WASHINGTON -- Maybe the timing could have been better, but with the
October opening of the Topaz Hotel in Washington, the Kimpton
Group, a San Francisco-based boutique hotelier, planted its flag on
the East Coast for the first time.
The first of five hotels in Washington the hotelier said it
plans to open by the end of 2002, the 99-room Topaz, formerly the
Canterbury Hotel, is about two blocks from Dupont Circle.
Although Kimpton's focus is on the individual business traveler
and leisure traveler, the company does provide some meetings
facilities that are well suited for smaller groups that want
something different.
The Topaz has two meeting rooms: The 624-square-foot
Enlightenment Room, which can hold 30 people in a theater
configuration, 32 people for a banquet and up to 60 people for a
reception, and the 736-square-foot Sanctuary Room, which is
divisible into two smaller rooms, each hosting up to 75 people for
a reception and 40 in theater-style seating.
But there's more to the Topaz than meeting rooms. One of its
centerpieces is the Topaz Bar, a stylish facility that serves light
cuisine and upscale drinks among an assortment of zebra-patterned
ottomans. Continental breakfast also is on the menu.
Guest rooms are, like most Kimpton properties, plenty colorful.
Thick, vertical lime stripes light up the walls, which also feature
large circular mirrors. Down comforters are standard.
Topaz serves complimentary "morning energy potions," with
ginseng, ginkgo or wheat grass.
Complimentary newspapers also are available.
Room rates range between $145 and $275 per night. For
information on group sales, visit www.topazhotel.com
or call (800) 424-2950.