A view of the Washington Monument from P.O.V. Photograph by Flickr user Katie T.
As of this weekend, there will be one fewer city rooftop where scenesters can eat, drink, be merry, and, in some notable cases, get in trouble. The P.O.V. rooftop lounge of the W Hotel, famous for a stunning view of the White House and beyond, announced it will close after business on Saturday to start a “full renovation.”
We have no clue what specific changes the renovation will bring, but reps say when it reopens in September, the rooftop concept will be taken to “a new level” and provide service in “ways unimaginable until now.” The mind reels.
Since its splashy opening in 2009, P.O.V. has attracted publicity but not always the kind that’s wanted by a bar or restaurant. In an incident in April 2011, former Washington NFL defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth pleaded no contest to a sexual assault charge after an incident at P.O.V. The charges against him said he popped his credit card down a female server’s shirt and touched her breast. Last fall, singer Chris Brown was arrested in an altercation outside the W, but there’s no indication he had been upstairs at the rooftop bar. In June 2011 a woman, who reportedly had been drinking at P.O.V., later plunged to her death from the rooftop’s ledge in an apparent suicide.
Those were the lowest points. In more positive moments, House of Cards star Kevin Spacey was photographed there this week, Al Pacino and Leonardo DiCaprio took tea time on the rooftop last winter, and—in happier times—Jennifer Lopez booked the roof for a birthday party for now ex-husband Marc Anthony. It was also the location for lots of other private parties and a destination hang out on weekend nights, though some patrons complained of long waits to get let through the velvet rope and up in the elevator. Service was sometimes good, sometimes not so much.
What no one will debate is its spectacular view of the city, including the Washington Monument, the Ellipse, the Jefferson Memorial, and Reagan National Airport—even over the rooftops of the Treasury Building and the White House. If you like to count flags on the rooftops of government buildings, this is the place to be.
The W’s P.O.V. Lounge Is Closing for Renovation
One of the best views of DC will be unavailable for a month.
As of this weekend, there will be one fewer city rooftop where scenesters can eat, drink, be merry, and, in some notable cases, get in trouble. The P.O.V. rooftop lounge of the W Hotel, famous for a stunning view of the White House and beyond, announced it will close after business on Saturday to start a “full renovation.”
We have no clue what specific changes the renovation will bring, but reps say when it reopens in September, the rooftop concept will be taken to “a new level” and provide service in “ways unimaginable until now.” The mind reels.
Since its splashy opening in 2009, P.O.V. has attracted publicity but not always the kind that’s wanted by a bar or restaurant. In an incident in April 2011, former Washington NFL defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth pleaded no contest to a sexual assault charge after an incident at P.O.V. The charges against him said he popped his credit card down a female server’s shirt and touched her breast. Last fall, singer Chris Brown was arrested in an altercation outside the W, but there’s no indication he had been upstairs at the rooftop bar. In June 2011 a woman, who reportedly had been drinking at P.O.V., later plunged to her death from the rooftop’s ledge in an apparent suicide.
Those were the lowest points. In more positive moments, House of Cards star Kevin Spacey was photographed there this week, Al Pacino and Leonardo DiCaprio took tea time on the rooftop last winter, and—in happier times—Jennifer Lopez booked the roof for a birthday party for now ex-husband Marc Anthony. It was also the location for lots of other private parties and a destination hang out on weekend nights, though some patrons complained of long waits to get let through the velvet rope and up in the elevator. Service was sometimes good, sometimes not so much.
What no one will debate is its spectacular view of the city, including the Washington Monument, the Ellipse, the Jefferson Memorial, and Reagan National Airport—even over the rooftops of the Treasury Building and the White House. If you like to count flags on the rooftops of government buildings, this is the place to be.
Find Carol Ross Joynt on Twitter at @caroljoynt.
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
Meet the 2023 Washingtonians of the Year
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Washingtonian Magazine
March 2024: Cool Jobs
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
How Noochie’s Porch Became One of DC’s Hottest Venues
More from News & Politics
Megan Thee Stallion and Gunna Will Perform at Broccoli City Festival
I Toured Metro’s “Newly Renovated” Bathrooms. Here’s What I Found.
A New Record Label Documents DC’s Most Challenging Sounds
More High-Tech Public Bathrooms Are Coming to DC This Spring
When Jackie Kennedy Interviewed My Mom for Her Column
“Manhunt,” Apple TV+’s Limited Series About the Lincoln Assassination, Premieres Friday
Metro Police Can Now Issue Fines and Make Arrests for Fare Evasion in DC
Meet the Kensington Couple Who Broke a Guinness Record Attending Concerts