As Valentine’s Day approaches, consider making reservations at one of these optimally romantic restaurants in D.C. 

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of time to plan a romantic dinner with that special someone in Washington, DC.

Here’s a closer look at four of the most romantic restaurants for Valentine’s Day in DC

Al Tiramisu

A DC favorite year-round, Al Tiramisu offers a one-of-a-kind setting that lovebirds are sure to appreciate.

With dim, romantic lighting, luxurious tables and exceptional Italian fare, this spot is the perfect destination for a lovely Valentine’s Day dinner. Plus, the menu features over 200 bottles of red and white Italian wines, ensuring you and your date can enjoy a wonderful vintage on your special evening.

Restaurant Nora

As America’s first certified organic restaurant, Restaurant Nora delivers an outstanding menu that is sure to help you and your date enjoy a memorable Valentine’s Day dinner.

Restaurant Nora provides elegant dishes as part of its three- and four-course dinner menus. As such, diners can celebrate Valentine’s Day with delectable main courses such as pan seared sustainable salmon, roasted Amish chicken breast and much more.

Co Co. Sala

An all-in-one restaurant and chocolate boutique, Co Co. Sala invites Valentine’s Day diners to experience awe-inspiring chocolate, cocktails and other tantalizing food and drinks.

Co Co. Sala offers an ideal option for an entire Valentine’s Day dinner. They offer mouthwatering shrimp mac and cheese, first-rate Sriracha fries and other delicious options. And with unbelievable desserts like crème brulee and the chef’s house-made sorbet of the day, Valentine’s Day guests are sure to leave this restaurant with smiles on their faces.

Le Diplomate 

With sophisticated main courses such as Norwegian salmon, beef bourguignon and duck confit, perhaps it’s easy to understand why Le Diplomate serves as a top dining choice for Valentine’s Day.

Le Diplomate brings the look and feel of a French café to DC. It boasts a stylish dining room, as well as a comfortable environment that make it a great place for both new couples and longtime partners.

Experience Le Diplomate for an exquisite meal that is sure to look and taste phenomenal.

Choose the Best Transportation Service for Valentine’s Day in D.C.

Want to make a long-lasting impression on Valentine’s Day? Choose American Executive Transportation, and can kick off a Valentine’s Day date with comfortable, reliable ground transportation anywhere you choose. 

Since 1999, American Executive has served as DC’s premier chauffeured car service. We are committed to providing extraordinary customer service with exemplary attention to detail, striving to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.

As such, American Executive’s team of ground transportation professionals prioritizes customer satisfaction and will do everything possible to deliver amazing customer support day after day.

Unlike traditional ridesharing services, the American Executive team is dedicated to its craft. To ensure that our customers receive the very best, we offer:

• 24-hour live dispatch service.
• Chauffeurs who arrive 15 minutes before scheduled pick-up time to ensure timeliness.
• Pick-ups on short notice.

American Executive also boasts a sterling fleet of luxury vehicles which includes:

• Executive sedans – With plush leather interior, sleek black exterior and other deluxe features, the executive sedans from American Executive make it easy for clients to travel in comfort, style and safety.
• Luxury SUVs – Dark tinted privacy glass and three rows of seating for up to six passengers make American Executive’s luxury SUVs great options for travelers year-round.
• Sprinter limousines – Wrap-around leather seating and a polished wood grain bar with ice bins ensure American Executive’s sprinter limousines offer exceptional comfort and elegance.

In addition, dependable ground transportation sometimes can be tough to find, but American Executive enables travelers to take the guesswork out of how they’ll get from Point A to Point B on Valentine’s Day.

American Executive’s friendly, professionally trained chauffeurs provide on-time service and will do everything possible to ensure you can enjoy an amazing Valentine’s Day.

Are you looking for easy ways to be a great best man this year? We’ve got you covered.

If you’re on deck to be someone’s best man in 2016, you might have questions about how to prepare for your duties.

The Art of Manliness places organizing the bachelor party at the top of your most important duties as a best man, and we would tend to agree.

