Rosewood Washington, D.C.

Rosewood Washington, D.C. is a luxury boutique hotel located at 1050 31st Street NW in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Originally an office building known as the Canal Building, it was constructed in 1963, and was the first major new building constructed in Georgetown in 50 years. The structure was purchased by two local real estate development companies in 2008 and converted to a hotel. The renovation won multiple awards. The hotel, branded as and managed by Capella Hotels and Resorts, opened in 2013 as the Cappella Hotel. The developers sold the property to Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, which rebranded the hotel as the Rosewood Washington, D.C.

Rosewood Washington, D.C.
Hotel chainRosewood Hotels & Resorts
General information
LocationUnited States
Address1050 31st Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38.904004°N 77.061473°W / 38.904004; -77.061473
OpeningAugust 1963 (Canal Building);
2013 (Cappella Hotel);
2016 (Rosewood)
Cost$18.3 million (2008 building sale);
$50 million (2012 renovation);
$65 million (2016 sale)
OwnerCTF Georgetown Hotel LLC
ManagementRosewood Hotels & Resorts
Technical details
Floor count5
Design and construction
ArchitectVlastimil Koubek (Canal Building);
Mancini•Duffy/Peter Silling & Associates/Michael Winstanley Architects & Planners (Capella Hotel)
DeveloperHenry Kaufman, Maury Young, Eugene Young, Jr., Robert Young (Canal Building);
ICG Properties, Castleton Holdings, Point Ford Management (Cappella Hotel)
Other information
Number of rooms27 (not including suites)
Number of suites12
Number of restaurants1
Parking50
Website
rosewoodhotels.com

The hotel has 61 rooms in total, including 12 suites and 49 standard guest rooms.[1][2] The hotel has about 42,000 square feet (3,900 m2) of interior space.[3]

The hotel offers the 70-seat Grill Room for dining, and the 26-seat Rye Bar for relaxation and consumption of alcohol. Both the Grill Room and Rye Bar have outdoor seating which overlooks the canal.[4][5] A rooftop cocktail lounge is available during clement weather, and a rooftop pool offers both indoor and outdoor swimming.[1]

Construction of the building and early use

In 1961, D.C.-area advertising executive Henry Kaufman and local insurance company executives Maury Young, Eugene Young, Jr., and Dr. Robert Young purchased a vacant lot at 1050 31st Street NW in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.[6] They hired local architect Vlastimil Koubek to design a five-story office building to house their businesses. Koubek initially proposed a Modernist building with an all-glass first floor and exposed stone upper floors. The District of Columbia Zoning Commission approved the design, but the United States Commission of Fine Arts—which had approval authority over construction in the area under authority granted to it by the Old Georgetown Act—rejected the design as too modern. By early summer 1962, Koubek had revised his design.[7] The structure was now a spare,[4] Federalist-style red brick building with small windows. The Commission of Fine Arts approved this design, but the Zoning Commission did not after arguing that Koubek's second effort was too far removed from the design they had originally approved. The zoning board also was unhappy with the way Koubek intended to conceal the mechanical and HVAC equipment on the roof.[7]

Koubek eventually won approval from the zoning commission, and construction began in March 1963. The building was a "first" in several ways: It was the first non-Modernist structure Koubek ever designed,[8] it was the first major new building constructed in Georgetown in the past 50 years,[8] and it was the first new office building constructed in Georgetown in 100 years.[9]

Named the Canal Building,[10] the structure was erected by the George A. Fuller Company[11] and had 36,000 square feet (3,300 m2) of usable interior space.[9] It also had three underground parking levels[1] which could accommodate 50 vehicles.[9] The structure, which was freestanding, had windows and views on all four sides,[1] and about 4,400 square feet (410 m2) of the lot in back of the building fronted on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.[12]

The building was first occupied in August 1963.[11] The Young & Simon, Inc. insurance firm occupied one floor,[6] and the Henry J. Kaufman & Associates advertising agency occupied another floor (expanding to two floors in 1967).[10]

In 1977, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) purchased the structure and moved its headquarters from Boston, Massachusetts, to Washington, D.C. The ATLA rededicated the building under the name "Leonard M. Ring Law Center". In 2007, the ATLA purchased a new building at 777 Sixth Street NW for $105 million, and vacated the building.[12][13]

Cappella Hotel

Acquisition and renovation

In January 2008, a local D.C. real estate development company, Castleton Holdings Inc., purchased the Canal Building for $18.3 million ($21,730,896 in 2019 dollars). About January 2009, another local real estate development firm, ICG Properties LLC, took a 50 percent equity investment in the property.[12]

