Topaz Hotel
Encyclopedia
Boutique hotel
Boutique hotel is a term popularized in North America and the United Kingdom to describe intimate, usually luxurious or unique hotel environments. Boutique hotels differentiate themselves from larger chain/branded hotels and motels by providing personalized accommodation and services / facilities...
at 1733 N Street Northwest, between Dupont Circle and Scott Circle
Scott Circle
Scott Circle is a traffic circle in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., at the junction of Massachusetts Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, and 16th Street, N.W...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Located around the corner from St. Matthew's Cathedral
Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington D.C., most commonly known as St. Matthew's Cathedral, is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. As St...
and the Philippine embassy, the Topaz Hotel is one of 13 Kimpton
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurant Group
The Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group Inc. is an American hotel and restaurant company. Founded in 1981 by William Kimpton and led by Chief Executive Officer Michael Depatie, it is the largest chain of boutique hotels in the United States. The company's headquarters are in San Francisco,...
hotel properties in the Washington Metropolitan Area
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
. Formerly the Canterbury Hotel, the building which houses Hotel Topaz was purchased in March 2001 by LaSalle Hotel Properties of Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, and became a joint project of the Kimpton Group and LaSalle. Hotel Topaz became the first Kimpton-managed property on the East Coast
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
and opened in October 2001. Known for its New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
and body wellness themes, the Topaz Hotel was named one of the 11 healthiest hotels in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Health
Health (magazine)
Health is an American magazine focused on women's health. It was purchased by Time Inc. in 1991. The company now operates as a part of Time's Southern Progress Corporation. The magazine's topics range from diet and recipes to fashion tips and dealing with life issues such as stress...
magazine. In 2006, the Topaz Hotel was named one of the trendiest hotels in Washington, D.C.
Hotel design
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
", the doormen's and front desk employees' uniforms consist of iridescent sunburst tunics, scarves, and hats that are deep red and turquoise. Techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
music that is played in the hotel's lounge, the Topaz Bar, can be heard throughout the lobby.
The guest rooms contain beds covered in white stripes and paisley
Paisley (design)
Paisley or Paisley pattern is a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Indian, Pakistani and Persian origin. The pattern is sometimes called "Persian pickles" by American traditionalists, especially quiltmakers,The Persian Pickle Club, Sandra Dallas. St. Martin's Press,...
, as well as blue and gray polka-dot headboards. Lampshades are covered with black and white stripes, walls feature beige and celadon stripes, the curtains are red and the couch is purple. Red and yellow chairs lie on top of yellow snowflake patterned rugs, and a golden framed sun-dial mirror is located on the wall. Animal-print bathrobes, organic teas, a horoscope, and a bag containing three stones are located in each guest room. The stones are called totem
Totem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
s by the hotel.
Seven guest rooms at the Topaz Hotel include a treadmill, stair climber, elliptical machine, exercise bike or yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
nook, and all rooms feature a 24-hour yoga television channel. The specialty rooms cost an additional twenty dollars.
Hotel lounge
Asian cuisine
Asian cuisine styles can be broken down into several tiny regional styles that have roots in the peoples and cultures of those regions. The major types can be roughly defined as East Asian with its origins in Imperial China and now encompassing modern Japan and the Korean peninsula; Southeast Asian...
appetizer menu, and the house cocktail
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
is the Blue Nirvana. Architectural designs of the bar include blue and white terazzo flooring, banquettes covered with velvet pillows, animal-print rugs, and lights that change from red to blue to yellow. Room service for hotel guests is handled by the Topaz Bar. Weekly events at the Topaz Bar include "Neighborhood Wine Night" on Tuesdays, "Liquid Therapy" every Monday through Saturday, and "The Laughing Buddhaha," a comedy night on Thursdays. The Topaz Bar is one of three Kimpton locations where a local lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
social gathering called "A Different Kind of Ladies Night" occurs.