Hi Friends!
I hope you all had a relaxing holiday season and have hit the reset button for the New Year. Our relaxation started early with a little pre-Christmas staycation at DC’s Hotel Riggs before heading home for the holidays.
This stunning hotel opened its doors in early 2020, and sits in the former building of the historic Rigg’s National Bank (as known as the “Bank of Presidents”). Located in DC’s Penn Quarter neighborhood, Hotel Riggs features 181 residential guest rooms and suites, an onsite restaurant and café, an underground cocktail bar, and rooftop event space.
Property & Neighborhood
The original landmarked building was built in 1891, and is one of the last few “Richardsonian Romanesque Revival-styled” buildings still standing in the city. The lobby features the bank’s original barrel-vaulted ceiling and the hotel reception also pays homage to the building’s previous use with the large L-shaped counter reminiscent to a classic visit to the bank teller.
Riggs Hotel is located in the heart of downtown DC, across from the National Portrait Gallery and within walking distance The White House, Capitol Hill, the National Mall and several parks. The surrounding Penn Quarter neighborhood is home to Capital One Arena, luxury shopping and restaurants at CityCenterDC, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and historic Chinatown.
During our stay, we took a short walk up the street to CityCenterDC to window shop at stores such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Gucci and then warmed up with coffee to-go from Dolcezza.
Cafe Riggs
We had the pleasure Cafe Riggs of hosting us for dinner and we couldn’t be more satisfied with the food, drinks and atmosphere. To present the highest level of safety for diners, Cafe Riggs is currently closed for indoor dining due to local guidelines, but the restaurant recently launched an innovative new Covid safe private dining option: Café Riggs Upstairs.
Since the guest rooms at Riggs were inspired by the Safety Deposit Boxes from the golden age of banking, select rooms have been reimagined as ‘Safety Dining Boxes’ offering a tranquil, private, and safe environment for intimate dinners and gatherings of up to 6 guests in line with local government guidelines. Cafe Riggs is also available for take-out and delivery, allowing you to enjoy your favorite dishes from the comfort of your own home.
First Lady Suites
During our staycation we had the very delightful privilege of staying in the perfectly pink Ida Mckinley Suite, inspired by the former First Lady’s love of flowers and her introduction of them throughout the White House. Hotel Riggs hosts a total of 15 suites, including four specialty “First Lady” Suites and one Riggs Suite.
All four suites have stunning corner city views and the three remaining suites are inspired by Angelica Van Buren’s opulence, Louisa Adams’ intense love for music and Caroline Harrison’s extensive collection of porcelain.
Our bathroom was beautifully designed with Italian Carrara marble and chrome hardware and included bath products from fragrance house D.S. & Durga in its signature Debaser scent. Our suite also had one of my favorite hotel bathrooms to date with the free standing tub along with a separate walk-in rain shower.
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and I cannot imagine a more perfect way to celebrate than a hotel stay at the Riggs. I would highly recommend reserving one of the First Lady Suites and spending the day checking out the surrounding Penn Quarter neighborhood before cozying up in your room for the night with a delicious meal from Cafe Riggs.
xoxo,
Trish
