A Look At Washington D.C.’s Must-Visit Business Hotels and Dining Hotspots

Washington, D.C. is an ideal place to add a little culture to your work trip, whether it’s visiting one of the 17 museums and galleries comprising the Smithsonian Institution or experiencing a truly global dining scene. The District packs quite a punch into its 68 square miles, and that unbridled vitality extends through the larger metro area, which includes parts of Virginia and Maryland. Politics may dominate the headlines, but this is a place where business happens, home to heavy hitters such as Marriott, Boeing, Capital One and Geico. No matter what brings you to D.C., you’ll find plenty of reasons to stay even longer.

Reagan National Airport Photo: Adobe Stock

The Airports

The District is home to two major aviation hubs: Dulles International (IAD), 26 miles west of the city, and Reagan National (DCA), located just five miles from downtown. In 2024, a combined total of 53.54 million passengers flew through the airports, with both IAD (27.25 million) and DCA (26.29) breaking their records for passenger traffic. Dulles is expected to serve more than 139 routes this year, with about 70 percent of flights operated by United Airlines, which has announced three new international routes—to Dakar, Senegal; Nice, France; and Venice, Italy. The airline is also investing more than $500 million in a new Concourse E (set to open in late 2026) which will accommodate 14 new gates and a new United Club. DCA serves 107 different airports across 41 states and Puerto Rico, and American Airlines (AA) operates 53 percent of flights. Four new routes were added this year, including AA’s service to San Antonio and Alaska Airlines’ service to San Diego.

Business Hotels

After taking over the Mandarin Oriental on the southwest waterfront in 2022, Salamander—the first D.C. property from entrepreneur and BET cofounder Sheila Johnson—unveiled a multimillion-dollar transformation last year, including a two-story spa and elegantly redesigned rooms. In September the hotel welcomed Dōgon, an Afro-Caribbean restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi that’s now one of the hottest tables in town. Those wishing to be closer to Embassy Row should check into The Dupont Circle hotel, a favorite of visiting dignitaries and U.N. ambassadors. Book one of the ninth-floor Luxury Terrace Suites and enjoy views of the National Cathedral from your private balcony.

Various dishes at Dōgon at the Salamander hotel / Photo: Courtesy of Scott Suchman

Power Meals

Before settling down to dinner, remember that deals in D.C. happen over drinks. For a bit of history with your dry martini, dip into Off the Record, the dimly lit basement bar at The Hay-Adams hotel across the street from The White House, where political caricatures (Jimmy Carter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg) line the walls and adorn the coasters. From here head to Albi in Navy Yard, where Michael Rafidi—who won the 2024 James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef—is serving up inventive Levantine cuisine, much of it cooked over an open fire. For ice-cold oysters, rare steaks and politico spotting, meanwhile, there’s The Occidental, newly reimagined by restaurateur Stephen Starr, and The Palm in Dupont Circle—both D.C. institutions for a reason.

Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum / Photo: Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery

Conference Centers and Venues

The obvious location for a convention or large event is the LEED Platinum-certified Walter E. Washington Convention Center, which has 2.3 million square feet of space spread over two levels in the heart of downtown. But D.C. also famously hosts meetings and events at some of its most iconic locations. Invite 1,200 people for a reception at the Library of Congress’ Beaux Arts-style Great Hall; organize a dinner for 300 at the Elephant Community Center at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo; or give your company’s presentation under the undulating glass ceiling of the Kogod Courtyard, connected to the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. There are also plenty of convention-focused hotels, such as the JW Marriott, which has over 37,000 square feet of event space, and the Washington Hilton, whose 29,700-square-foot International Ballroom has hosted everything from the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner to a Jimi Hendrix concert.