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Salamander

Hotel Happenings

The city has 19 new hotels and over 3,500 additional rooms in the pipeline, including new properties and renovations from exciting brands.

New Openings and Rebrands Coming Soon

• Salamander Washington, DC (Spring 2024): Middleburg, Virginia-based Salamander Collection, founded by entrepreneur Sheila Johnson, is expected to conclude its significant enhancements to the former 373-key Mandarin Oriental later this spring. The project will reveal a brighter and more residential design, and include striking gathering spaces, an expanded two-story spa and modernly refreshed guest suites designed by Washington’s own Thomas Pheasant. In addition, acclaimed chef Kwame Onwuachi makes his highly anticipated return to the nation’s capital with Dōgon, opening in the coming months. The concept is inspired by DC surveyor Benjamin Banneker and his heritage to the West African Dogon tribe. Salamander Collection was recently voted Best Luxury Hotel Brand by readers of USA Today and is the largest Black-owned luxury hotel company in the United States.


• AKA Washington Circle (April 2024): Located directly across from the Foggy Bottom Metro station, steps from The George Washington University Campus, the former One Washington Circle Hotel will reopen as a newly transformed boutique hotel. The contemporary property will feature newly designed guestrooms and suites perfect for both short and long-term stays, many with terraces and a full kitchen or kitchenette. Amenities include a welcoming lobby lounge, Technogym fitness center, private cinema, and a new restaurant from James Beard award-winning restauranteur Ellen Yin.

 

• Arlo (October 2024): The independent lifestyle brand is expected to debut its seventh property and first in Washington, DC this fall. The 12-story, 445-room property will incorporate and preserve the city’s oldest conventional apartment building, The Harrison, which has stood since 1882. Floors six through 12 will include meeting rooms, a rooftop lounge and a pool. A restaurant and bar, a “bodega” cafe and lounge, and an interior courtyard will also be added.

 

Notable Renovations

• Capital Hilton (February 2024): The renovation aims to celebrate grandeur, glam, geometric form and repetitive patterns, bringing elements of the property’s interiors to the guestrooms and corridors. Layering art deco design with the hotel’s brutalist architecture, each new guest room weaves original design with the modern elements needed for today’s travelers.

 

Newly Opened

 Union Market Hotel (January 2024): A 106-room boutique hotel in the heart of the bustling Union Market District has relaunched with a new name and new spaces. The property once housed the historic Bolgiano Seed Company in the 1930’s, which provided lawn seeds for the White House and National Mall. Today, the design-centric hotel showcases a foliage-rich industrial charm. The reception, expansive lobby and Treehouse Rooftop lounge provide warm and welcoming communal spaces that capture the essence and authenticity of the burgeoning Market neighborhood.

 

• The Westin Washington, DC Downtown (October 2023): The former Renaissance Washington, DC near Mount Vernon Square has undergone a nearly $80 million brand conversion, revealing a sophisticated, contemporary, warm and inviting property under the Westin flag. The 807-room hotel puts wellbeing at the forefront with all-encompassing health and wellness experiences, including the largest hotel fitness studio in the city, Peloton suites and the local RunWESTIN® program. The property also features modern meeting spaces and workstations, as well as Root and Vine, an open-kitchen concept with locally sourced menus, botanical-inspired cocktails and a biodynamic wine program.

 

• Royal Sonesta Washington, DC – Capitol Hill (September 2023): Located near Union Station, the city’s second Royal Sonesta became the first new hotel to open on the Hill since 1984. Part of a mixed-use complex that will include retail and office space, the 274-room upscale hotel embodies green, wellness and tech-forward design through LEED Gold certification and a WELL certified core. Features include a sweeping glass façade, 10-story atrium, vegetated green roof, state-of-the-art yoga studio and the city’s second Bistro Du Jour, an all-day Parisian bistro from locally acclaimed restaurant group Knead Hospitality + Design. The building offers rooftop and conference space with breathtaking views of iconic landmarks.

 

• Washington Marriott Capitol Hill (January 2023): A dazzling new Marriott property is part of a mixed-use project coined NoMa CNTR. Features of the 235-room hotel include a glass-enclosed two-story lobby, a large ballroom, an outdoor terrace, onsite restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining, rooftop bar and event space, fitness facilities and Marriott’s M Club.

 

Opening in 2025 and Beyond

The James (2025): From Royal Sonesta comes a high-end lifestyle option in top urban and resort destination markets. The James DC, a brand conversion from the current Royal Sonesta Dupont Circle, will be one of three properties nationwide under this flag. The James brand caters to both visitors and local guests, offering a unique experience and destination-worthy beverage and food.

