2. AC Hotel Washington, D.C. at National Harbor
TEAM PLAYERS
OWNER: Ryman Hospitality Properties
OPERATOR: Marriott International
ARCHITECTURE/INTERIOR DESIGN/MEP ENGINEERING: Baskervill
CONSTRUCTION: D.F. Chase
When Marriott International decided to import European lifestyle brand AC Hotels to North America, the company selected Richmond, Va.-based design firm Baskervill as the prototype architect for the flag adaptation in the United States and Canada. The opening of the AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon in December 2014 marked the brand’s official U.S. debut.
Baskervill had collaborated with Marriott on other brand prototypes, including Courtyard and SpringHill Suites. For AC Hotels, the firm reinterpreted the European prototype for the North American market. “We reviewed drawings, building codes, materials, and what Marriott wanted to do with the guestrooms and public spaces and made their vision a reality,” says Patricia Lopez, associate senior designer at Baskervill.
This year, the firm had its first opportunity to work directly on an AC project—the conversion of the Aloft Washington National Harbor to the AC Hotel Washington, D.C. at National Harbor. Initially opened in 2009, the property was acquired by Ryman Hospitality Properties at the end of 2014 and closed for renovations after the holidays. The existing building had a modern exterior that worked well with the AC aesthetic, Lopez says. The Aloft brand is known for its industrial, loft-like design, however, so the public spaces had exposed ceilings with massive windows, gray concrete floors, and dark black ceilings with neon lights. This posed a challenge in the conversion to AC, which has a more neutral, contemporary feel. “We had to add drywall ceilings to enclose all the duct work and lighting,” Lopez says. “We tried to keep the ceilings as high as we could to take advantage of the great views of the Potomac.”
Another major change involved removing the indoor pool to make way for additional meeting space. The pool was filled in with concrete and leveled with the existing floor, then carpeted, and the skylights were concealed with a new ceiling. Beyond incorporating all the AC brand finishes and FF&E, the guestrooms didn’t require any major construction since the existing footprint remained intact.
To reinforce the brand’s “Feel the City” motto, each AC Hotel is tailored to its location. At National Harbor, Baskervill incorporated nautical touches and textured materials, such as rope and wood. “I came across an aerial view of the National Harbor, and I was inspired by the alignment of the docks and sailboats in the water and the modern grid it created,” Lopez says. This perspective inspired the property’s clean, simple design, and the linear elements are repeated throughout the hotel as a way to capture the essence of the harbor.
The designers selected a muted color palette of white and tan paired with neutral, nautical materials. A 20-foot-high, two-story rope wall by artist Megan Mosholder guides guests from the first-floor entryway to the second-level lobby. A wooden library wall near the registration desk subtly draws on the linear form of the grid.
“It’s a very comfortable upscale hotel,” Lopez says. “It’s definitely design-led, but it’s not trendy. It has a lot of tone-on-tone, clean, sleek materials, but it would be very easy to update in six to 10 years. So you’re not stuck with bright colors or trendy finishes.”
While the AC brand aims to gain a substantial market share of tech- and design-savvy travelers, the individual properties need to appeal to a diverse demographic. The end result is a classic look with a little bit of attitude. “One of the Marriott designers we work with refers to this brand as a man with a black suit, a white shirt, and a bright, fun bowtie that changes every day.”
