08.12.09 10:41 AM
Hilton Washington Unveils Ongoing Renovation and Expansion
The Hilton Washington's executive level lounge Photo: Courtesy of Hilton Washington
The Hilton Washington offered a sneak peak of the its $140 million ongoing renovation and expansion at a recent hard-hat tour for the press. All of the 44-year-old hotel's 1,070 guest rooms are receiving a top-to-bottom makeover, as are the public areas, including the lobby, meeting rooms, and function space.MORE >>
07.09.09 12:03 PM
Pedestrian Plazas Now Available for Events, Provide New Revenue for City
The crowded car-free zone next to Macy's Photo: John Minchillo for BizBash
FROM NEW YORK
After debuting in May, the car-free areas on Broadway are still in the development stages—lingering traffic cones cordon off some sections, and the lawn chairs in Times Square will soon be replaced with sturdier ones—but the city has already started renting them out for events and promotions. The move is a positive one for New York—the usage brings in an additional revenue stream—as well as for planners and producers, who value the added visibility. And according to The New York Times public promotion from VH1 .
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06.24.09 4:10 PM
Bourbon Steak at Four Seasons Hotel Unveils New Patio
Bourbon Steak , chef Michael Mina's restaurant at The Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, has a new lure for summer and fall diners: a luxurious patio. After $125,000 worth of upgrades, the space features new furniture and is accompanied by a new summer menu from executive chef David Varley.MORE >>
03.20.09 8:00 AM
Bon Appetit Names Sushiko a Top U.S. Sushi Bar
It’s time for a sake toast at Sushiko in Chevy Chase, thanks to the latest issue of Bon Appetit . In its April 2009 edition, the magazine named the Japanese restaurant one of the top 10 sushi spots in the country, joining such notables as Soto in New York and Nobu in Los Angeles. "Sushi aficionados flock to this curvy 14-seat bar to watch expert sushi chefs turn fresh fish into edible art. They know the fresh wasabi (as opposed to the typical processed stuff) is well worth the extra charge," the reviewer wrote.— Washington’s first sushi bar— which opened in 1976.The Chevy Chase branch is under the direction of chefs Piter Tjan and Edwin Navarro. In addition to the 150-seat dining room and 30-seat cocktail lounge, the venue has a private dining room that seats 40.
—Walter Nicholls
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Bon Appétit
03.05.09 11:05 AM
Starwood to Open W in Late Summer With Rooftop Bar and Event Space
A rendering of the Rooftop Bar at the W Washington D.C. Rendering: Courtesy of the W Washington D.C.
The long-anticipated reincarnation of one of Washington’s most beloved rooftop destinations will take place on August 1 when the former Hotel Washington opens, after an 18-month renovation, as the W Washington D.C. Managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, with decor by Los Angeles-based Dianna Wong Architecture & Interior Design, the property’s interior blends the original Italian Renaissance architecture with modern furnishings.Bliss Spa , as well as a fully-equipped fitness center.
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Starwood Hotels , National Mall , White House
02.20.09 9:00 AM
Todd English Brings Cha Restaurant to Donovan House This Spring
The lounge of Cha restaurant on Logan Circle Rendering: Studio Gaia
In the spring, Todd English Enterprises will open a restaurant called Cha (Chinese for tea ) in the Thompson’s Hotel Group’s Donovan House hotel on Logan Circle. Designed by the New York-based Studio Gaia, the modern, 3,500-square-foot, 140-seat venue will feature a bar/lounge area (split by a dark mahogany communal table and table-length chandelier) and a main dining room with a private, curtained off, eight-seat banquette. Also on site: a 58-seat private dining room.
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Todd English Enterprises
01.30.09 12:12 PM
Starwood to Open Aloft Hotel at National Harbor in March
Aloft Washington National Harbor Photo: Courtesy of Starwood Hotels and Restorts
National Harbor event venues are on the increase. Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced that it will open Aloft Washington National Harbor at the end of March. San Francisco-based Kokua Hospitality will manage the $48 million, 190-room boutique hotel that includes a day spa and the first East Coast branch of Ketchup , a California-based grill and lounge. Aloft’s 6,500-square-foot Great Room seats 480 or holds 700 for receptions; the 2,400-square-foot Altitude rooftop space seats 220 and holds 260.
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Starwood Hotels
01.22.09 12:53 PM
New Ris Restaurant to Include Flexible Event Space
A rendering of Ris Rendering: Courtesy of Ris Restaurant and Nightclub
After many delays, one of the city’s premier chefs, Ris Lacoste, said that her long-awaited new dining venue, Ris, will open in late summer 2009 in the West End. Designed by local architect Tom Kamm, the newly constructed 3,200-square-foot flexible space will have five separate dining areas and 160 seats (plus an additional 40 to 50 outdoors in fair weather), which can be reconfigured to create private rooms with 12 and 40 seats. Kamm said his design is based on "a contemporary reinterpretation of a French café with additional influences from the chef’s experiences in Australia and the Northern California wine country."
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Kennedy Center
01.16.09 1:17 PM
Upgraded Jefferson Hotel to Reopen in Summer With Reconfigured Meeting Space
A rendering of the Jefferson's new lobby Rendering: dariushdc.com
Since closing for a major renovation in March 2007, the venerable Jefferson Hotel has undergone a multimillion dollar transformation to high-tech, luxury boutique hotel and is slated to reopen this summer with reconfigured meeting and dining space. Owned and operated by Ogden CAP Properties and located four blocks from the White House, the site was originally opened as a 10-story Beaux Arts residential building in 1923 and converted to an upscale hotel in 1955.
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