Tucked away on a quiet street in Georgetown, Rosewood Washington D.C. is a small, luxury hotel that feels like an elegant boutique. While it doesn’t have all the amenities of other luxury hotels in D.C., the trade-off is intimacy, personalized service and location. This is the type of hotel where heads of state and celebrities can stay anonymous, but it’s also a wonderful hotel discerning travelers will appreciate. A major feature that sets the hotel apart is the extremely private, highbrow townhouse accommodations (next door to the main hotel) that are drenched in luxury.
Here’s my review of Rosewood Washington D.C.
Essential information and background
The property, opened in 2016, is situated along the C&O Canal in the heart of Georgetown, one of D.C.’s most historic neighborhoods, home to high-end shopping, great restaurants and other luxury hotels.
The hotel offers 55 rooms and suites, which gives the hotel an intimate feel. In-room and suite dining is available 24 hours a day, as well as housekeeping service twice daily. Front desk moonlights as concierge.
In terms of amenities, the signature restaurant is Wolfgang Puck’s CUT DC and CUT Bar & Lounge on the ground floor, as well as Cut Above, the rooftop bar. The rooftop is home to DC’s only indoor / outdoor pool. There is also a small gym, library and pet services (yes, Rosewood DC is pet friendly!). While there is no spa, the hotel can set up in-room spa treatments.
Check-in
As soon as you pull up, doormen greet you right away. If you’re driving into town, Rosewood D.C. offers valet parking.
The lobby is small and intimate. Right away, you know you’re staying in a small hotel that feels private.
The check-in area is tucked away behind the lobby.
It’s an interesting area because it’s also the elevator bank. Check-in staff was professional, courteous and friendly, and she walked us over to our townhouse.
The accommodations (townhouse)
My friend and I booked one of the 6 new Rosewood D.C. townhouses that debuted in 2020. These 5-level townhouses are unapologetically luxurious, and I love the way one can truly stay in D.C. like a local by booking a townhouse. As you can see from the photo, we have our own private entrance, like a residence. What guests love about this, especially if they’re high profile, is that you don’t have to pass staff in a lobby or enter an elevator to get to your accommodation.
The residential-style townhouses are transformed from a historic, early 19th-century brick row house, and it’s exactly how local residents live in the highbrow neighborhood of Georgetown. I definitely felt like I was staying in a historic house rather than a hotel. The main area is large and sophisticated.
There’s a lower level that has a bathroom and washer/dryer. Then there’s the main level of the townhouse (which is through the front door). From that point, you walk up a few steps to the kitchen area.
The kitchen area feels right out of Architecture Digest (in fact, the entire townhouse has that feel). The kitchen is equipped with high-tech appliances, including a stovetop, and marble counter, as well as a freezer and refrigerator. There’s a mini-bar, as well as complimentary tea and coffee. I was not surprised the tea offered is Art of Tea (super expensive tea brand).
As I mentioned, Rosewood D.C. is pet friendly, and JetsetRuby loved the outdoor patio included with every townhouse. It’s incredibly spacious and quiet, and it was great to have this extra room and fresh air.
The next set of steps brought us to the fourth level, which is home to the master bedroom with an expansive landing area/foyer. There’s a closet and desk.
The bedroom has a King size bed and flat-screen TV. I loved that the TV has both cable and Apple TV, so you can connect all your streaming accounts.
I especially loved the large windows with white shutters. It allowed for plenty of natural light. While the windows faced the street, it was sound-proofed. I slept quite well.
The final level up (just one step) is the master bathroom. Like the bedroom, the bathroom is drenched with natural sunlight during the day. I don’t think I’ve ever described a bathroom as decadent, but I can now check that off my list.
The bathroom had double vanity area, a separate tub, massive rainshower with Diptyque toiletries and — my favorite bathroom amenity — an electronic Japanese Toto toilet.
The toilet has a control pad that flushes, acts as a bidet, and many other features.
CUT by Wolfgang Puck
The hotel’s signature restaurant is Cut by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. It’s an incredibly posh and sophisticated dining room and bar serving contemporary American cuisine, and the guests dining here are buttoned up and polished.
Cut by Wolfgang Puck has beautiful outdoor seating along the canal. We really wanted to be out there, but it was Saturday night, and the entire restaurant was fully booked. At least we got close to the window.
Expect expensive steaks and seafood (mains between $20 to $100), as well as fine wine and great cocktails. I loved the oysters. Note: Cut by Wolfgang Puck is not a steakhouse but offers a nice selection of premium cuts (like filet mignon and tomahawk ribeye).
The rooftop pool
I love a good rooftop pool. Sometimes, it’s the deciding factor for me when booking a hotel.
As you can imagine, due to the small size of the hotel, the rooftop pool at Rosewood isn’t especially big. It’s somewhere between a plunge pool and half a lap pool. I don’t mind. I’ll take any rooftop pool over no pool, no matter the size.
The pool was lightly heated, and the Georgetown views were great. The pool is also half indoor/half outdoor, making it the only one of its kind in DC.
The pool is open morning to night seasonally.
The rooftop is also home to a small gym with outdoor yoga area.
The townhouse made our stay at Rosewood DC special. I’m a big fan of luxury hotels that have premium accommodation options beyond a suite, and the townhouse hit all the right spots, especially after a long day of exploring. The hotel is pet friendly, intimate, perfect for travelers who need extra privacy and conveniently located right off the main street (M Street) in Georgetown.
In fact, we loved the townhouse so much, it was hard for us to leave. We did in-room dining in our patio. On our last morning, we had an incredibly laid-back breakfast, and it was a nice way to end our stay. Final impressions are important, especially four this Rosewood Washington D.C. hotel review.
To book the best rates at Rosewood Washington D.C., click here.
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Jimmy Im has traveled to 113 countries, stayed in over 600 hotels and has flown a million airmiles. He lives in New York City.