HotelChatter - DC

We Gussied Up For The New Capella Georgetown

Chanize — 2013-04-16T17:32:20-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/36985/CapellaRooftop.JPG" class="top"> As you may know, we've been anticipating the opening of the new <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel/local/5190">Capella Washington D.C.</a> for many months, and <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/11/25/45158/349">when its proposed January opening date came and went</a>, it was hard to contain our disappointment. Still, the info on the hotel kept trickling in--news of chefs, GMs, and the like. It was clear that Capella wanted to remain on everyone's radar. So, imagine our surprise when out of the blue we received an invite to D.C. for the hotel's grand opening soiree. It was going to be a large affair in the first week of April. Of course we said yes and went in search for a worthy frock for the ribbon-cuttiing ceremony. When we

Irishman Owes $10 Million to the St. Regis Hotel in D.C.

wakeandwander — 2013-03-18T15:05:05-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/113893/The_St_Regis_Washington_DC_Exterior.jpg" class="top"> The Irish flag flying out front of the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/St.+Regis+Washington%2C+D.C./local/2928">St. Regis Hotel</a> in Washington, D.C. makes a lot more sense now. If Irish billionaire Dómhnal Slattery had a drink or two this weekend for St. Patrick's Day, its unlikely they were as celebratory as those thrown back by others as last week <a href="http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/aircraft-leasing-boss-domhnal-slattery-liable-to-pay-up-to-76m-over-hotel-loan-guarantee-29133471.html">a high court ruled</a> he owes approximately $10 million resulting from a personal guarantee to help fund the purchase of the St. Regis. The kicker? <a href="http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/aircraft-leasing-boss-domhnal-slattery-liable-to-pay-up-to-76m-over-hotel-loan-guarantee-29133471.html">Slattery said</a> he didnt even know the contract he signed was a personal guarantee, and that he didn't necessarily intend to splash the pot. So much for the luck of the Irish! The

See Cherry Blossoms Bloom From Mandarin Oriental DC Bathroom

Chanize — 2013-03-12T17:31:59-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/36985/MODCSuiteBathroom_.jpg" class="top"> Its the start of the magical<a href="http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/about/"> cherry blossom season</a> in Washington DC and it's also HCs unofficial Bathroom Tuesday. So what better way to celebrate both than highlight a hotel with a stunning bathroom that will give you views of the citys natural pride and joy? The baths at the swank <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel/local/3931">Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.</a> are filled with glossy marble and have both separate shower and deep soaking tubs. Some rooms and suites (those are the ones youll want for this time of the year) have views of the Washington Monument. And if peeping the cherry blossom trees while youre having a soak in your tub isn't enough, you can always turn on the in-bath

Renaissance Washington Reno Came to a Cool $30M

Janice Tober — 2013-03-01T11:18:37-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/99248/Renaissance_Double.JPG" class="top"> The <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel/local/2404">Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel</a> just announced theyve completed a redesign of all 807(!) guest rooms and suites to the tune of $30M. Wow -- talk about investing in the economy. Good on em. The hotel is located across from Mt. Vernon Square and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, close to DCs Chinatown and Penn Quarter districts. The rooms, designed by Dash Design in New York, are meant to complement the hotels recent lobby redo and are done in khakis and cocoa-browns with splashes of reinterpreted denim blues and reds. Each room is accented with clean and modern furniture. The leather lounge and desk chairs are inspired by twentieth-century modernism. LED reading pin lights

Trump Trying To Duck Taxes On New D.C. Hotel Project

Chanize — 2013-01-09T09:43:02-05:00

We told you earlier this year that Donald Trump has designs of opening a hotel in Washington D.C., in one of the city’s beloved landmark’s, the Old Post Office.

Well, now he doesn’t want to pay taxes on the property, which could delay the project. The Old Post Office is a federal building, so property taxes aren’t required, but possessory interest tax--established in 2000 to tax companies operating on federal land—are still in order.

According to The Washington Business Journal, The Old Post Office's tax bill could start at $3 million a year. The article said Trump has been trying to get unspecified "relief" on the tax from the city—so far to no avail.