Highlights: The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown

•Conveniently located in Georgetown, one of Washington D.C.’s main shopping, dining, and nightlife areas

•Industrial-chic redesign integrates the historic incinerator building at the center of the property

•Guest rooms showcase contemporary American style while maintaining first-class luxury and comfort

•The Degrees Bar & Lounge buzzes during cocktail hour; Fahrenheit serves up fine seafood and regional American fare in striking surroundings

•Round room underneath the former smokestack is unique space for meetings and private dining

Amenities: The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown

• 86 rooms. Pets accepted, some restrictions; fee. Check-in 3 pm, check-out Noon. High-speed Internet access, wireless Internet access. Restaurant, bar. Fitness room, fitness classes available, spa. Airport transportation available. Business center. Credit cards accepted.

General Impressions: The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown

The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown is not your usual Ritz-Carlton. For one, the hotel was built around the former Georgetown incinerator, a 1930s red brick structure that now houses the lobby and other common spaces. Adjacent is the old smokestack, which towers above the surrounding buildings and at its base serves as a small meeting and private-dining room.

The hotel is the centerpiece of a large complex that includes a 14-screen multiplex and upscale condos. Located on a quiet side street near the C&O Canal and Georgetown’s main commercial streets, the hotel is a great base from which to explore the neighborhood’s many stores, restaurants, architecture, and historic sites. Other D.C. attractions--the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the White House, the museum-rich Mall--are a short taxi ride away, as is Dupont Circle’s Embassy Row. Its convenient location near major attractions makes this hotel an ideal site for get-away travelers.

While its 52 rooms and 34 suites make this the smallest hotel in the Ritz-Carlton chain, the diminutive size means more personalized service for its guests. Exuding contemporary elegance, the décor at the Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown is less formal than its sibling properties. With loft-like spaces, abundant brickwork, and black metal detailing, the interiors of the hotel echo the site’s industrial past. The guest rooms are spacious and serene, accented by soft harvest colors, plush upholstery, inviting Frette linens, polished woods, and clean-lined furnishings. Special luxury suites are available that are larger and have private balconies.

The industrial-chic design, the popular Degrees Bar & Lounge, cuisine of the Fahrenheit restaurant, and intimate spa make this hotel a perfect choice for a romantic couples weekend. The meeting rooms and wireless Internet access make the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown a popular destination for the many business travelers that converge on the D.C. area. The on-site movie theater is a great plus for families traveling with kids, but the property doesn’t offer much else for young ones so families will need to rely on nearby attractions.

(+) Distinctive style, courteous service, great location
(-) Few on-site amenities for families traveling with children

Guest Services: The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown

The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown staff is exemplary of the superb service that is a hallmark of the Ritz-Carlton chain. From the warm curbside greeting upon my arrival to the efficient checkout, the staff seemed genuinely invested in making my stay a great one. Check-in was thorough, if a bit time consuming, and some of the efforts were redundant--guest-room orientations from both the front-desk agent and the bellman, for instance. Nevertheless, I appreciated the staff’s eagerness to help. Laundry staff exceeded expectations with pleasant, professional service: pickup, pressing, and delivery all occurred in seamless fashion. Housekeeping, though not as thorough or prompt as the laundry service, seemed willing to help, but was too scattered to be as efficient as possible.

(+) Courteous, solicitous staff reflects Ritz-Carlton’s service standards
(-) Staff efforts, overall, could be more streamlined so efforts aren’t duplicated

Guest Rooms: The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown

The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown has 52 standard rooms, 29 executive suites, and five luxury suites. Standard rooms measure 450 square feet; executive suites, double that size, have one or two bedrooms, a living room, and one-and-a-half bathrooms. The largest and most opulent option is the Royal Potomac Suite, which is just shy of 3,000 square feet and includes a huge terrace. In some rooms, large windows frame views of the Potomac River and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (southeast of the hotel) and the high rises of Rosslyn, Virginia (across the water to the southwest).

All guest rooms have multiple telephones (including one portable), voice mail, high-speed Internet access, and radio/CD players, and the available services include 24-hour room dining, express laundry service, and overnight shoeshine.

The uniqueness of the property influences the interior design, which puts a modern American spin on the usual Ritz-Carlton formality. Clean-lined club chairs and other guest-room furnishings employ layers of muted earth colors--sandy taupes, pale greens, rustic reds, soft golds--and monotone-print fabrics. Gleaming dark woods, leather accents, and graphic patterns add contrast. Some rooms have fireplaces, a cozy touch. Bathrooms, outfitted with marble, deep tubs, and flattering lighting, are elegant as well as comfortable.

