This was published 1 year ago
Review: New hotel in American capital's answer to Darling Harbour
By Kristie Kellahan
The hotel's outdoor heated pool.Credit: Christian Horan
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Opened in late 2022 on the US capital's waterfront, the Pendry anchors the new - and still-forming - Wharf precinct, a sprawling mixed-use development of hotel, dining, retail, residential and entertainment offerings. The seventh property in the Pendry Hotels & Resorts group, it's the brand's first in Washington DC. Launched in 2017, Pendry is rapidly expanding with a vision of contemporary luxury, authentic service and exciting F&B venues. Just weeks after opening, the hotel's bars and restaurants are filled with stylish locals and in-house guests.
THE LOOK
Each Pendry hotel is unique, taking aesthetic and lifestyle inspiration from the city it lives in. "I want guests to feel they're in the absolute best version of their dream home in a new city they're engaging with," says co-founder Michael Fuerstman. If my dream home looked as chic and polished as the hotel, I might never go out again. It's equal parts luxe urban retreat - outdoor heated pool, state-of-the-art gym, eucalyptus steam room, panoramic rooftop bar - and glamorous city hotel. Some features and amenities are brand standards across all hotels. Lobbies always have a big, abstract piece of art and indeed this is the first thing I notice. MiN New York's heavenly candles always scent public spaces. Front desk attendants in all hotels offer guests a welcome drink that can be spiked, free of charge, in the lobby bar.
THE ROOM
Credit: Christian Horan
There are 131 guestrooms, including 38 suites, in a wide range of configurations. I count at least 15 different room categories on the website. I'm in a palatial one-bedroom suite, designed with a stylish, residential white-and-grey aesthetic that feels more like home, aspirationally speaking, than my own home. As contemporary as a luxury apartment display unit, the suite includes a king bedroom, separate lounge area, round dining table for four, two enormous flatscreen TVs and next-level, three-room marble bathroom (one for the toilet, one for the double-sink vanity, one for the bathtub and shower). Full-size toiletries feature MiN New York's Momento fragrance, officially the Pendry scent. Old-world design influences include plush velvet chairs and curtains, curved archways and herringbone floorboards. Framed black-and-white photographs adorn the walls. A well-stocked minibar has all the ingredients for a party, including wine, spirits (bottles of Belvedere vodka, Macallan whiskey and Maker's Mark), mixers and snacks (cheese biscuits, nuts, trail mix and caramel popcorn), plus a coffee machine.
FOOD + DRINK
At the Pendry's trifecta of signature venues, longtime DC executive chef Barry Koslow is inspired by the flavours of Japan, Mexico, Peru and by modern American cuisine. Breakfast and lunch is served at Flora Flora, a sun-drenched and airy space dedicated to Latin American fare. Creative menus go far beyond guac and chips to present fresh ceviche, vegan quesadillas, delicious salads and yucca fries I could happily eat every day for the rest of my life. As day turns to dusk, nab a seat at Moonraker. The gilded rooftop bar and restaurant enjoys expansive sunset views of the Potomac river (and of cherry blossoms in the spring), some of the best in the city. Signature cocktails featuring Japanese whisky, shochu and sake complement the menu of stand-out dishes including Tokyo fried chicken and an excellent tempura cauliflower. Bar Pendry, a warm and intimate space tucked off the ground-floor lobby, is a classic hotel bar as suited to Washington powerbroker meetings as to romantic dates. Don't miss the mini lobster corn dogs, moreish bites of tender lobster meat dipped in batter, then deep-fried.
OUT + ABOUT
Start with a walk around the Wharf, DC's new waterfront harbour destination. Think of it as Washington DC's version of Sydney's Darling Harbour or Melbourne's Southbank. To venture further, there's a free shuttle bus departing every 15 minutes to the nearby metro station and the National Mall, home to museums, galleries and memorials.
THE VERDICT
Fantastic bars and restaurants, gorgeous design and exemplary service help this shiny new property stand out among DC's impressive hotel offerings. Although it's tempting not to leave the hotel at all, do go exploring the new Wharf precinct.
OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE
★★★★½
THE ESSENTIALS
Rooms from $US355 ($535) a night. 655 Water St SW, Washington DC 20024. See pendry.com;
HIGHLIGHT
The people. From the GM, Pascal Forotti, to the stylish bar servers and front desk staff, Pendry people exude a special something.
LOWLIGHT
As The Wharf development is not yet complete, some precinct shops and restaurants were yet to open.
The writer was a guest of Pendry Hotels & Resorts
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