If you’ve got a bachelor party on the horizon, and you know you have some planning to do, check out these tips for success.

Plan Your Bar Hop

It’s important to know which bars you want to visit before the night of the bachelor party arrives. Get all the info on reservations, drink specials, possible party rooms and more.

If you’re planning your bachelor party for the Washington, D.C. area, there are plenty of bars that make perfect additions to your agenda.

Best Bars for Your Bachelor Party in D.C.:

• Dirty Bar: With one of the biggest decks in the city and an impressive drink selection, Dirty Bar is a must-see during your bachelor party.
• The Gibson: For a speakeasy-style experience, head to the Gibson. You’ll have to make reservations, but the experience is worth the trouble, with specialty cocktails and expert mixologists.
• The Red Derby: Get a delicious burger, a cold beer or a crisp cocktail when you head the Red Derby during your bachelor party festivities.
• Meridian Pint: Head to Monroe Street for a slew of craft beers and delicious American pub food, the perfect stop for the down-to-earth bachelor and his friends.

Plan Your Transportation

Transportation is the most important part of your evening; without it, you aren’t guaranteed safe trips between bars, restaurants, nightclubs or back to your hotel when the party’s over.

It’s important to choose transportation that is presentable and safe, while also offering the amenities you want.

American Executive Transportations has been providing outstanding transportation to the D.C. area for nearly 20 years. When booking the limousine or party bus for your friend’s bachelor party festivities, consider American Executive Transportations.

Check Out AE Sedans’ Fleet:

• Luxury SUV: Perfect for the smaller bachelor party, the Luxury SUV has room for 6 passengers and features a leather interior, complimentary water and sodas and a great sound system.
• Classic Stretch Limousine: With room for 7 passengers, the Classic Stretch limousine offers luxury leather interior, burl wood details, LCD screens and DVD player, a full-length bar, and a privacy window.
• Mercedes–Benz Sprinter Limousine: The Sprinter can accommodate up to 12 passengers, and features great interior height, fiber optic ambient lighting, wrap-around leather seating, a wood-grain bar with ice bins, and dual HD flat-screen televisions.
• Mini Bus: The ultimate party mobile, the mini bus offers room for 25 passengers, reclining seats, and tons of amenities. Ask for details when you book.

Choose Your Hotel

Finding a great place to stay is also optimal to a great bachelor party in D.C. There are a few hotels in the city that stand out for their amenities, location and décor. Check out our favorite D.C. hotels for your bachelor party lodging:

• Omni Shoreham
• The Carlyle Dupont Circle
• The Washington Hilton

As you move forward planning your bachelor party in D.C., we urge you to make safe, informed decisions, especially regarding transportation.

You can book your bachelor party transportation services today by contacting American Executive Transportations.

Don’t Fall Prey to These Transportation Myths on Your Big Day

Your wedding day is among the most joyous occasions of life. You get to join families with the one you love, celebrate with your family and friends and take amazing pictures, which you will cherish for the rest of your life.

Planning a wedding, however, is at the top of the stress pyramid. We don’t need to name all of the things you have to get done before the big day arrives; if you’re in the midst of wedding planning, you know full well what’s expected of you.

That being said, there are some things, important things, which can fall through the cracks. Wedding transportation is one element of your big day that can often get left to the last minute. In fact, it should be one of the first things you take care of.

Check out these other wedding transportation myths to forget as you plan your wedding.

You Can Wait

Wedding transportation is an important part of your big day, but many couples don’t start researching companies or making reservations until the last month.

This can have terrible consequences, especially for couples marrying in the summer months.

The majority of car service companies recommend booking your wedding transportation at least 2-3 months out, to ensure that you get the vehicles you want and the quantity you need.

If you wait too long to select your company and make your reservations, the company you choose could be booked up completely.

You Don’t Need Transportation for Guests

Many couples choose to book extra vehicles for their out-of-town guests, older family members and wedding party, to ensure that everyone gets to the rehearsal dinner and venue in a timely manner.

