborhood, an existing bridge adjacent to the hotel has been converted to a pedestrian promenade over Maine Avenue, S.W., linking the project with the marina and the city’s famed cherry trees along the Washington Tidal Basin. It is the only public walkway that links the National Mall to the waterfront.

Lobby and Public Areas
From the main entrance of the hotel on Maryland Avenue SW, a two-story glass vestibule allows a striking first impression of the lobby rotunda, which measures 35 feet in diameter. This grand area was inspired by the work of John Russell Pope, designer of the Jefferson Memorial and National Gallery of Art. The lobby features columns of American walnut capped by American white oak with a medallion centered in the flooring beneath the rotunda of Emperador light and dark marbles with Amarillo yellow marble. Visible from the lobby are picturesque views overlooking a terraced garden in the foreground with the Tidal Basin beyond. Asian artwork is nestled into the wall niches behind the finely crafted reception and concierge desks, including a set of contemporary Mandarin jackets of sewn pearls by well-known fiber artist John Riis.

From the rotunda, guests step into the sunken Empress Lounge featuring elegant, inviting conversation areas in rich, warm tones. Accents such as oriental patterns in the carpeting, large Asian screens and artwork highlight the property’s Eastern influences. The walls throughout the lobby feature white oak paneling with insets of rich Thai silk upholstery.

A large signature painting, “Above Washington, DC”, commissioned by Chinese/Canadian artist Zhong-Yang Huang, depicts the last empress of China, Empress Dowager, on a swing over DC, blending Eastern and Western cultures. She lived in the “Forbidden City” and had a fascination with the West. The artist has created a painting that is historical and metaphorical.

The multi-terraced garden seen through the lobby provides a beautiful setting for memorable events.  Fronting the shoreline, this three-quarter acre area fuses Eastern and Western garden design. At the
entrance, the garden features a formal terrace composed of beautifully cut limestone with an ancient Chinese pattern. A lawn area, perfect for small weddings, is complemented by a full array of Asian trees and plants including Japanese Red Pine, Pagoda, Fullmoon Japanese Maple, and Chinese Elm among others. Azaleas, Hydrangea and Peony provide further color.

Accommodations
Guestrooms and suites at Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC delight visitors with décor marrying Asian elegance with stylish traditional touches, set against the hotel’s signature water and district views. Several layouts are made possible by the unique shape of the building, with guestrooms measuring between 400 to 700 square feet.  The design is in keeping with the elements of Feng Shui. For example, the location of the mirror does not face the entry door thereby ensuring good luck is not reflected out of the room. And circular forms draw good luck into the guestrooms. 

The color palette in most guestrooms is burnt orange and pale green. On the eighth and ninth floor are the hotel’s Mandarin accommodations, which feature a rich red, burgundy and beige color scheme along with flat panel televisions with HDTV. Nightstand lamps throughout are a contemporary Japanese lantern design and artwork is a mixture of Western and Asian. Replica pieces from the Smithsonian Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery are contrasted with work from contemporary American artists. The television rests on a piece inspired by a Japanese chest or “tansu,” that is commonly used in Northeast Asia, distinct for its simplicity of shape and material. Over each bed is a unique tapestry, a western concept for dressing the walls but using hand-woven Thai silk panels. 

All accommodations feature luxurious Fili D’Oro linens, customized furnishings, high-speed Internet access, three dual-line phones with voicemail, flat screen televisions and lavish marble bathrooms, many with views from generous soaking tubs.

With 3,500 square feet, the three-bedroom Presidential Suite offers the height of luxury. Panoramic views from floor-to-ceiling windows stretch from Georgetown to Old Town offering vistas of The

National Cathedral, Lincoln Memorial, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, among other historical landmarks. Guests enter through a vestibule into a double height living room. A kitchen and dining room are situated off the living room on the right, and a media room is on the left. The master bedroom is located through the media room, and includes a walk-in closet and exercise area. The master bath features a windowed infinity-edge tub and separate spa shower. A second mini-suite bedroom also is located off the media room. And the third bedroom is located off the dining room.

Fifty-two additional spacious suites, ranging from 600 to 1,200 square feet, feature a variety of configurations and amenities.

Function Space
Accessible from the lobby by escalator, with a separate entrance on Maine Avenue, S.W., is the hotel’s ballroom and function space totaling 34,000 square feet. The 8,300-square-foot pillarless Grand Ballroom, features upholstered walls, large pier mirrors and crystal chandeliers, creating a sophisticated venue sure to become the place for social engagements in Washington. Also on this level are the Oriental Ballroom and six meeting rooms as well as generous pre-function space. Carpet patterns throughout this area, inspired by cherry blossoms, ginko leaves, plum flowers and clouds, give a soothing ‘sense of seasons.’ The moon is also represented in the shape of the Ying-Yang symbol, casting light and shadow.

There also are two meeting rooms on the Lobby Level, one paneled in oak, the other in walnut, both offering water views from the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden.

Dining
Tony Chi, one of the world’s most celebrated design visionaries, has created Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.’s two restaurants – Café MoZU and CityZen. For Café MoZU, the 120-seat, all-day Asian-inspired restaurant with open sushi kitchen, he takes advantage of the panoramic water views with floor-to-ceiling windows as well as alfresco dining options.  The airy, high-ceiling space incorporates the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. 

CityZen, the award-winning AAA Five Diamond restaurant under the direction of Chef Eric Ziebold, offers modern American cuisine.  Ziebold’s cuisine has garnered both local and national acclaim. Most recently, Chef Ziebold was named “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” at the James Beard Foundation Awards in June 2008, earning one of the most prestigious culinary awards in the United States. Additionally, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington named Chef Ziebold “Chef of the Year 2008”. CityZen was named one of “the 100 best farm-to-table restaurants in America” by Gourmet in October 2007. 

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental
Offering a haven of holistic rejuvenation and tranquility, the 10,500-square-foot Mobil Four-Star spa and fitness center, complete with an indoor lap pool, is the most comprehensive facility of its kind in Washington. It offers eight treatment rooms and separate locker areas for men and women that include a “heat experience.” Incorporating an amethyst steam room, experience shower, vitality pool and ice fountain for women and an amethyst steam room, experience shower, sauna, and cold plunge pool for men, both locker areas have a relaxation room. 

A state-of-the-art fitness center includes a heated indoor 50-foot lap pool and sun deck.

About Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC
Named one of “The World’s 500 Best Hotels 2009” by Travel and Leisure, the 400-room urban resort sets new luxury standards in the nation’s capital. The hotel’s unique location on the southwest waterfront makes Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC the only hotel offering views of the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument, Tidal Basin and Washington Marina. In addition to exceptional accommodations and gracious service, the hotel features 38,000 square-feet of meeting space, the Mobil 4 Star Spa at Mandarin Oriental, and two restaurants – the Asian-inspired Café MoZU and the AAA 5 Diamond CityZen.

For reservations and further details on Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC, please call +1 (888) 888 1778 or visit www.mandarinoriental.com/washington.