Recently opened hotels in the U.S. include an AC hotel near Marriott’s global headquarters, a Curio Collection hotel in Nashville, the debut of the AKA brand in Boston and boutique hotels in South Lake Tahoe, CA, and Waterville, ME.
AC Hotel Bethesda Downtown
AC Hotel Bethesda Downtown has opened in Bethesda, MD, near the nation’s capital.
OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group, developed and will manage the new hotel, which is adjacent to and shares amenities with Avocet Tower, an office building developed by Stonebridge.
The 18-story AC Hotel Bethesda Downtown has 220 guestrooms and more than 11,000 sq. ft. of activated shared space complete with a signature restaurant. Other amenities include 3,500 sq. ft. of flexible top-floor meeting space with an outdoor terrace overlooking Silver Spring, Tysons Corner, Arlington and downtown DC, and a 5,000-sq.-ft. fitness center.
The property is located at the intersection of Montgomery and Wisconsin, just a few blocks from Marriott International’s new global headquarters and only seven miles from downtown DC. The hotel is also located near the National Institute of Health and Walter Reed Medical Center.
Project partners include Cooper Carry, architect/interior design; Balfour Beatty, base building contractor; and Coakley & Williams Construction, general contractor.
Hotel Fraye Nashville, Curio Collection by Hilton
Hotel Fraye Nashville, Curio Collection by Hilton, has made its debut in Nashville’s Midtown neighborhood. Developed by Eagle Realty in partnership with Greystar and Whitman Peterson with Concord Hospitality Enterprises, which manages the hotel.
The 200-room property features a ground-floor restaurant, as well as a rooftop bar and lounge, a pool, a fitness center and nearly 6,000 sq. ft. of event space, including a seventh-floor outdoor terrace.
Designed by R2L and constructed by JE Dunn, the EOA Group interiors draw inspiration from Nashville’s colorful history, courageous spirit and progressive culture, with subtle details alluding to a woman’s journey to carve her own path as a vanguard in Music City, according to the designers. EOA partnered with DAC Art Consulting to curate the artwork of her journey.
Hotel AKA Back Bay
Luxury brand AKA has made its debut in Boston with the opening of Hotel AKA Back Bay. Previously the Loews Boston Hotel, the 225-room property will undergo a design refresh, all while open for stays, to ensure facets of AKA are infused into the hotel.
The acquisition of the property is a result of Electra America Hospitality Group (EAHG), a joint venture between AKA and Electra America, and marks EAHG’s sixth property since the joint venture launched in early 2021. EAHG is dedicating $20 million in capital for the design upgrades and renovations to the hotel
Hotel AKA Back Bay is close to Boston Commons, the Boston Public Library and Copley Square, as well as Berklee College of Music, Boston College, Boston University, Emerson, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern University and Tufts Medical School.
Desolation Hotel
Desolation Hotel, named for the Desolation Wilderness near which it resides, is now open in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
The hotel is comprised of 21 suites, each with al fresco soaking tubs on private balconies, in-room fireplaces and kitchenettes featuring Bertazzoni gas ranges. Amenities include a private back, a fitness center, a saltwater pool and Maggie’s restaurant and bar, which offers near 360-degree views of the nearby mountains and pine trees from its third-story location.
Desolation Hotel’s sustainability commitment is closely interwoven with its design, as seen in design choices like wrapping the outdoor deck of Maggie’s restaurant around an existing pine tree to avoid downing the native growth (an element also present in the hotel’s reception area and on select guestroom balconies). Any trees that were harvested were repurposed into the hotel’s build with the help of a local mill. Architectural choices like strategically placed skylights allow the hotel to reduce its energy usage and maximize natural light. Rooftop solar arrays help offset the hotel’s demand on the energy grid. Guests can also plug into any one of the 20 EV charging stations available.
Lockwood Hotel
Lockwood Hotel has opened in Waterville, ME, bringing the first boutique experience and new hotel to downtown Waterville’s Main St. in more than a century, according to the property. The property was developed by Colby College, designed by Baskervill and managed by Charlestowne Hotels.
The property features 53 guestrooms and suites, Front & Main restaurant and artworks curated by the Colby College Museum of Art on display throughout the public spaces. The pet-friendly hotel also offers a Doggie Amenity Package.
Nearby attractions include the Belgrade Lakes, Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park and Sugarloaf Ski Area. The hotel will soon unveil a Basecamp Lending Program offering essential adventure goods such as rain gear and backpacks on loan for guests to take on their expeditions through the state.
