ALEXANDRIA, Va.
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced the reopening of Kimpton Morrison House after extensive renovations and the debut of adjacent Ashlar Restaurant and Bar. Located in historic Old Town Alexandria, Va., just six miles from downtown Washington, D.C., the 45-room boutique hotel features whimsical, literary-inspired design in all public spaces, hallway corridors and guest rooms.
The hotel’s new design, brought to life by David Hill of Los Angeles-based DH Designs, was inspired by American literary masterpieces set on and around water and is a modern take on Morrison House’s original bookish concept that also incorporates the hotel’s close proximity to the banks of the Potomac River.
Upon entering the hotel, guests are greeted by a bright grassy green hue reminiscent of walls found at Carlyle House, a historic former mansion house in Old Town. The entryway was opened up to create more engaging spaces where guests can easily flow from check-in to the cozy parlor room to the bar in one connected space. A custom central rug is patterned to resemble reflections of trees on a river and a contemporary art piece featuring a profile of author Mark Twain hangs above the original decorative marble fireplace.
Behind the bureau-like reception desk with mismatched antique style drawers in the main hall hangs an art piece commissioned for Kimpton Morrison House. The work, crafted by Ricky Alvarez of Tinto Creative, showcases the hotel’s literary and water theme with a bespoke collage of open books layered one on top of another with swirling textured gold leaf painted atop the antique books to resemble water flowing down a river. Books used for the piece were meticulously sourced titles from antique book dealers that focus on regional stories and originated from libraries and archives in the Potomac and capital regions.
The 50-seat Ashlar Restaurant and Bar is a new upscale neighborhood tavern and cocktail bar, bringing a rustic-meets-fine dining approach to Mid-Atlantic cuisine from Executive Chef Bobby Surdham. Named for the “perfect ashlar” symbolizing a high degree of mason mastery, the eatery pays homage to expert craftsmanship through a menu that includes dishes such as snapper crudo with jalapeno, spring onion, and baby beet chips and Port City beer braised pork cheeks with pickled maitake natural jus.
The beverage program draws inspiration from Alexandria’s founding in 1749 with spirits reminiscent of that time like rum, madeira and sherry as well as a wide array of local Virginia whiskey, beer and wine. Ashlar Restaurant and Bar provides all private dining for meetings and special events held at Kimpton Morrison House as well as 24-hour room service to all guest rooms.
There is over 2,800 square feet of meeting space at the Kimpton Morrison House, including a new 985-square-foot Watermark Ballroom and the smaller Chapter Ballroom.
