Waldorf Astoria Washington DC

What the classifiers highlight

The Old Post Office, once one of the capital's most important buildings, spent years derelict before its rebirth as a hotel, sixteen-foot ceilings and original windows and doors kept intact. A skylight floods the lobby, home to Peacock Alley and Sushi Nakazawa. The 10,000-square-foot spa occupies the old mailroom. Forbes rates it Four Star.