CHICAGO—Aparium Hotel Group announced the development of three new hotels. The properties include Hotel Westland in Seattle, Washington; Hotel Heron in Alexandria, Virginia; and Populus Hotel in Denver, Colorado.
“We are excited to continue on a steady path of growth with new openings that supports our goal of connecting travelers to unique experiences and culture in important cities and neighborhoods throughout the country,” said Mario Tricoci, founder and CEO of Aparium Hotel Group. “Our curated pipeline of projects underscores our commitment to delivering one-of-one hotels and food & beverage concepts that harness a city’s spirit.”
Hotel Heron—Alexandria, Virginia
A first-time partnership between Aparium, May Reigler Properties, and Potomac Investment Properties, Hotel Heron represents the transformation of the 1926 George Mason hotel building in Old Town of Alexandria, Virginia. Spearheaded by Washington D.C.-based architect, Antonovich Associates, and design firm, Street Sense, the hotel will include 134 rooms, 30,000 square feet of amenities, meeting space, a ground floor flagship restaurant, and a rooftop bar. Project construction is underway, and the hotel is slated for completion by late 2023.
“After a thorough search for the right hotel operator, it was clear Aparium would be the ideal fit for a top-of-market hotel and food and beverage operations in the storied Old Town neighborhood of Alexandria,” said May Riegler CEO Kevin Riegler. “They understand our strategic and lifestyle goals for the hotel, making them the best partner to help us bring this exciting new addition to the community.”
Hotel Westland—Seattle, Washington
Located in Pioneer Square, Hotel Westland will be the hotel group’s first hotel in Seattle. In a partnership with Urban Villages, the adaptive reuse of the Westland Building is expected to open in late 2023 with 120 guestrooms and suites, a signature indoor and outdoor restaurant on activated “Railspur” alley, as well as a rooftop bar. Curioso, a hospitality interior design firm located in Chicago, is set to oversee the design.
Populus Hotel—Denver, Colorado
Slated to open in Civic Center Park, Populus will be a 13-story hotel designed to serve as an architectural landmark in Denver. Architectural firm Studio Gang has been tasked to design the building’s façade, which is inspired by the patterns found in Colorado’s native Aspen tree, the Populus Tremuloides. Developed by Urban Villages, the 265-room property will be one of the first carbon-positive hotels in the United States. The eco-conscious design plan includes a commitment to plant trees equivalent to over 5,000 acres of forest, offsetting a carbon footprint that equals nearly 500,000 gallons of gas, and removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The first floor will have a café and restaurant, the second floor will consist of meeting spaces for co-working areas and social events, and the hotel will feature a rooftop bar and restaurant. Populus will serve as the catalyst for the revitalization of the neighborhood. Construction started in April and is slated to be completed in early 2024.
“As Urban Villages continues to develop iconic, placemaking projects in storied neighborhoods, we are thrilled to have Aparium as our hotel partner in Seattle and Denver,” said Urban Villages CEO, Grant McCargo. “We look forward to creating a lasting impact with Aparium and these hotels will help shape their neighborhoods for decades to come.”
“Revitalization of the neighborhood?!”
Populous will neighbor the only Gio Ponti building in North America, Daniel Libeskind’s and Machado Silevtti’s thriving Denver Art Museum expansions, the public library by Michael Graves and is adjacent to a prime example of the beaux arts architecture of the beautiful Civic Center Park. Studio Gang/Aparium find themselves in good company, not revitalizing an already vital and thriving neighborhood of Denver. Do some research.