Description: This is an Embassy Suites like no other (ok - no other that I know of). The famed ES atrium is ... a shopping mall. A really, really cool shopping mall, across the street from another really nice shopping mall and just across the street from the best high-end retail in Washington, DC.
JCrew and Pottery Barn are in Chevy Chase Pavilion itself, and just across the street you have the Mazza Galleria with Neiman Marcus (best cosmetics counter in the city), a super fancy movie theater, and a Sak Fifth Avenue Mens Store (very rare). A new Bloomingdales, a huge Saks, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany's, Barney's Co-op, Anthropologie, etc are all within an easy walk.
For restuarants, the selection is excellent as well - Cheesecake Factory, Maggianos, Capitol Grille, Clyde's (fun decor that kids love plus good food from local ingredients), Sushi-Ko, Indique Heights, etc. Lots of good choices for breakfast (Starbucks and Cosi nearby) and dinner. A little heavy on chain restaurants, but they are "good" chain restaurants.
Beyond the shopping and restaurant access, the next best thing about this hotel is the access to the red line of the Metro. It is in the building - you can get on a train without even going outside. In DC this is a big deal. It is a red line station so you may have to transfer for some of the tourist sites (or anything in Virginia), but the in building access is huge, especially in the dead of winter or the dog days of summer.
The rooms, breakfast, and manager's reception are standard ES - which is to say, AWESOME. Very clean rooms and the breakfast and manager's reception are both well stocked (and re-stocked). Suprisingly little street and atrium noise given the location of the hotel, but it can get a little noisy by the elevators.
And the final reason to stay at the ES ... I have seen cars with diplomatic license plates stationed by the front door implying (to me at least) that real, live diplomats might stay at this Embassy Suites. ... is it possible that the Embassy Suites is nicer than their home country embassies?! Stay here and find out!
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