By April 2009, Castleton and ICG were in talks with a "high-end, boutique [hotel] operator" as a tenant in the building.[12] In March 2010, the other party was revealed to be Capella Hotels and Resorts,[14] the owner and operator of luxury boutique hotels in New York City,[15] Japan, Mexico, Russia, and Thailand.[4] The three companies tentatively announced they would renovate the building into a 48-room hotel beginning in 2011.[14] The D.C. hotel would become the chain's flagship hotel.[15] Obtaining financing during the Great Recession proved difficult. Castleton and ICG took on a third equal equity partner, the Indonesian investment firm Point Ford Management Ltd., which provided part of the $45 million ($51,144,231 in 2019 dollars) in financing needed for the renovation. (The deal was Point Ford's first American hotel investment.) The remainder of the financing came from PNC Financial Services.[15]

The renovation plans drawn up by the architectural firms of Mancini•Duffy[16] and Peter Silling & Associates[4][15] called for 12 suites and 27 standard guest rooms.[17] Additional architectural work was provided by Michael Winstanley Architects & Planners.[1] Each guest room featured trayed ceilings,[lower-alpha 1] cove lighting, millwork manufactured in Europe, hardwood parquet flooring from a demolished French château, and laser-cut marble sinks, tiles, and decorative work. Each suite also had a fireplace. Each guest room was unique, with its own color and design scheme and unique furnishings (designed by Silling & Associates). Furnishings in each room included one-of-a-kind artworks; silk curtains; custom,[4] hand-upholstered furniture; and glass-enclosed rainfall showers.[2][lower-alpha 2] Each guest room contained a television, but in suites these were mirror TVs.[4] Anticipated hotel amenities included an indoor bar, rooftop cocktail lounge, fitness center, "signature" restaurant, outdoor dining area along the canal, spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, and wine cellar with attached wine bar.[15] The lobby of the hotel could be accessed only by an electronic key. The lobby was designed to look like the living room of a wealthy home, with built-in bookshelves, chandelier, and floor-to-ceiling fireplace.[4]

Initially, the hotel was due to deliver in the fall of 2012[3] in order to be available for the second inauguration of Barack Obama,[1] but did not. In December 2012, the developers expected the hotel to open in February 2013,[2] but missed this target date as well. The hotel's $50 million ($54,878,571 in 2019 dollars) renovation was finally completed in March 2013.[1][lower-alpha 3] The Washington Business Journal cited the renovation as its "Best Deal: Rehab/Reuse" for 2013.[1] The Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects gave the project its Award of Merit.[20] The project also received the Award of Merit – Best Renovation/Adaptive Re-use from the Maryland/DC Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties,[21] the Award of Merit – Commercial/Residential Renovation (More Than $4 Million) from the Metro Washington Chapter of the American Building College,[22] and the Excellence in Craftsmanship Award for Lighting Systems and the Star Award for Excellence in the Face of Adversity from the Washington Building Congress.[23]

The property was assessed at about $31 million ($34,024,714 in 2019 dollars) after the renovation.[24]

Operation

Room rates at the Capella Hotel were about $600 ($659 in 2019 dollars) a night in 2013.[17]

The hotel won some early high praise. CNN called it one of 2013's hottest new hotels and Forbes Life magazine placed it in its list of the top 20 hotel properties in the United States.[17]

However, the Capella Hotel struggled in its first year of operation.[5] Unable to open by the 2013 presidential inauguration, the hotel missed an opportunity to introduce itself to many luxury travelers.[1] Occupancy rates in the months following the hotel's opening averaged between 30 and 50 percent, although they later rose to 80 percent by May 2014. Management felt the hotel was still three months behind in meeting its targets as summer 2014 approached. The hotel also failed to generate much local buzz, and began opening its doors to the public for limited events (such as trunk shows and cocktail mixing classes) and giving the public access to its formerly-exclusive rooftop lounge.[17] Without a ballroom or meeting space, the hotel also could not attract large numbers of travelers who might give the hotel excellent word-of-mouth.[17][5]

The AAA gave Cappella Hotel four diamonds out of five in 2014. The hotel retained that rating in 2015.[25] But Forbes Travel Guide (formerly known as the Mobil Guide) declined to give the hotel either four or five stars in 2015, and did not add it to its "recommended" list.[26]

