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.
Starwood’s Aloft brand opened its first hotel in 2008, has 17 hotels worldwide, and expects to open 500 properties in the next five years. The National Harbor complex in Prince George’s County (15 minutes from downtown Washington) includes the 2,000-room Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, a Westin, Hampton Inn, and Residence Inn.
