In Washington, DC, Beacon Hotel and Corporate Quarters Has It All

By George Medovoy, Editor
Contact George at
tpostcard@aol.com

Planning a visit to Washington, DC?

I've discovered a great all-around place to stay in the Dupont Circle area -- the Beacon Hotel and Corporate Quarters, where accommodations, location, and food come together in a memorable way.

Built on the former site of the mansion of Gifford Pinchot, who established the U.S. Forest Service under Theodore Roosevelt, the Beacon is ideally located on Embassy Row.

The Hotel's Important Neighbors

Neighbors include The White House (four blocks away), the National Geographic Society, the Carnegie Foundation, and the Brookings Institute.

(The hotel is located in the trendy Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington)

Accommodations include 139 deluxe rooms and 60 "Corporate Quarters" studio suites, amply spacious with kitchen facilities. There is also a state-of-the-art fitness center with 24-hour guest access.
Our suite was as roomy and comfortable as could be, with a panoramic outdoor view, dual-line telephone and data port, refrigerator, hair dryer, extra sofa bed and dining area.

(The real piece de resistance is the Beacon Bar & Grill, an ideal destination for both travelers and locals)

But the real piece de resistance, as far as I'm concerned, is the Beacon Bar & Grill, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as Sunday brunch in a modern, understated setting.

Whether you're in town on business or you're a neighbor, the Beacon Bar & Grill is one great place to be for great food in a relaxing atmosphere.

(The Beacon Bar & Grill has a modern, understated interior, where the menu takes center stage)

While hotel food may not always what you would like it to be, the Beacon is one happy exception, to be sure.

(The bar in the background provides a nice accent to the table seating in the main part of the dining room)

 

For dinner, I started off with the simple greens, whose truffle-lemon vinaigrette seasoning was so good it made my tongue tingle.

Next, I enjoyed the rock fish entree, which was seared to perfection with a marvelously flavored mix of artichoke, pearl onions, tomatoes and olive sauce to complement the very tender fish.

(The rock fish dish featured a marvelously flavored mix of artichokes, pearl onions, tomatoes and olive sauce)

Reda's obvious artistic talent came through, too with a picture-perfect arrangement on the plate.

For dessert I chose my all-time favorite, apple pie with cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce. Each part of this delicious desert came through with its own, luscious flavors, so that you wanted to eat ever so slowly to make it all last as long as you could.

(Dessert was a wonderful dish -- apple pie with cinammon ice cream and caramel sauce!)

There are other wonderful American favorites on the Beacon's menu, including pan seared salmon; New England clam bake, with clams, mussels, shrimp, andouille sausage, potatoes, and fresh herbs in a spicy beurre blanc; lobster risotto; traditional crab cakes; fried organic chicken; and an 8 oz. top sirloin.

Executive Chef Has Early Training on a Submarine

Executive Chef Reda, whose large Italian family sparked his interest in cooking, trained in the galley of a US submarine. From there, an impressed admiral steered him right to the kitchen of the Clinton White House. With the change in administration, Reda worked in the kitchens of M&S Grill, Clarendon Grill, 15 Ria, and the Dish Restaurant. Now the Beacon is lucky to have him at the helm of the kitchen.

So if your travels take you to our nation's capital, let me steer YOU to the Beacon Hotel and Corporate Quarters.

The hotel is located at 1615 Rhode Island Avenue NW. For reservations, call (800) 821-4367, or visit www.beaconhotelwdc.com.

Secure underground valet parking is available. Outdoor bus and recreational vehicle parking is also available on Sesales Street, two blocks from the hotel. The hotel is 28 miles from Dulles Airport, 45 miles from BWI Airport, and 2.5 miles from Union Station.

The hotel is also ADA friendly and compatible. Five guestrooms are also available for the physically challenged, including two guestrooms with a roll-in shower.

(Click below for more travel stories!)