Starwood Hotels and Resorts is to open a new hotel in Washington, under its trendy “W” brand.
W Washington DC is due to open its doors in 2009, and will be located in a 19th-century building on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street, a stone’s throw from the White House.
The Italian Renaissance revival property was originally built as a retail store and apartment building in 1888, and has been occupied by the Hotel Washington since 1917, although the hotel will close on January 1, 2008 to allow for refurbishing. The 11-storey W Washington will have 317 rooms (including 32 suites) as well as a rooftop bar with views of the city and the White House.
Starwood will operate the hotel under its W brand for owners Istithmar Hotels, which already owns three W-branded properties – W Bangkok, W Samui and W Union Square in New York.
Starwood currently has five other properties in Washington in the form of the Four Points by Sheraton Washington DC Downtown, the Westin Washington DC City Centre, the Westin Grand Washington DC, the Westin Embassy Row Washington DC, and the St Regis Washington DC (opening January 2008).
In other news, W will also open its first property in Japan in 2010. The W Yokohama will be located 18 miles to the west of Tokyo (around 30 minutes’ drive from Haneda airport, the country’s main domestic hub) and will feature 245 rooms and 930 sqm of meeting space.
For more information visit starwoodhotels.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
