Maryland
Construction is underway to change the 184-room Radisson Largo into the DoubleTree by Hilton Largo/Washington DC. The $19 million changeover will take effect in the beginning of May. All guest rooms will be redesigned and outfitted and the hotel’s public space, meeting rooms and food and beverage zones will also be reinvented. In addition, the hotel’s new design will feature a new exterior social zone that will be anchored by a fire pit, as well as a new fitness center and indoor pool. Transition to the new flag will continue through April, but the hotel will be open throughout the transformation.
Massachusetts
The 123-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Cambridge recently opened and will operate as a Marriott franchise. Hotel amenities include a fitness center, complimentary Wi-Fi and an electric car charging station.
New York
The 1906 Knickerbocker Hotel opened its doors recently in the heart of Times Square. The newly redeveloped hotel offers 330 guest rooms, including 31 suites, a fitness center, a 2,200-square-foot event space, upscale dining options and a 7,500-square-foot rooftop bar and terrace with views of Manhattan. The Knickerbocker has partnered with Charlie Palmer to debut several dining venues throughout the hotel, including Charlie Palmer at The Knick and St. Cloud, which will be a rooftop bar with a cigar lounge.
The Executive Hotel Le Soleil New York is slated to open in June as a 163-suite boutique hotel. The 22-story tower will also feature a lobby espresso/cocktail bar, several meeting rooms, including a rooftop penthouse, and a lobby restaurant and bar.
The 90-room Hotel Grand Union recently began a $12 million renovation. The property will remain closed throughout the renovation and is expected to reopen in early fall 2015. Improvements are being made to public spaces and guest rooms. The 10-story hotel was built in 1905 and landmarked in 2013.
Rhode Island
The Newport Marriott is undergoing a $35 million makeover. All 312 guest rooms are being upgraded, as are many of the meeting rooms. The hotel provides 24,800 square feet of flexible meeting space in total, including 16 meeting rooms and the 7,600-square-foot grand ballroom. Included in the renovation will be two new bars with harbor views.
Washington, D.C.
The Embassy Row Hotel in Dupont Circle reopened in March following a $15 million renovation. The 231-room resort debuted a new restaurant, Station Kitchen & Cocktails. The property announced a new partnership with SOME, So Others Might Eat, a community-based organization dedicated to serving the city’s poor and homeless. One measure is to donate 5 percent of revenue for every continuous break station purchased.