Blossom in the city
The Royal Sonesta hotels have been known for their curated collections of commissioned art for several decades, and a thought-provoking collection is on display at The Royal Sonesta Washington, DC Capitol Hill, which opened in September 2023. Swoops of gold-colored metal—inspired by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s collar—hanging behind the front desk, light fixtures in the lobby invoking cherry blossom branches, and a piece of word art inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech are just a few of the pieces that reflect D.C. icons. Explore the hotel’s common spaces for much more.
Once home to government offices, the building was taken down to the studs and transformed into a 274-room hotel. The standard guest rooms are significantly larger than most of the city’s hotel rooms, ranging from about 400 to 550 square feet. (There are even larger suites.) Each room includes a pillow-top mattress (or two), 65-inch high-definition TV, bathroom with rainfall shower, robe and slippers, mini-fridge, L’or coffee and espresso maker, and handheld garment steamer. Cheerful elements, such as a hair dryer bag with the words “have a good hair day” and a pillow depicting The Knight of Capitol Hill—the hotel’s dapper beaver mascot—also grace each room. (The Knight’s large-scale image hangs in the lobby, too.)
Walk the rooftop terrace alongside pollinator-friendly plantings for beautiful city views. Off the lobby, Bistro du Jour, a Parisian-themed eatery from Knead Hospitality + Design, serves traditional French fare, from croque madame and salade nicoise to steak frites. The National Postal Museum is a short stroll down the street. Hotel rates begin at $275. Valet parking is available.
The Royal Sonesta Washington, DC Capitol Hill, 20 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-888-1850, sonesta.com/royal-sonesta/dc/washington/royal-sonesta-washington-dc-capitol-hill
Life is a byway
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Maryland Scenic Byways program. The Maryland Office of Tourism offers maps with estimated drive times, photos, videos and other highlights of each of the state’s 18 scenic byways. Six have earned National Scenic Byways or All-American Road designations. The Horses & Hounds route traverses the state’s “Hunt Country,” named for its fox hunts and steeplechase races. Fans of horse racing’s Triple Crown take note: This relaxing drive passes farms and countryside famous for producing thoroughbreds that raced on major American tracks.
For water-oriented explorations, fish, paddle and bike along scenic trails once navigated by Native Americans on the Cape to Cape route, which travels from the Atlantic Ocean to the Chincoteague, Sinepuxent and Assawoman bays. The 193-mile Mountain Maryland route offers hiking, fishing and boating options to explore western Maryland countryside, forests, rambling rivers and Deep Creek Lake, the state’s largest freshwater lake. Or discover the roots of American religious history along the Religious Freedom byway in southern Maryland.
Keep an eye on the Maryland Office of Tourism Facebook and Instagram pages for a variety of themed posts and suggestions beginning April 5—National Read a Road Map Day.
visitmaryland.org/scenic-byways
Stroll about Staunton
The Historic Inn at Oakdene, an 1893 Queen Anne mansion in Staunton, Virginia’s historic Gospel Hill neighborhood, opened in 2024. This stunning eight-suite property has a rooftop owl finial that is lighted at night, plus landscaped grounds and patios to enjoy an evening fire. Built for Edward Echols, former lieutenant governor of Virginia (1892-1902), Oakdene is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Be Still Getaways group manages the inn, which can feel like a classy Airbnb with no innkeeper on-site and check-in happening via a code sent to you that day. The elegant space boasts a pool table, glassed-in sunroom with an indoor porch swing, and living room complete with complimentary coffee and tea, cookies, popcorn, muffins, and ice cream treats in a mini-fridge.
The Commonwealth Suite on the second floor (once the home’s primary bedroom) has a king bed, separate living room with a comfortable queen sleeper sofa, rain showerhead, and covered porch with sofa and chair seating that overlooks the backyard’s sloping gardens. Book the Echols Suite for its claw-foot tub, plus an all-weather sunroom with mountain views. All suites feature luxury linens, a microwave, refrigerator and Keurig coffee maker.
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse, wine bars, restaurants and coffee shops are all within a few blocks’ stroll. The Historic Berkeley Place, which has a U-shaped wraparound porch and similarly elegant rooms, is a sister property that opened in 2023. Oakdene rates begin at $189 per night.
The Historic Inn at Oakdene, 605 E. Beverley St., Staunton, Virginia,
434-218-2553, oakdeneinn.com
This appears in the March/April 2025 issue of Bethesda Magazine.
