'Ultra Luxury' Arrives In Georgetown With Capella Hotel Opening; Amenities Include Rye Bar, Grill Room, Rooftop Pool

GEORGETOWN -- The internal zeitgeist at the Capella Hotel Group boasts words like "exclusivity", "loyalty", "experience", and "legacy". Absent, but still nevertheless ever present, is the term "luxury."

Indeed, luxury is rooted into the founding fabric of the high end hospitality company, which Capella Chairman & CEO Horst Schulze founded after a long tenure at the head of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

"Luxury is evolving and what was luxury yesterday is not luxury today," he told Forbes magazine last year. "You will see in the next few years that you will refer to the traditional luxury hotels (Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton) as affordable luxury and the next level is [the Capella] brand of ultraluxury."

And for the better part of the past decade, Schulze has been carefully redefining his vision for the ultra luxury hospitality market, with properties in Dusseldorf, Singapore, and three in Mexico (Cabo San Lucas, Ixtapa, and Riviera Maya). Bangkok and Niseko hotels will soon open as well.

Yet it was in the heart of Georgetown that Capella chose to make its first foray into the U.S. market, with the 49-room boutique hotel opening its doors for the first time this past weekend.

Located in the former headquarters of the American Trial Lawyers Association, the approximately $50 million facility borders the C&O Canal and boasts every conceivable amenity, including its own bar, restaurant, and even rooftop pool and lounge.

The Living Room

Antique parquet flooring, reclaimed from a European castle, line the private lounge area dubbed the Living Room, which is strictly reserved for hotel guests and provides access to the building's elevators. A specially commissioned piece of art from renowned glass artist Colin Reid greets visitors upon entry (key fob required) and is perhaps only overshadowed by the two-story solid onyx fireplace that anchors the seating area.

The Rye Bar

Borrowing from many of the founding fathers' proclivity for making and trading their own variants of whiskey, Capella Georgetown's tastefully appointed Rye Bar boasts a collection of rare specialty ryes, as well as its own barrel-aged Manhattan.

Drinks, including an ample assortment of house cocktails, are meticulously prepared by hand, with spheres of ice personally pressed at the onyx bar or crushed ice the product of a Brazilian mallet, a canvas sack, and good old-fashioned elbow grease.

For those who work-up an appetite watching all of that hard work, The Rye Bar offers a menu of gourmet snacks, which includes everything from crab cake sliders to parsley-gratinated bone marrow.

The Grill Room

For those heads of state, CEOs, and entrepreneurs looking to indulge in a more substantive meal, Executive Chef Jakob Esko's neighboring Grill Room restaurant specializes in hand-cut, bone-in, artisan meats, fresh seafood, and tableside preparations.

The main dining room is framed by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, which look out onto the historic C&O Canal (seasonal patio seating is also an option). And a private, glass-enclosed area located in the center of the restaurant may be reserved for special occassions.

Beyond making heavy use of local produce (menu options change daily), The Grill Room will also offer a series of exclusive rye whiskey-infused dishes, such as an Orange & Rye Cured Salmon.

The Accommodations

Each of the Capella Georgetown's 49 rooms was designed by Peter Silling & Associates and intended to combine old world finishes with contemporary accents.

Original modern art and handcrafted European paneling dot the walls, while shades of pewter and gold provide a soothing color palette.

Bathrooms feature Italian marble flooring and are built for lounging, with both soaking tubs and glass-enclosed rainfall showers an option.

The hotel has five different tiers of accommodation, from Superior and Deluxe rooms to 'Georgetown' corner rooms (pictured) to Capella and Presidential suites.

Ultra luxury is a lofty lifestyle proposition to define and clearly doesn't come cheaply, with the Capella Georgetown's base room price hovering around $695.

But when you're dealing with a creme de la creme clientele, perhaps cost takes a backseat to unparalleled service. And this is where the Capella brand really shines.

Did we mention that that rooftop pool and lounge (it's still under construction now, but should open in short order) is only accessible to hotel guests? This isn't just a luxury hotel after all...