Similarly, if you’re hosting your reception at a different venue than your ceremony, you should definitely consider offering a shuttle or bus to transport your guests. If they’ve been drinking during the reception, they will appreciate a reliable method of transportation when it’s time to go back to their hotel.

If your festivities are being held in a big city, your guests might get confused trying to navigate their way around. Providing a bus or shuttle will make everything easier and timelier for everyone.

It Doesn’t Matter Which Company You Choose

This is perhaps the biggest myth on our list, and one you should immediately forget.

Many couples opt for the company that charges the least or is the most available on their big day.

Unfortunately, price and availability aren’t the only two criteria you should factor in to your decision. You need a company that has an impressive history of service and will work hard to provide you and your guests with the experience you deserve.

A company that doesn’t carefully vet and select their chauffeurs might assign you a chauffeur who doesn’t know his way around. An unskilled chauffeur might have no interest in managing your schedule or being personable to you or your guests.

The number one concern you should have when preparing to book wedding transportation is finding the right company.

The right company will do everything in their power to communicate with transparency, provide you with the service and attention you deserve, and uphold your schedule and desires on your big day.

A great company will have respect for the importance of your wedding day, and will take pride in doing everything they can to make it great.

American Executive Transportations has nearly 20 years of experience providing superior transportation services to the Washington, D.C. area and beyond.

We are dedicated to providing the very best wedding transportation in the D.C. area.

Contact us today to learn about American Executive and make your reservation!

Get the Most from Your Arlington Shopping Trip

The holidays are here, which means it’s time to embark on shopping excursions to find the perfect gifts for your loved ones.

If you’re in the Arlington area, you might have questions about the best holiday shopping spots for one-stop gift-buying. Maybe you have luxury retailers in mind, or maybe you’re on the hunt for a great accessories store. Have no fear—there’s a shopping center in Arlington meet your needs.

To help narrow down your choices, check out our list of Arlington’s top shopping spots below.

Fashion Center at Pentagon City

1100 S. Hayes Street, Arlington, VA

Have a fashionista on your Christmas list? Fashion City is your one-stop shop, for accessories, shoes, fashion-forward designers and department store staples. Check out some of the stores you can peruse during your trip to this great center:

• Aldo
• Armani Exchange
• Bebe
• Coach
• Cole Haan
• Henri Bendel
• Kate Spade
• Michael Kors
• Nordstrom
• Sephora
• And many more!

Pentagon Row

1101 Joyce Street, Arlington, VA

If specialty shops are more your speed, consider heading to Pentagon Row on Joyce Street. Not only is there an arsenal of amazing shops, featuring retail, accessories, home good and boutique items, there’s also an ice skating rink perfect for a family outing once you’ve found all the gifts on your list.

Check out some of the stores on the Row:

• LOFT
• Bed Bath and Beyond
• Chico’s
• Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon and Spa
• DSW Shoe Warehouse
• World Market
• And more

Seven Corners Shopping Center

6201 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, VA

The oldest shopping center in the D.C. area, Seven Corners features a mix of national and local retailers, specializing in apparel, accessories, foodstuffs, specialty items and more. Here’s a sample of some of the stores you can peruse at Seven Corners:

• Barnes and Noble Booksellers
• Off Broadway Shoes
• Michael’s
• Burlington Coat Factory
• And more!

The Market Common, Clarendon

2800 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, VA

This trendy and attractive outdoor shopping center unfolds around a beautiful fountain, and offers a collection of retail stores, restaurants, specialty shops and more. Here are just a few of the stores you can peruse during your visit to the Market Common:

• Chico’s
• Ann Taylor
• Crate and Barrel
• The Apple Store
• Sephora
• Williams-Sonoma
• And more!

Crossroads Shopping Center

5710-5880 Columbia Pike and Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, Virginia

Head to Falls Church, Virginia to enjoy the holiday shopping and eats at Crossroads, which offers plenty of department store mainstays while also offering a few specialty shops:

• Old Navy
• Bed Bath and Beyond
• Marshall’s
• Ross
• Ulta Beauty

Transportation for Your Arlington Shopping Trip

The holidays are a time of warmth, family…and chaos. Especially when you’re heading to the most popular shopping centers in a city, you can expect an increase in traffic and a decrease in parking.

