In honor of Earth Day, here's a look at new Washington restaurants, corporate event venues, hotels, conference centers, and private rooms that factor the environment into their design or operations. Many of these new and renovated Washington venues have LEED certification from the U.S. Green Buildings Council or another certification group. They can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, weddings, business dinners, teambuilding activities, cocktail parties, and more.
The Hilton Garden Inn Alexandria Old Town opened in March and has applied for LEED Silver certification. Located two block from the King Street Metro station, the 109-room hotel includes 603 square feet of flexible meeting space. The space seats 50 guests banquet-style or holds 60 guests for receptions. The rooftop terrace boasts views of the Washington Monument. Its green features include water-conserving plumbing fixtures, a recycling program, and energy-efficient heating and cooling.
The LEED Gold-certified George Washington University Museum and Tthe Textile Museum opened in March. The museum combines its collection of textile art representing six continents and five millennia with the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection of historic artifacts relating to the history of D.C. The museum has several green features including a two-year purchase agreement to procure a majority of electricity from renewable wind power. The building uses low-flow plumbing fixtures and features low-emitting paint, carpet, adhesives, coatings, and sealants. The contractor was able to divert most of the waste during demolition and construction from disposal in landfills or incineration facilities. There is bike storage for visitors and staff, while native and adaptive plant species are included in the landscape to eliminate the use of potable water for irrigation. Among the venue’s spaces is the George Hewitt Myers Multipurpose Room, which holds 143 people for receptions or 288 people when used with the lobby.
In February, the new waterless mani-pedi salon Varnish Lane opened in Friendship Heights. By going waterless, the salon saves 10 to 15 gallons of water per service. The salon’s nail polishes and gel polishes are “five free,” meaning they are free of the five major chemicals present in many nail polishes. Its products are made locally and are plant-based and free of chemicals. Designed by Lauren Liess, the salon includes brass touches, ample natural light, and reclining leather chairs with iPads. The salon holds 10 people at a time for manicure and pedicure packages.
The Embassy Row Hotel unveiled its $15 million renovation in March with 231 new guest rooms, a redesigned lobby with new restaurant Station Kitchen & Cocktails, a revamped fitness and recreation studio, and a 4,000-square-foot seasonal rooftop bar complex with a heated saltwater swimming pool. Designed by HVS Design, the Embassy Row Hotel’s new look includes nods to Washington like handmade acrylic cherry blossoms in the lobby along with silhouettes of historic D.C. figures and personalities. The hotel has nearly 5,000 square feet of indoor meeting space with seven breakout rooms, including a 2,265-square-foot ballroom that holds 333 guests for receptions; Station Kitchen & Cocktails holds 153. The hotel has made a commitment to source from small businesses within D.C., reducing the property’s carbon footprint. These businesses include Union Kitchen, Potomac Pastry, and Compass Coffee.
Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Alexandria just completed a multimillion-dollar renovation to all guest rooms, suites, hallways, and the hotel’s living-room-style lobby. Designed by David Hill of DH Design, Kimpton’s renovation includes nods to Virginia like an oversize rug featuring dogwood petals in the lobby, furniture upholstered with illustrations of the state bird, and feature walls in the guest rooms with an artistic graphic collage of flickering gas lamps the designer found around Old Town Alexandria. True to the hotel brand’s eco-friendly ethos, the redesign used low- or no-V.O.C. finishes in the guest rooms and public spaces. Instead of purchasing new lounge furniture for the guest rooms, the designers reupholstered the existing chairs and chaise sofas with pewter fabric with cardinal and dogwood print, cutting down on waste. The hotel also completed a lighting project in its public spaces, meeting and event spaces, and guest rooms that replaced regular lightbulbs with LED bulbs to reduce its carbon footprint.
The Marriott Marquis Washington, DC, the District’s largest hotel, has more than 105,000 square feet of meeting space. Opened in May 2014, the hotel is certified LEED Silver. The property includes 83 meeting rooms, a 31,000-square-foot Marquis Ballroom, two 11,000-square-foot ballrooms, an 18,000-square-foot indoor event terrace, and a 5,200-square-foot outdoor event terrace. It is one of the largest hotels in the country to earn the LEED Silver distinction.
Founding Farmers opened a 12,000-square-foot outpost in Tysons Corner in February that is designed to meet LEED Silver certification. The restaurant uses an in-house water filtration system and brews its own sun tea using natural sunlight; it also composts and recycles. The restaurant boasts energy-efficient lighting and kitchen equipment, and windows bring in natural light.
Rockville’s wellness-focused Even Hotel was designed with sustainability in mind. The property includes natural eucalyptus fiber bedding in the hotel rooms and signage encouraging guests to take the stairs, as well as organic cocktails and sustainably sourced fare at the property’s Cork & Kale Market. The 167-room hotel opened in July. It includes a 1,200-square-foot athletic studio with a flex meeting space for groups of as many as 24 people.
Health-focused chain True Food Kitchen opened its first East Coast location at Mosaic District in Merrifield in September. Based on Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet, the restaurant offers eco-friendly bags and to-go boxes and cups. It sources organic produce and uses local vendors and produce when possible. The 142-seat restaurant includes an open kitchen and a 46-seat covered patio.
Last summer, Cambria Suites opened in Shaw with 182 rooms and 1,200 square feet of meeting facilities, as well as lounge space, a courtyard with a fire pit, and a rooftop patio with a saltwater pool. The 800-square-foot Duke Ellington Room holds 70 for receptions or seats 40 classroom-style. A 400-square-foot boardroom seats 12. Anticipated to earn at least LEED Silver certification, the hotel includes energy-saving features such as rooms that can sense via motion detector if they are unoccupied, turning off lights and heat or air-conditioning. The thermostat will then quickly revert to the previous temperature as soon as guests return to the room. Shower heads are designed to save water, and urinals in the men’s rooms are water-free. There’s in-room recycling, free charging in the garage for electric cars, and high-efficiency appliances, heat pumps, kitchen equipment, and boilers.
