D.C. Travel Planner The Hay-Adams What to expect : Formal and classic yet balanced with a boutiquish and intimate atmosphere . Walk out the front door to see Lafayette Park and the White House . Where to spend your dollars : The basement bar , Off the Record , attracts politicos from the White House and the nearby World Bank . `` Always sit at the bar , '' says John Boswell , the friendly 12-year veteran bartender . `` The half-moon shape tends to get people into conversations . '' Patrons stick to the classics -- martinis , Manhattans and wines . The inside story : The Sunday morning talk show hosts and hotel guests rub elbows at the extravagant late-morning brunch in The Lafayette dining room -LRB- $ 65 , reservations required -RRB- . 16th and H Streets NW. ; www.hayadams.com or -LRB-202-RRB- 638-6600 . SouthernLiving.com : Cheap eats in D.C. St. Regis What to expect : A meeting of the old and new : luxe gilt lobby with endless Italian marble floors vs. leather-and-chrome restaurant bar helmed by celebrity chef Alain Ducasse . Where to spend your dollars : Settle into the purple Bar at St. Regis
-LRB- Southern Living -RRB- -- You do n't have to stay at these tony hotels to experience the best of their lobbies . The Round Robin Bar at the Willard InterContinental is a great place to eavesdrop . The Willard InterContinental What to expect : A throwback to grand hotels of the 19th century near the White House . It 's where powerful people still go to make powerful decisions . Crowned heads rest on the Willard 's pillows . Where to spend your dollars : Sip a mint julep or sample a single malt whiskey in the Round Robin Bar and Scotch Bar alongside power brokers . It may not be polite to say so , but this is a great place to eavesdrop . `` The next day 's work starts between 6 and 8 p.m. , '' says Jim Hewes , bartender there for 22 years . `` The Round Robin gets a drift on tomorrow 's news . '' The inside story : D.C. insiders strut the lobby 's Peacock Alley where you people-watch while nibbling on tea and scones -LRB- $ 39 -RRB- . 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. ; washington.intercontinental.com or 1-800-327-0200 . SouthernLiving.com :