Because holiday shopping and finding the perfect gifts can be stressful on their own, finding a better way to get around can be a godsend. That’s where a great Arlington car service can make all the difference.

American Executive Transportations has been serving the Washington, D.C. area for nearly 20 years, with expert transportation services, professional chauffeurs, and beautiful, late-model vehicles.

When you book transportation with us, you can expect top-notch service from the moment you make your reservation to the moment your trip ends. We are experts in minimizing stress and maximizing enjoyment for each of our client’s individual trips.

Contact us today to procure your reservation for Arlington, Virginia.

Photo Credit: M01229

Don’t Fall Into These Traps When Planning Your Wedding Transportation

Wedding planning is among the most stressful things we do in life. From balancing the demands of a budget to finding the right venue, dress and caterer, there are hundreds of things to do in a (generally) small amount of time.

One of the elements of a great wedding that is often forgotten or put off until the last minute is luxury transportation. You deserve a great company, professional chauffeurs and beautiful vehicles on your big day, but you might have questions about how to find and procure what you need.

With those questions in mind, check out these easy-to-avoid, yet all-too-common wedding transportation fails.

Waiting Too Late to Book

If your wedding is scheduled for the summertime, congratulations! You’ve chosen the most temperate time of year to say your vows.

Unfortunately, it’s also the most popular time of year to say your vows. And that means more demand for transportation services in your area.

The general rule for booking wedding transportation is to make your reservations around three-to-six months before the big day. Generally, this allows you a large enough window to choose a great company, get the vehicles you want, and familiarize yourself with their policies and services long before the insanity of your wedding festivities come around. It will also give you enough leeway to make changes to your reservation if you need to.

If you’ve got your eye on the most popular, best-reviewed company, you might want to skew towards booking earlier rather than later. You never know how far in advance they allow reservations or how early other wedding parties are choosing vehicles and service days.

Booking Too Few Vehicles

This is a tough line to walk. You might want to provide transportation services for your wedding party, but what about your out-of-town guests? If they’re flying in from hours away, they likely won’t have transportation to get to your wedding venue and back to their hotel after the reception.

They might be planning on ride-sharing services or hailing a cab, neither of which are guaranteed to be available when your guests need them. Also, the expenses of flying are exorbitant; why not provide them with transportation to the festivities so they won’t have to worry about extra costs?

You want the people who attend your wedding to enjoy themselves and feel as if they are celebrating your day with you.

In addition to the limousines reserved for your wedding party, booking a sprinter van or mini bus could be a godsend for your out-of-town guests who need help getting around during your celebration.

Booking the Wrong Vehicles

If you choose the right company, you’ll have a diverse fleet of vehicles to choose from when planning your wedding transportation.

From sleek sedans to traditional limousines to larger buses, you deserve variety that fits the parameters of your day.

If you have your heart set on limousines for your wedding party and buses to shuttle your guests from your ceremony to your reception, don’t settle for less. Begin your search early and find the company that offers the vehicles you want.

Choosing the Wrong Company

This is perhaps the most important fail to avoid. Choosing the wrong company could be disastrous for your wedding day at a time when you’re already in chaos mode.

The wrong company might have non-existent customer service when you need it most. The wrong company might employ chauffeurs who have no stake or interest in providing you with punctual, efficient and friendly service. The wrong company might use old or badly maintained vehicles that have a chance of breaking down in the middle of your day. Each of these things is unacceptable; that’s why choosing the right company is so important.

Your research should begin with online reviews and conclude with a careful interview of each company you’re considering.

Ask questions like:

• How much insurance do you carry on your vehicles?
• What’s your policy for finding and hiring chauffeurs?
• Do you perform background checks, drug tests and driver history tests on your chauffeurs?
• How do you maintain your vehicles?
• Do you have membership in important national and local transportation or business organizations?
• What is your customer service policy? Will you be available when I need you?
• What is your procedure for ensuring that your chauffeurs arrive on time to each location?

