Alexandria , VA-

While some of us have grown up with the no change idea of the Old Town Alexandria area, others have been looking for something just like the Hotel Monaco that recently opened its doors to the historic King Street area.

Locals who know the area well have seen the upper King Street area and the Masonic Temple area develop plenty of fresh new looks over past 15 years including million dollar condos built in the area that once graced the locomotives of the Southern Railway. Where has the long awaited hotel close the Potomac been? Since the arrival of the King Street Metro many businesses have located centrally, but the concept of an upbeat hotel has gone unnoticed for years. Move over Hilton and Embassy Suites, King Street has a new place to call home for business or pleasure, it’s the new Hotel Monaco that has travelers raving including our staff about accommodations in Alexandria for the first time ever.

Talk about an amazing turn-around! The renovation that turned a tired Holiday Inn into Hotel Monaco Alexandria that is complete and completely stunning. When you pull your car in front of the hotel the logoed carpet and the inviting lighting from the awning says cool in whole new way. Our staff spent a recent Friday night exploring the various new conference rooms, private dining areas, and gorgeous guest rooms and suites.

When you check into your room you will see why the Hotel Monaco is one of the coolest places to check in anywhere in Washington, D.C. The lobby is a mix of Dan Snyder’s basement and the Versace Mansion in South Beach. One part Southern and the other well off the wall…. Signature Kimpton for sure. Designed by multi award winning Cheryl Rowley of Beverly Hills, the lobby is painted a bright shade of teal, with a gas fireplace and a hand-painted leopard-print mantel as the room’s focal point. Seating is arranged with green velvet sofas lined with Asian-print pillows, leather ottomans, and red lacquered coffee tables.

In all of the 241-rooms guests can expect a combination of history from the pictures that line the walls to the fresh looking furniture that includes a bed that you will not want to get out of in the morning. A 37-inch flat screen and a spacious desk area with an ergonomic chair is another reason not to want to leave your quarters.

Each of the bathrooms is like a marble palace. Marble lines floor to ceiling in the bathtub area and the wooden towel cart placed next to the shower is something that makes you feel more at home than any place in Alexandria will. Add the cool wallpaper and fresh lighting that can be dimmed at touch of the switch and this is a bathroom that will have you looking for ways to make yours just like it. We immediately called a tile specialist after we left for a full facelift at our own homes.

If you are coming to the Washington area for a Spring or Summer vacation, the Hotel Monaco has you covered with their two-story lofts which includes a living room downstairs and a bedroom upstairs. These rooms are as hot as the townhouses that line the Potomac River just a few blocks from the hotel.

One thing we like about the Kimpton hotel brand is their desire to mix nice accommodations with an unforgettable restaurant experience; Jackson 20.

Jackson 20 a lot like its name is true to its roots of Virginia. You will see the roots to Virginia even before ordering with the corners of the menu featuring the designs of the old 20-dollar bill to the menu items that are about as Virginia as George Washington and Andrew Jackson. If you like good ole country cooking with a little modern upbeat twist fare, then wait until you taste the amazing menu items. Warning the deserts are highly addicting.

So what do you get when you put a contemporary take on a colonial tavern? The interior of Jackson 20, where dark woods are prominent, long banquettes, exposed brick, marble floors, and nothing says country more than the bronze pig statue that is almost life-size.

Diners can peer through frosted glass into the open kitchen headed up by Chef Jeff Armstrong, whose menu consists of locally sourced American comfort food with a Southern flair.

For appetizers we recommend tasting the crab cake. The crab cake is easily a 5-6 oz. portion and if you’re looking for fillers, they are not available with this crab cake. It’s all lump! The slaw is a refreshing touch and combined with a mustard/vinegar sauce artfully plated on the side, no one will want to pass on this one.

After a quick appetizer, you can not miss the signature items on the entrée portion of the menu which include one of the best fried chickens found anywhere in the State and the Braised Short Ribs, and the Rockfish with Polenta, Grits and Shrimp, combine unique and southern all in one dish. Request the marble chef’s table as intimate dining for 12 can be had with some of your closest friends.

Cocktails are reasonably priced. The best choice is the “Honeysuckle” for $9. It is a delicious combination of vodka, grapefruit, honey and muddled ginger. This is a drink you can’t just have one of that’s for sure.

No one will leave Jackson 20 without trying their deserts… they are just that good. The Sweet Potato Bread Pudding is one that is worth the wait for them to bring it to your table piping hot.

The old Holiday Inn did little to make guests feel at home in their final years. The Monaco has improved where they just would not. The property now features a built-out corridor that connects the hotel’s multiple meeting rooms to an outdoor courtyard that can hold 250. Inside, the airy and open Bombay Room, separated from the corridor by Moroccan-inspired latticework, can be used as a pre-function space for 80.

If you are looking for a little more room, try the Paris Ballroom, with large white columns, it seats 180 or holds as many as 250 for receptions, while the adjacent yellow-hued, light-filled Athens Room offers a more casual setting, and the intimate 360-square-foot Sydney Room features its own marble bar and an iPod-ready sound system. The Hotel Monaco even tries to make the meetings as upbeat as possible.

One feature of the Holiday Inn that has hung around like the history found in the area is the love for four legged furry animals. Hotel Monaco has promised to keep up the years-long tradition of "doggie happy hours" in Old Town. Starting in April and continuing through October, guests will be able to kick it or should we say hoof it with Charlie, the Monaco’s Four Legged “Director of Pet Relations.” This gives a whole new meaning of Seeing Spot Run.

The Hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to the King Street Metro as well as Reagan National Airport.

After spending a couple of days at the Hotel Monaco, we can finally say Alexandria, you have a place that is going to make itself another landmark for years to come. Great Work Hotel Monaco, this town needed you years ago.

To make a reservation, visit the Hotel Monaco website at www.monaco-alexandria.com or contact the hotel directly toll free at (800) 368 5047.