D.C. Capella Hotel Loses Chef Jakob Esko to Barcelona


Just when things were humming along, executive chef Jakob Esko at the Washington Capella Hotel has announced that he is leaving the hotel July 1.

One should not surprised, however, as Esko — who is from Sweden and had his first job in Zurich — has been something of a globe-trotting chef. The company said Esko’s decision to depart was a personal one.

Esko runs the Capella’s Grill Room and Rye Bar. He has been at the Georgtown hotel — which made its debut in March 2013– about one-and-a-half years. Esko has worked at other Capella properties in Singapore, Mexico and Ireland. He also worked for the Ritz-Carlton in Barcelona between 2005 and 2008, where both of his sons were born. His wife Jodi is from Silver Spring, Md., and the couple met in Washington in 1994.

The 49-room boutique hotel on 31st Street next to the C&O Canal and its Grill Room and Rye Bar are a hit with visitors and neighbors alike. It regularly hosts culinary events with the community. Founded by former Ritz Carlton COO Horst Schulze, the company has other Capella hotels and resorts in Singapore, Dusseldorf, Ixtapa and Cabo San Lucas. The company has plans for hotel openings in such places as Bangkok and Russia.

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