Royal Sonesta‘s new D.C. location, the first hotel to arrive on Capitol Hill since 1984, opened its doors Sept. 1, with a French bistro from a busy D.C. restaurant group.
The 274-room hotel is part of a recently redeveloped 10-story office building at 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW, near Union Station.
![](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SONESTA.jpg)
The hotel includes Bistro du Jour, the second French bistro for D.C. restaurant developer Knead Restaurants. The original Bistro du Jour is at The Wharf on the Southwest Waterfront. Knead’s other restaurants include Succotash, Mi Vida, Mi Casa, Gatsby and The Grill.
The Royal Sonesta Washington, DC Capitol Hill has some of the largest average hotel room sizes in the District, averaging 480 square feet. Room rates are mostly between $200 and $400 a night.
The hotel pays homage to the District with art installations, portraits of Supreme Court justices, historic newspaper clippings and an installation inspired by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s familiar lace collar.
The hotel’s 3,100-square-foot ballroom has a terrace overlooking the city.
It is the second Royal Sonesta hotel in D.C. The former Kimpton Palomar at 2121 P Street NW in Dupont Circle was rebranded the Royal Sonesta Washington, DC Dupont Circle three years ago.
Royal Sonesta is part of the Sonesta hotel group, the eighth-largest hotel company in the U.S., with 1,200 hotels and 17 brands across eight countries.
Here’s a short video of the new hotel posted on its reservations website: