Makeover Monday: Six Hotels Sport New Looks

NATIONAL REPORT—Across the U.S., hotels in Marriott International’s family of brands are upgrading the aesthetics of guestrooms, public spaces and more to meet the needs of today’s traveler.

Renaissance New York Times Square Unveils New Guestrooms and Suites

Renaissance New York Times Square debuted its completely redesigned 317 guestrooms and suites, following the earlier completion of its distinctive terrace suites. The hotel’s renovation pays homage to its bustling Times Square neighborhood and the area’s evolution as an iconic hub steeped in theatrical history. Hotel Business’ sister publication, InspireDesign, was on the scene to capture the new look and feel.

Dash Design, a leading NYC-based interior design and branding agency by founder David Ashen, was selected to spearhead the makeover. When envisioning the hotel’s new look, the firm aimed to inspire guests with a sense of endless discovery and unexpected twists at every turn.

The Westin Baltimore Washington Airport-BWI Touts a New Look

More than just an airport hotel, The Westin Baltimore Washington Airport–BWI unveiled a new look and new amenities following a major hotel refresh. The upscale, full-service hotel includes 260 guestrooms as well as more than 13,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space.

The hotel’s newest additions include a refresh of all guestrooms, which now feature leather headboards, enhanced contemporary lighting—including all-new makeup lighting surrounding the oversized bathroom mirrors—chic wallcoverings and fashionable artwork. For comfort, there are chaise lounges and oversized club chairs as well as leather desk chairs.

Chicago Marriott Schaumburg Plans Multimillion-Dollar Renovation

Chicago Marriott Schaumburg has officially begun a $22-million renovation, with an expected completion date of August 2019. The property will be elegantly updated to revitalize the guest experience from check­-in to checkout with reimagined meeting spaces and a transformed lobby with a revolutionary Great Room. Chicago Marriott Schaumburg will also feature a new MClub Lounge, fully remodeled indoor and outdoor pools, refreshed restaurant and bar with an elevated food and beverage menu, and new guestrooms and health club.

Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center

With the $25-million transformation of the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, the bar has been raised for business and social event expectations in and around the Montgomery County corridor of Maryland. The modern and contemporary Rockville hotel includes 455 guestrooms and VIP suites, 50,000 sq. ft. of flexible event and exhibit space, and new food and beverage options including, elevated flavors served in at The Corby Kitchen.

The revamped venue space offers the 23,000-sq.-ft. Grand Ballroom accommodating up to 2,500 guests and offering the highest ceiling height in the area, as well as a 4,000-sq.-ft. flexible Junior Ballroom.

The 455 updated guestrooms include a luxury bath experience and evoke a minimalist, modern aesthetic of clean lines and architectural elements featuring cool tones of gray and blue.

W Atlanta­ Buckhead Unveils $20M Revamp

Woodbine Legacy Investments (WLI) has completed a $20-million renovation on W Atlanta­-Buckhead, a 12-story, 291­-room full­-service luxury hotel in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood. The renovation, which launched in May 2018, wrapped up earlier this year.

Woodbine hired C+TC Studio of Atlanta as the architect and interior designer for guestrooms and the hotel’s rooftop bar, Whiskey Blue; Studio 11 of Dallas as the interior designer for the lobby, public areas and meeting space; and Genoa Construction as the general contractor for the project. The top-to-bottom revamp included the addition of a dedicated welcome area for the Whatever/Whenever concierge team; new furnishings; and a café­style seating arrangement. The new, flexible layout flows easily from day to night, providing a calm, comfortable and swanky space by day and a dynamic, energetic setting with a DJ booth by night, according to the brand.

Sheraton Pasadena Sports a New Look

The Sheraton Pasadena Hotel has completed a two-year, multimillion-dollar renovation. The hotel, which is adjacent to the Pasadena Convention Center, now offers the most recently renovated accommodations, public areas, and meeting space of any property within easy reach of the Convention Center campus, according to the company. The property is owned by Eagle Hospitality Trust, a Singapore listed real estate investment trust.

The project was led by Gensler Design and Luna Construction. The entire hotel, including all guestrooms and suites, all common areas, the restaurant, meeting space, and porte cochère, were all completely redone with new furniture, carpeting, wallcoverings, lighting, casegoods and more. The design aesthetic creates a relaxed ambiance with comfortable furnishings in a soft color palette of blues and grays with orange accents.