D.C.’s Best Suites: The Mandarin Oriental’s Presidential Suite

SOUTHWEST -- Even in Washington, fifteen thousand dollars goes a long way. You could take an Uber town car more than a hundred times to Dulles and back for that price. Alternatively, you could dig into more than 75 of Chef Eric Ziebold’s tasting menu dinners at award-winning CityZen (complete with wine pairings, tax, and tip). Or you could just spend one night inside the Presidential Suite at the Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. hotel.

Dining Room.
So, assuming you have a Black Card at the ready and have somehow managed to bump Beyonce and Jay-Z, Barbara Streisand, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown or even the President of South Africa from the reservation list (yup, they all have stayed there), what exactly does such a princely sum get you?

The Study’s balcony boasts a panoramic view of the Jefferson Memorial and tidal basin.
Let’s start out with a cavernous 3,500 square feet of living space, including three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a private workout room, a walk-in dressing room, a commanding living room spacious enough to accommodate even the largest of support staffs, a sleek dining room with seating for eight, a dedicated kitchen, and a plush study that serves triple duty also as a media room and library.

Study.

Study.
And what exactly do moguls and millionaires, foreign dignitaries, and the occasional GRAMMY-winning rapper read while in town? Certainly, the works of Dickens, Chaucer, Jung, Wilde, and even Virgil are available. But we think most go for a leather-bound version of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight.

When you first walk into the Presidential Suite, you’re immediately presented with the space’s ‘great room’, complete with soaring 25-foot double-height ceilings and overflowing with natural light.

Living Room as viewed from the Study.
To your right is the well-appointed dining room, with its own private balcony overlooking the Washington Monument. And to your left is the elegant study, which also connects the living room to the master bedroom (both rooms offer sweeping views of the Jefferson Memorial and tidal basin).

Dining Room.
Behind the master bedroom lies the workout room (including a private treadmill) and dressing room. However, both don’t hold a candle to the cavernous master bathroom that borders both, which features, among many other amenities, both a walk-in rainforest shower for two (yeah, we tried it) and a soaking tub that fills itself from the ceiling.

Master Bedroom.

Master Bathroom.

Master Bathroom’s walk-in shower.
Members of your entourage will have to make do with one of the two connecting living areas and bedrooms that make-up the entire Presidential Suite (frugal titans of industry can save a few bucks by requesting the suite only with the master bedroom), each of which also boasts many of the same magnificent touches found inside the primary space.

Adjoining Bedroom #1.

Adjoining Bedroom #2.
Having undergone a recent makeover just a little over a year ago, the new Presidential Suite at the Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. is probably the closest example of the perfect fusion of East and West luxury living available in the District.

The Master Bedroom overlooks the Jefferson Memorial.
Feng shui most certainly included!