Rosewood

In March 2016, after three years in operation, Castleton Holdings and ICG Properties[24] agreed to sell their interest in the hotel building to CTF Georgetown Hotel LLC, an affiliate of Hong Kong-based CTF Development Inc.[27] The hotel sold for an "astounding" $65 million ($69,245,008 in 2019 dollars), or $1.3 million ($1,384,900 in 2019 dollars) per guest room. This was nearly three-and-a-half times the per-guest room price of The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown (which sold in December 2015 for $32.5 million ($34,622,504 in 2019 dollars)), almost five-and-a-half times the per-guest room price of the Washington Marriott Georgetown (which sold in September 2015 for $113 million ($120,379,784 in 2019 dollars)), and more than two-and-three-quarters the per-guest room price of The St. Regis Washington, D.C. (which sold in July 2015 for $82 million ($87,355,241 in 2019 dollars)).[27]

CTF Georgetown Hotel hired Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, a Dallas-based luxury hotel and resort company, to brand and manage the property. The Rosewood opened on April 21, 2016, making it the first Rosewood property in the Washington metropolitan area. Rosewood Hotels said it intended to make only cosmetic changes to the hotel.[5]


References
Notes
  1. A trayed ceiling is a ceiling which resembles an inverted deep tray. They are usually used to hide recessed lighting.[18]
  2. A rainfall shower is a type of shower where a large showerhead is placed in the ceiling directly above the bather. Water issues from the showerhead in imitation of rainfall—either by being pushed from the showerhead at moderate to low pressure, or by the effect of gravity.[19]
  3. The Washington Business Journal later pegged the cost of the renovation much lower, at just $32 million, in April 2016.[5]
Citations
  1. Cooper, Rebecca (April 25, 2014). "Best Real Estate Deals of 2013: Rehab/Reuse". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  2. Neibauer, Michael (December 19, 2012). "Fabiani & Co.'s Stephen Conafay Spins Off, Moves to 2200 Pennsylvania". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  3. Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership 2011, p. 43.
  4. Krause, Megan (June 21, 2013). "Capella Hotel, Washington, D.C." Boutique Design. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  5. Cooper, Rebecca (April 22, 2016). "Capella Hotel Officially Becomes Rosewood Washington D.C." Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  6. Goodman, S. Oliver (September 8, 1963). "Insurance Firm Moves". The Washington Post. p. B10.
  7. Schuette, Paul A. (June 21, 1962). "Building Plan Becomes Career". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  8. "New Georgetown Building". The Washington Post. March 31, 1963. p. C14.
  9. "Canal Building to Open". The Washington Post. April 27, 1963. p. D2.
  10. "Business Briefs: Vepco's Net Gains 6.7% in 12 Months". The Washington Post. March 26, 1967. p. G2.
  11. "Canal Building Being Occupied". The Washington Post. August 17, 1963. p. E11.
  12. O'Connell, Jonathan (April 6, 2009). "Georgetown to Get 'Ultra High-End' Hotel". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  13. Rowland, Kara; Miller, S.A. (September 28, 2009). "Trial lawyers lobby sinks $6.2M in debt". The Washington Times. Retrieved May 4, 2016; Hsu, Spencer S. (December 10, 2010). "Lawyers, bankers battle it out over loan". The Washington Post. p. B1. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  14. Frederick, Missy (April 12, 2010). "Boutique Hotel Projects Lining Up in the District". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  15. Frederick, Missy (September 2, 2011). "New Capella Georgetown Hotel Scores Financing". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  16. Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership 2011, p. 44.
  17. Bhattarai, Abha (May 18, 2014). "One Year In, the Capella Rethinks Its Strategy". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  18. Jefferis & Jefferis 2008, p. 532.
  19. Rowan & Sanford 2013, p. 10.
  20. "2013 Chapter Design Award winners". Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  21. "2013 Awards of Excellence Winners". Maryland/DC Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  22. "Excellence in Construction: 2013 Awards". Building Washington: 8. Winter 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  23. "2014 Craftsmanship Awards Winners". Washington Building Congress. 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  24. Sernovitz, Daniel J. (March 17, 2016). "Deal in the Works to Sell, Rebrand the Capella Hotel in Georgetown". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  25. American Automobile Association (January 15, 2016). AAA/CAA Four Diamond Hotels (PDF) (Report). p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 28, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  26. "Forbes Travel Guide 2016 Star Award Winners". Forbes Travel Guide. February 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  27. Sernovitz, Daniel J. (April 27, 2016). "This Really Is the Most Valuable Hotel in Washington". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2016.

Bibliography
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