HotelChatter

On May 31, Magic Johnson and a group of L.A. investors announced they'd purchased the Hilton Washington for $290 million and are planning a $100 million upgrade. The hotel is best known as the place where, in 1981, the Jodi-Foster-obsessed John Hinckley shot then-President Ronald Reagan. More recently, the Hilton Washington's chattering-class currency has hinged on the annual White House Correspondents Association's Dinner, the annual celebrity-packed event draws political and cultural zeitgeitsters from around the country.

The 84-year-old Jefferson Hotel and the 81-year-old St. Regis are closed for year-long renovations. The Renaissance Mayflower was sold this past spring for $250 million.

Last year, The Hotel Washington, popular for its rooftop restaurant overlooking the White House, was purchased by the royal family of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for $150 million. The seller, Westbrook Partners, flipped the property after six months. According to The Post, they'd purchased it for about $120 million after purchasing it from a Texas family that had owned the property for decades. (Cinema-buff factoid: A memorable scene from The Godfather takes place in The Hotel Washington. Kay (Diane Keaton) tells Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) she doesn't want to bring any more Corleones into the world. Room service!)

The Hilton Washington's new owners plan to keep the hotel open during the upgrade. The hotel will keep its name and the Hilton will continue to manage it.

(P.S. Just a note: the Post missed the break-in news that The Watergate Hotel was closing for renovations.)

[Photo: AlbinoFlea]

Related Stories:
· Break-In News, Watergate Hotel Closing at the End of the Month for Renovations [HotelChatter]
· Churning Cycle of Sales and Renovations [WaPo]

Tags: Hotel Renovations / Washington D.C. Hotel Reviews / Hilton Hotels

by barbarab