With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, couples are working to lock down plans. Most will plan a nice dinner, a massage, or maybe a walk to see the monuments, but their goal will remain the same: to get away from it all and re-focus on their loved one.
Nestled in Southwest between the National Mall and The Wharf, the Mandarin Oriental hotel offers all of the above, making for an amazing night. Located at 1330 Maryland Ave. SW, the luxury postmodern-style hotel is offering a “Device-free Date Night” package.
From the time you check in until the time you check out, you will not want to leave. The service is unparalleled. After pulling up to the hotel, you drop off your car for complimentary overnight valet parking. As you check in, you are offered fresh jasmine green tea and a warm hand towel to help de-stress. Heading up to your room you pass the Empress Lounge, where daily afternoon tea and nightly drinks are served. Walking into your room you will see that it is newly remodeled and amazingly well appointed. Gazing at the bedside views of the Jefferson Memorial, you will remember why you live near the waterfront.
After taking in the views while savoring the bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries that come upon arrival, you will head down to the spa where the light music and aromatherapy help take you away from it all. Upon arrival at the spa, guests are asked to disconnect from their electronic devices with the option to leave their cellphones with the spa concierge. Phones are returned to guests cleaned and in a limited-edition Mandarin Oriental phone pouch. Disconnecting to reconnect has officially begun!
The Device-Free Date Night package comes with a spa credit of $100 per day, which can be used on any of the 19 different services ranging from full body massages to facials that are sure to meet anyone’s needs. The separate male and female rooms offer dry and wet saunas, cool plunge pools, and hot tubs, which combine with the joint heated indoor pool.
Heading back up to the room (with devices turned off and stored away), it’s time to get ready for date night. Guests with Club Lounge access can head to a 5 to 7 p.m. happy hour that includes hor d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and mixed drinks. A $100 daily dining credit allows you to enjoy food and drinks at Muze, the Empress Lounge, or in the privacy of your room. Muze has an East-West theme, which combines modern American cuisine with an Asian twist.
With dishes like baked Virginia oysters, spicy shrimp and scallop sushi, roasted duck breast, Thai beef salad, truffle parmesan French fries, prime beef tartare, and dry aged prime beef ribeye, the menu offers something for everyone. The wine selection fills nearly two menu pages, but the hotel’s signature cocktails are not to be missed. After filling up and conversing sans devices, it is time to head back to your room to decide between relaxing in the king-size bed or the hot soaking bathtub.
More info on the Device-Free Date Night package can be found at https://www.mandarinoriental.com/washington/national-mall/luxury-hotel/offers/device-free-date-night. The offer is valid until Dec. 31, 2018.