My room had the feel of a luxurious residence. Soundproofing added to the sense of privacy. The bed, made up with a feather mattress topper and crisp Egyptian-cotton linens from Frette, was beyond compare.

Housekeeping and turndown service was courteous but oddly inconsistent. Thoughtful details included the attractive arrangement of the bath products, conveniently located in either the shower or near the sink. Requests for additional products, however, required two phone calls and took two hours.

(+) Rooms blend contemporary flair and comfort with signature Ritz-Carlton luxury
(-) Housekeeping service not as consistent as expected of a Four-Star property

Facilities & Activities: The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown

The hotel has a small day spa, called the Boutique Spa, which includes a sauna, a steam room, and a couples massage room. Treatments range from aromatherapy and prenatal massage to reflexology and enzyme-peel facials. Hotel guests may schedule in-room massages if they don’t wish to leave their quarters.

The hotel gym did not have many extras, just a few cardio machines. The facility isn’t staffed, and classes and personal training are not an option. Although the facilities are basic, some thought was put into the details here: each piece of cardio equipment has an individual television, personal headsets are available, and a bowl of apples was laid out for guests.

The complex that encompasses the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown includes a state-of-the-art 14-screen Loews multiplex with stadium seating, and the surrounding area teems with restaurants, stores, and bars. A two-minute walk puts you at the intersection of M and Wisconsin streets (NW, that is), the heart Georgetown’s commercial district. At the southwest corner is a multilevel mall called the Shops at Georgetown Park, where chain stores such as Talbot’s and Victoria’s Secret can be found. Next door, in an 1865 brick building, is Dean & DeLuca, an airy fine-foods temple with beautiful displays of baked goods, pristine produce, and other gourmet treats. Farther west along M Street (between 33rd and 34th streets, NW) is a cluster of high-end home-furnishings stores and interesting boutiques known as Cady’s Alley.

Architecture fans and history buffs will want to explore the residential streets of Georgetown, a national historic district that includes stunning examples of Colonial, Federal, Georgian, and Classical Revival structures. On 31st Street between Q and R streets, about a 15-minute walk north of the Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown, is Tudor Place, a graceful neoclassical mansion that’s open for tours. A few blocks away, at R and 32nd streets, are the magnificent gardens of Dumbarton Oaks. The hotel is also close to the C&O Canal, part of a linear national park with a nearby visitor center (1057 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW). Most other major attractions in town are a short car ride away.

(+) On-site spa, fitness center and theater complex--as well as nearby attractions, provide ample recreational activities
(-) Fitness center is modestly equipped and not staffed

Dining & Lounge: The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown

The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown has three dining/lounging options: the Fahrenheit restaurant, the Degrees Bar & Lounge, and the Lobby Lounge. The spaces are all industrial chic, with polished woods and plush seating set against redbrick expanses and black-steel trim. The restaurant, an especially stunning room, has a soaring ceiling and huge walls of windows dressed in soft, sheer curtains. In the cozy Lobby Lounge, a large black fireplace takes center stage in creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Fahrenheit serves creative fire grilled American cuisine. Seafood, such as the “Fire and Ice” trio of ceviches and herb-crusted salmon with a bright lemon sauce, gets special attention here, but the menu also includes chicken, steaks, pork chops, and market-fresh produce. The morning menu holds no surprises, but the quality of my breakfast was very good, with fine ingredients and appetizing presentation.

The real scene, though, seems to be at the Degrees Bar & Lounge, which draws a lively crowd with its classic and creative cocktail concoctions. A diverse wine list and a selection of excellent scotches round out the bar offerings.

I also took advantage of the 24-hour in-room dining service, which arrived within the time designated. Room service created a comfortable dining area for me, pulling up chairs to the table. While I was disappointed by the quality of the food, which was not on par with the fare in the restaurant, I was pleased with the attractive presentation.

(+) Stylish restaurant with high-quality American cuisine, fun bar scene
(-) Room-service fare quality not as polished when compared to the restaurant

Business Services: The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown

The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown offers two intimate meeting spaces and an adjacent 40-person reception area. The Brickyard Room holds up to 90 people, and the Chimney Stack Room, a round space at the base of the old incinerator smokestack, is dramatic but holds only about a dozen. (The latter also is used for private dining.)

The hotel doesn’t offer a business center, but guest rooms have multiple phone lines and high-speed Internet access, and wireless capabilities are available in the common areas and meeting rooms.

(+) Adequate space available for small corporate meetings and retreats
(-) No business center services provided for business travelers