Destination Guide: Washington

Language: English

Currency: US Dollar (USD)

Time: Washington is the Eastern Time Zone (EST) = GMT -4 hours

Need-to-knows:

Business destinations are often located in the Downtown, Logan and Dupont Circles or Georgetown districts but could also be in the very close suburbs of Bethesda or Georgetown.

Getting there

All three global air alliances have direct flights between Heathrow and Washington. Virgin/Skyteam has a single daily, while United/Star and British Airways/oneworld offer services three times a day, although one of British Airways’ flights is to Baltimore (BWI) rather than the more convenient Dulles (IAD). United/Star and Aer Lingus also operate a daily service between Dublin and the US capital. Flights to and from other UK and Irish destinations require a change.

Although Uber and Lyft dominate DC ride-hailing, Washington Flyer taxis provide a 24-hour service between IAD and the city.

If the business traveller is coming – or going – to another business meeting in the States, remember that this is a city which is excellently served by rail. Union Station is only a stone’s throw from Capitol Hill, and the Acela high-speed train takes only 2 hours 45 minutes.

Getting around

Washington has a fast, efficient modern subway system which links the four quadrants of the city as well as the inner suburbs of Maryland and Virginia. It runs from 5am to midnight. A pre-pay rechargeable SmarTrip card (which is valid on buses as well) can be used on the subway - this makes life easier as individual trip costs will vary according to distance.

Taxis are widely available at Union Station and hotels, and can be pre-booked. But ride-sharing (eg Uber, Lyft) is especially popular in the nation’s capital.

Staying there

Most activity occurs in the Northwest quadrant of DC or Downtown, both of which are well-served with a range of accommodation options, including many well-known brands.

For the CEO
In a city stuffed with iconic hotels, Hay-Adams on the Mall is probably the most iconic. It’s close to the White House and boasts de rigueur wood panelling, a view of the White House and politicians sipping cocktails at its bar.

For name-dropping
The Autograph Collection’s Mayflower Hotel has probably hosted more well-known events in Washington’s history than any other, including many Inaugural Balls in its Grand Ballroom. J Edgar Hoover, the notorious, long-time head of the FBI, ate lunch in its Rib Room every day for 20 years.

For the boutique lover
Located in the hip Adams Morgan neighbourhood, The Line DC is a stylish, design-heavy boutique hotel with buzzy restaurants in a neoclassical former church. In a city with a pedigree of traditional properties, this hotel demonstrates that a buzzier, cooler DC exists.

Eating and drinking

Le Diplomate, a French brasserie on 14th Street, is very popular, very fashionable, loud, boisterous and friendly – a great place for a group.

1789 is located near the Georgetown University campus in a Federalist-era house. It's an iconic Washington spot with six dining rooms and a grand atmosphere - complete with the Limoges china and diners who tend to be beyond the hip, young thing stage.

Obelisk in Dupont Circle is a Washington institution. It’s an Italian restaurant with a neighbourhood feel - this is not a pasta or pizza joint but a restaurant with a regularly changing, limited five-course menu.

Some of the city’s most fashionable and celebrity-spotting bars are located within some of its famous hotels.

Off the Record is the luxurious basement bar in the Hay-Adams. Walking into it feels like stepping into another era with political caricatures on the walls to study while sipping its old-school cocktails. Drinks at this power spot are pricey so definitely a place to impress a client.

On Pennsylvania Avenue, a block from the White House, is the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel with its Round Robin Bar. This literal round bar has polished mahogany, portraits of political figures and leather seating dates back to 1847. According to Willard legend, this is where Senator Henry Clay introduced the Mint Julep to Washington.

As well as history some of DC’s hotel bars have great views. A martini at the roof bar at the Watergate Hotel comes complete with amazing vistas over the city and Georgetown.

Those more interested in the quality of the drink than celebrity spotting would enjoy the ChurchKey bar on 14th Street near Logan Circle. This is a clubhouse for DC's beer aficionados who aspire to work their way through its 555-bottle collection.

Time off

Government and politics are Washington’s raisons d’être, but visitors with any free time can visit some of the finest museums and galleries in the world (Smithsonian, National Gallery, Philipps Collection) and see sites from the Botanic Gardens and Arlington Cemetery to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Insiders's tip

It's important to make a reservation and locals tend to arrive punctually for meals. Traffic and the subway can cause delays - so plan accordingly. If you are the first to arrive at lunch, do not order a drink, even a non-alcoholic one before others arrive (not everyone adheres to this rule, but you may offend those who do).

Subway trains are usually six or eight cars long; when a train is six cars long it stops at the front end of the platform – important to know if you’re entering the platform at the tail end just as the train is arriving.