My stay at Lyle coincided with one of Washington, D.C.’s coldest weekends all winter. Yet the playful inclusions of lavender all over the restaurant’s menu had me daydreaming of a blooming field in sunny Provence. At one point, the heady variety was grown on the property; now it’s sourced from Hope Hill Lavender Farm in Pennsylvania.

Adding that distinctive fragrance and flavor to the drinks and dishes is just one of the memorable touches you’ll find at this boutique property in the district’s lively Dupont Circle neighborhood. It opened April 15, 2021 — smack in the middle of the pandemic — in a 1940s-era Art Deco building on New Hampshire Avenue. Lyle is the second U.S. property from LORE Group, the hospitality company that also owns and operates the nearby Riggs Washington, D.C., as well as Sea Containers London and Pulitzer Amsterdam.

The hotel was an apartment building in a previous life, so you will find many variations of layouts among its 196 rooms, including more than 50 with kitchenettes for guests who wish to linger longer for a remote work vacation or staycation. For larger groups, the 875-square-foot Lyle Suite has a sitting room, kitchenette, guest bath and dining table for six guests; it comes with one bedroom, but there are two adjoining ones that can be rented as well.

My room, a 240-square-foot premier corner king, looked out onto the vibrant neighborhood. It was awash in white and neutral tones, with Art Deco elements including Marcel armchairs, a gilded wood-paneled wall, Burl wood headboards and a crimped cabinet housing the minifridge. The bathroom had a shower with a half-glass door (and full-sized DS & Durga bath products), rounded corner mirror and large warm-toned lacquered vanity. My only complaint about the room was regulating the temperature. Maybe it was the cold snap coupled with energy-inefficient windows, but I just couldn’t get the room warm enough; luckily, the luxe bedding kept me plenty cozy.

On-site restaurant Lyle’s is open for breakfast and dinner every day and recently added brunch on Saturday and Sunday. As with other popular weekend eye-opening repas in this ‘hood and beyond, this one is boozy and loud, thanks to a live DJ. The vibe and the tunes are fun, though the resto would be wise to tone down the volume just a few notches, as it’s difficult to hear your dining companions even while screaming and all but impossible to understand mask-clad servers. My almost-18-year-old agreed, so I knew it wasn’t a generational thing.

© Courtesy Lyle

Correcting speaker levels aside, the design of the dining room is stunning: stark white, pillow-filled semi-round booths, oversized paper lanterns and pops of crimson in the framed abstract artwork. The menu is equally eye-catching. If you are team #DayDrinking, order the bottomless option and your server will keep those pitchers of umami-rich miso-spiked Bloody Marys or mimosas flowing. The latter comes in four iterations: traditional with orange juice, blood orange, pear elderflower or lavender lemon (my favorite). Need a little more kick to your morning? Lavender also makes its appearance in an orchid-hued margarita. And if you are abstaining from booze, the bar shakes up three flavorful zero-proof libations using Seedlip n/a “spirits”: an espresso martini, apple highball and sparkling lavender lemonade.

After sipping our cocktails and perusing the menu, we decided to go the savory route with a sweet ending. Arugula salad was tossed with a tangy Sherry vinaigrette and flecked with smoky, meaty pieces of bacon and delicate slides of salty Parmesan cheese; the version of eggs in purgatory had a base of sauteed eggplant slices; and poached eggs Benedict were served atop honey ham and cheddar cornbread. We had to save room for a still-warm doughnut stuffed with blueberry jam and coated in (what else?) lavender sugar.

The hotel’s central location means Dupont Circle’s boutiques, shops and more are only a short stroll away — perfect to walk off those calories. We popped into well-known indie bookstore Kramers to check out some titles and warm up with lattes. The Dupont Circle Metro, on the red line, is also right there, in case you want to venture into other areas of D.C. Lyle also has a 775-square-foot fitness center if you want a more demanding workout open 24 hours a day, with a Peloton bike, free weights, Life fitness bike, elliptical, treadmill and rowing machine, mat, stretch equipment, chilled water and fresh towels.

On the same level and the lobby level you’ll find smart, stylish spots to work, meet or relax including the Parlor, Gallery, Study and Conservatory. (I thought the last spot, with its plumped white pillows and plants lined up in front of a painted brick wall, was a particularly inviting spot to curl up with a book or catch up on emails.)

Return for dinner at Lyle’s, and you’ll find it to be a lower-lit, more subdued affair. Because I just couldn’t seem to get enough of those fragrant flowers, I started with a Bee’s Knees that shook gin and lemon with lavender honey. Steamed clams bathed in wine got a Mediterranean treatment with the addition of roasted tomatoes, olives, garlic and onions and some crusty toasted bread to sop up that addictive broth. And though I was leaning toward pan-seared striped bass with chimichurri or seared scallops with crispy sunchoke, my server’s suggestion of flank steak and mushrooms with confit artichoke and preserved lemon was spot on. It went especially nicely alongside a couple glasses of Langhe Nebbiolo, which delivered much more than it needed to for the price.

Pro tip: If you are just too full for dessert like I was, order a slice of the warm banana bread drizzled with creme anglaise anyway. Take it to go and pop it in the fridge in your room, and you won’t mind crawling out of those luxe linens for breakfast the next morning.

Lyle Washington DC

1721 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
tel 202 964 6750