You should also ask questions about billing, reservation policies and cancellation policies.

There is no reason to head into wedding planning without a firm transportation checklist. Know what you want and need, and find the company that can provide it.

Here’s to the wedding of your dreams, complete with the vehicles you need.

American Executive Transportations, stationed in Sterling, Virginia, has nearly 20 years of experience providing outstanding wedding transportation to those in the Washington, D.C. area and beyond.

Contact us today to begin planning your wedding transportation services.

Get to Know Washington D.C.’s Premiere Car Service

Finding reliable transportation, whether it’s for a night out on the town or an important corporate event, can be a challenge. After all, you’re entrusting a company with your safety, comfort and schedule during an important event; you deserve the very best that your money can buy.

Many consumers take only price into consideration when selecting their car service company, when there are additional elements at play that could easily make or break your experience.

American Executive Transportation in Washington, D.C. has been devoted to providing customers with the very best for years, from the quality of our vehicles to the professionalism of our chauffeurs.

If you’re on the lookout for D.C. car service, there is a host of reasons to consider choosing American Executive.

We Offer Services for a Variety of Occasions

 

A great car service company is equipped to offer service for any occasion presented by a client. It’s important for your chauffeur and the company’s support team to be sensitive to the nature of your event, whether it’s the stiff schedule of a business trip, the elegance of a wedding, or the discretion of a client outing.

American Executive is prepared and proud to offer the very best service for a variety of occasions and settings:

• Corporate Sedan Service
• Airport Transfers
• Weddings
• Prom
• Graduation
• Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties
• Nights On the Town

 

You can trust that our team will be sensitive to your concerns and considerate to the nature of your event, from the moment you make your reservation.

We Offer a Dynamic Fleet of Luxury Vehicles

 

In the same way that we respect the nature of your event or occasion, we also respect your need for variety in vehicles. One size does not fit all when it comes to the demands of your outing, and American Executive has crafted a fleet of vehicles that is able to accommodate each of clients’ various needs:

• Luxury Executive Sedan: Room for 4 passengers, with a sleek black exterior, tinted windows and a luxurious leather interior
• Luxury SUV: Room for 6 passengers, with a sleek black exterior, tinted windows, leather interior, LCD screens and DVD, and beverages provided
• Luxury Limousine: Room for 7 passengers, a white or black exterior, leather interior, privacy partition, full-length bar, LCD screens and DVD
• Mercedes–Benz Sprinter Limousine: Room for 12 passengers, seven-foot interior height, wrap-around leather seating, fiber optic ambient lighting, wood-grain bar with ice bins, dual-definition flat-screen LCD TVs, state-of-the-art sound system
• Mini–Bus: Room for 25 passengers, luggage and storage compartments, reclining seats

No matter the size of your group or the magnitude of your occasion, American Executive has a pristine luxury vehicle on hand to meet your needs.

Corporate outings, client meetings, galas, nights on the town, or the most sacred of special occasions

We’re Proud to Serve Washington D.C., the Tri-State Area and Beyond

 

American Executive is proud to serve and support the Washington D.C. and Tri-State area, offering professional, exceptional luxury car service that places the needs of the customer above all else.

In 2011, we began offering worldwide corporate sedan services, and with the help of our strong affiliate network and relationships with vendors all over the world, we are able to provide our customers with stress-free and streamlined transportation, no matter where their travels take them.

In addition to our worldwide services, we empower our clients by providing them with access to a comprehensive online booking portal, which allows them to see confirmations, receipts and trip status, and to manage each aspect of their reservation according to their own schedule and needs. We also offer the following perks for each and every one of our clients during their trips:

• 24-Hour Live Dispatch Service
• Flight-Monitoring Service to Guarantee Timely Pick-Ups
• Corporate direct billing
• Airport coordinators and meet-and-greet services
• Early arrivals to ensure optimum punctuality

 

Whatever the occasion at hand, American Executive is equipped to offer the best service, the most professional chauffeurs and the most pristine vehicles.

Call us today to make your reservation.

Photo Credit: Stefan Fussan