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W Washington hotel in downtown DC to undergo $50M facelift

WASHINGTON — Marriott International will start a $50 million, top-to-bottom renovation of its W Washington D.C., the former Hotel Washington it acquired in 2009.

The renovation of the 1917 Beaux Arts building at 15th and Pennsylvania avenues in Northwest D.C. will include the lobby, the rooftop bar, and all 317 rooms and suites.

The rooftop bar, called POV, has long been a popular destination for its White House and National Mall views. It will now get floor-to-ceiling glass leading to the terrace and will be an indoor-outdoor space with accordion-style windows that will open.

Two new restaurants will be added, one off the lobby and the other a new speak-easy with an attached beer garden patio on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The hotel’s 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space will also be redesigned, including the ballroom, called the Great Room.

“Undergoing a monumental change like this during the building’s historical centennial is a testament to the legacy of our hotel and the W brand that both boldly embrace change,” said Meade Atkeson, the hotel’s general manager.

“We look forward to bringing a new, exciting vision of this hotel to life,” Atkeson said.

The redesigned lobby, called the Living Room at the W, will include what a Marriott statement describes as a seemingly endless mirror, honoring the Reflecting Pool of the Lincoln Memorial. It will also have live music and DJs every night of the week.

The renovations will be completed in 2019.

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