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I had wanted to go to the Holocaust Museum ever since I heard about it, but I was concerned that it wouldn't live up to the initial hype. But, it is an amazing place. The exhibits are actual things from Germany & Europe leading up to the Holocaust and then through the aftermath. There's a lot of info that they manage to get across (a combination of reading placards and videos), but it never felt laborious. It was easy to work your way through and learn a lot about it. Most striking to me was the use of propaganda in the leadup to it. Ostracize a set of people slowly and surely and eventually add in laws limiting their rights. It is a scary parallel of the gay rights setbacks we've had. I shuddered when I noted some tactics of the Bush administration in the early days. My only disappointment was that the area with the pink triangle seemed easy to miss. I would have liked them to call that out a bit more, especially with the current climate around gay rights. I highly recommend this to anyone visiting DC, it is educational, moving and very well done.

Loved my room with all the cute art deco and lights. But the girl serving the free wine was rude and snobbish and the security guy made a big deal about my bringing an ice cream from outside. Overpriced sunday breakfast buffet. Still a nice place to stay in at least once.

I stayed at the Nines when last in Portland and was very impressed with the room, quality of the amenities and the decor. Clearly they wanted the place to look "designed" and *everything* is either aqua or brown. I'm a Starwood fan, and The Nines is one of their "luxury collection", but other than the design, I found little distinction from their other properties - it was large and tended to be impersonal. For a "luxury" hotel, I'd like to be able to feel the extra service and I simply didn't here. Regardless, I'd stay again thanks to the great rooms and the location (right in the heart of downtown near to all transportation).