A new President arrived in Washington, bringing with him a promise of transformative change. And, in summer 2009, the spirit of another President returns with the reopening of The Jefferson, Washington, DC, following the historic hotel’s most significant transformation to date. An enlightened renovation of this 99-room Beaux Arts jewel, led by renowned interior architectural and design firm ForrestPerkins, is well on its way to producing the city’s best small luxury hotel. It is destined to once again cater to Washington’s elite and the most discerning travelers – among them U.S. Presidents and power brokers, foreign diplomats and dignitaries, and international celebrities.
“The Jefferson has played an integral role in Washington’s political and social circles since the Coolidge presidency,” said veteran hotelier Franck Arnold, who joined the hotel in November 2005 as its managing director. “It is fitting that our own fresh start will coincide with the arrival of a new administration, especially one that has so energized the nation’s capital and the world beyond. Thomas Jefferson once said ‘every generation needs a revolution.’ In that spirit, his namesake hotel will revolutionize Washington’s hospitality scene.”
Presiding over the corner of 16th and M Streets, NW, just four blocks north of the White House, the new Jefferson will introduce the mid-Atlantic’s only Spa Suite, as well as expansive top-floor Presidential and Bridal Suites, a restaurant and lounge that promise to be the talk of the town, intimate meeting space, an exclusive spa, and 24-hour fitness facilities. Service will be intuitive, flawless and highly personalized, creating a guest experience reminiscent of a stay at a friend’s grand estate. This sense will be furthered as arriving guests are greeted by a personal butler – there to handle every aspect of their stay – and ushered to comfortable chairs facing a residential-style desk for check-in. If a guest so desires, a more private and expeditious check-in can be completed during the walk to the guest’s room or even within the room itself.
The hotel will preserve its original exterior by leading 1920s architect Jules Henri de Sibour. This historic facade reflects a rich legacy dating back to The Jefferson’s opening as a prestigious apartment house in 1923, and its later conversion into a hotel in 1955.
Plume, The Jefferson’s fine dining restaurant, is destined to be one of the most sought-after dining destinations in the capital – a showcase for the culinary artistry of its executive chef, Damon Gordon, whose impressive resume includes Alain Ducasse’s Mix in New York City and the Michelin-starred Waterside Inn in his native U.K. Here, guests will dine beneath a 1923 vaulted skylight rediscovered during the hotel’s renovation. A Monticello landscape hand-painted in sepia will grace the silk-covered walls. Tables tucked into private nooks and a welcoming fireplace will create an air of discretion and warmth.
Complementing Plume will be an elegant lounge, Quill, whose house-made mixers and herbal-infused alcohols will reintroduce the art of cocktails to Washington. Private dining will be a memorable experience in the Private Cellar, with its plaster groin-vaulted ceilings and a dumbwaiter, inspired by Jefferson’s own, that will convey bottles ordered by guests (selected from more than 1,000 labels on The Jefferson’s extensive wine list) from the cellar to their table. Guests can also gather for tea in the Book Room, whose shelf-lined walls will be stacked with leather-bound books on the Jefferson era as well as signed editions of books by contemporary authors counted among the hotel’s past guests.
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www.jeffersondc.com
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