 

• Tribute Portfolio Georgetown (2025): A five-story former office building will be combined with adjacent townhouses to create a 106-key property expected to be flagged under Marriott’s Tribute portfolio.

 

• CitizenM Georgetown (2025): Just east of picturesque Key Bridge, along the Georgetown waterfront, the Netherlands-based chain plans to open its third property in DC. A 100-year-old building will be expanded, renovated and converted into a stylish 230-room, seven-story hotel.

 

• Moxy Hotel Southwest (2025): Situated on one of the last development sites between Nationals Park and Audi Field, the 163-key hotel will be part of a mixed-use property with residential, rooftop views and a farmers' market.

 

• MOB Hotel (2026): A stylish Paris-based chain by design team lead Philippe Starck is expected to open its first North American hotel in DC’s Union Market area. The brand embraces neighborhood culture and programs, art talks and regular concerts in its lobbies. The hotel will feature 144 rooms and rooftop views of the U.S. Capitol, along with live music, a cinema, restaurant and bar.

 

• Avid Downtown (2027): The first Avid Hotel in DC is in the proposal stage. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, Avid is a midscale modern-design brand focused on sound sleep, good value and complimentary breakfast.

 

Trendy Hotel Restaurants and Rooftops

If there is a common thread to the plethora of hotel openings, renovations and rebrands across Washington, DC, it is the astounding list of big-name chefs and restauranteurs that accompany them. In a foodie destination like Washington, DC, a highly anticipated restaurant opening – and thoughtfully designed communal space – only adds to the property’s intrigue.

 

From Kwame Onwuachi’s Dōgon in the Salamander to Ellen Yin’s concept in the AKA Washington Circle, celebrity chefs continue to inflame Washington, DC’s sizzling culinary scene. The holistic culinary journey at Root and Vine in the Westin Washington, DC Downtown and all-day Parisian fare at Bistro Du Jour in the Royal Sonesta – Capitol Hill are also buzzworthy destinations.

 

Other recent openings include Michelin-starred chef Nicolas Stefanelli’s sleek French brasserie, Le Clou, at the Morrow Hotel. The modern open floor plan features a wraparound marble bar, striking chandeliers and gilded finishes. The Bazaar by José Andrés at the rebranded Waldorf Astoria is a thrilling gastronomical treat. Signature dishes in this glitzy setting boast an Americana flair, including the Beef Cheeks “Eisenhower Stew,” Crab Louie Cone and “Philly Cheesesteak” Airbread. Have your camera ready.

 

As the weather warms, take the elevator to one of DC’s 25 new or renovated rooftop experiences since 2020. Underscoring the notion “there’s only one DC,” the city’s height restrictions ensure each establishment boasts an iconic backdrop.

 

For sweeping monumental views, head to Vue in the Hotel Washington, overlooking the White House and Washington Monument. The updated menu includes plays on politics like “Power to the Peaches,” with peach and orange blossom vodka, Cointreau, Chandon garden spritz, chamomile honey syrup and lemon. The YOTEL’s Deck 11, Conrad’s Summit and AC Hotel Washington, DC Capitol Hill’s Smoke and Mirrors overlook the awe-inspiring Capitol dome.

 

For elegant waterfront views, the Pendry’s Moonraker is a stunner, complete with a Japanese-inspired menu. Nearby options include Whiskey Charlie atop the Canopy by Hilton Washington, DC – The Wharf and 12 Stories atop the InterContinental Washington, DC – The Wharf. The Potomac River is also in view from the Graham Rooftop in Georgetown and Top of the Gate at the Watergate Hotel.

 

In the burgeoning NoMa neighborhood, Treehouse Rooftop tops the Union Market Hotel – an homage to the building’s history as a seed factory. Upstairs at the Morrow, Nicholas Stefanelli invites guests with the Better Luck To’Morrow cocktail (banhez mezcal, chinola, jalapeno, lime and spicy tincture). Also consider Yara on the top floor of the Washington Marriott Capitol Hill. Diners can enjoy head chef Yuki Nakandakari’s Peruvian street food with a Japanese twist and signature cocktails at the marbled bar.

 

Instagrammable rooftops include Ciel Social Club at the AC Hotel Washington, DC Convention Center, serving brunch, small plates and Italian-inspired specialty cocktails. Lucha Rosa in the Moxy Hotel is the newest all-season venture from the Atlas Restaurant Group. The agave collection consists of over 130 bottles of tequila used to create signature cocktails, and menu offerings include tacos and ceviche.

 

photo credit: Salamander - Washington, DC