The 373-room[1] hotel is located near downtown Washington, although to reach Capitol Hill guests would need a taxicab or automobile.

Guests in rooms on the upper levels have views of the city and its monuments, but the surrounding neighborhood consisted primarily of railroad tracks, freeways, and office buildings.

[2] The Salamander features a curving Mansard roof punctuated at points by windows which are either round or arched, and often protected by a pediment.

In 1985, a team led by Republic Properties[8] finally was chosen by the city to develop what became known as The Portals, four massive office buildings constructed around an extension of Maryland Avenue SW and a new traffic circle.

[11] But due to $20 million in increased costs, Mandarin Oriental Hotels was unable to secure all the private financing it needed.

To correct the problem, the D.C. City Council adopted new legislation to geographically widen the area the TIF bonds drew revenue from.

By this time, the project was reported by The Washington Post to include just two restaurants and an art gallery in addition to the previously announced meeting space, fitness center, ballroom, pool, and spa.

[13] Salamander and its founder and CEO, Sheila Johnson, had weighed other prospective deals in the District including at City Ridge, the redevelopment of Fannie Mae's former headquarters.

He succeeded, Forgey agreed, but at a price: The hotel was too reminiscent of the 1986 additions to the Willard InterContinental Washington, which left the Mandarin Oriental looking dated.

"[3] The Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C., featured two restaurants when it opened: the formal CityZen and the informal Cafe Mozu.

[15] The Mandarin Oriental announced that CityZen will close permanently on December 6, 2014, because Chef Ziebold left to open a new venue in downtown D.C. in spring 2015.

The restaurant featured high ceilings, a view of the Tidal Basin and monuments, and walls adorned with a chrome-and-walnut grid.

He gave slightly qualified praise to the food of executive chef Hidemasa Yamamoto, which was largely Far Eastern cuisine infused with European touches.

[20] The restaurant's decor was nautical[18] and "retro chic", with warm wood paneling[20] and floor-to-ceiling white drapery resembling sails.

Curated signature dishes rotate daily to complement the delicious modern mainstays, which form the backbone of a menu that feels both bold and familiar.

Located just a stone's throw from the District's emerging Southwest Waterfront and the iconic Jefferson Memorial, Amity & Commerce features soaring ceilings and a relaxed, yet lively atmosphere.

They had argued at the hotel about accusations he had abused children at the Lil Kidz Kastle day care in Baltimore.

Both Shanteari and James Weems were licensed to carry firearms and a police detective testified that two guns were in the room, one in a safe and another in a black leather bag.

Baltimore County police detectives said they recently began investigating James Weems after they learned about allegations that he sexually abused at least three children.