View source for Rosewood Washington, D.C.

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox hotel
| hotel_name       = Rosewood Washington, D.C.
| logo             = Rosewood Washington, D.C. Logo.png
| logo_width       = 
| logo_caption     = 
| image            = Rosewood Washington, D.C.jpg
| image_width      = 
| location         = United States
| address          = 1050 31st Street NW, Washington, D.C.
| chain            = [[Rosewood Hotels & Resorts]]
| coordinates      = {{coord|38.904004|-77.061473|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=title,inline}}
| opening_date     = August 1963 (Canal Building);<br>2013 (Cappella Hotel);<br>2016 (Rosewood)
| developer        = Henry Kaufman, Maury Young, Eugene Young, Jr., Robert Young (Canal Building);<br>ICG Properties, Castleton Holdings, Point Ford Management (Cappella Hotel)
| architect        = [[Vlastimil Koubek]] (Canal Building);<br>[[Mancini•Duffy]]/Peter Silling & Associates/Michael Winstanley Architects & Planners (Capella Hotel)
| operator         = Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
| owner            = CTF Georgetown Hotel LLC
| cost             = $18.3&nbsp;million (2008 building sale);<br>$50&nbsp;million (2012 renovation);<br>$65&nbsp;million (2016 sale)
| number_of_rooms  = 37 (not including suites)
| number_of_suites = 12
| number_of_restaurants = 1
| floor_area       = <!-- {{convert||sqft|abbr=on}} -->
| floors           = 5
| height           = 
| parking          = 50
| website          = [http://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/washington-dc rosewoodhotels.com]
| footnotes        = 
}}

'''Rosewood Washington, D.C.''' is a luxury [[boutique hotel]] located at 1050 31st Street NW in the [[Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)|Georgetown]] neighborhood of [[Washington, D.C.]], in the United States. Originally an office building known as the '''Canal Building''', it was constructed in 1963, and was the first major new building constructed in Georgetown in 50 years. The structure was purchased by two local real estate development companies in 2008 and converted to a hotel. The renovation won multiple awards. The hotel, branded as and managed by [[Capella Hotels and Resorts]], opened in 2013 as the '''Cappella Hotel'''. The developers sold the property to [[Rosewood Hotels & Resorts]], which rebranded the hotel as the Rosewood Washington, D.C., in 2016.

The hotel has 55 accommodations in total, including 6 townhouses, 12 suites and 37 standard guest rooms.<ref name=cooperbestdeals /><ref name=neibauerconafay /> The hotel has about {{convert|42000|sqft|m2}} of interior space.{{sfn|Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership|2011|page=43}}

==Construction of the building and early use==
In 1961, D.C.-area advertising executive Henry Kaufman and local insurance company executives Maury Young, Eugene Young, Jr., and Dr. Robert Young purchased a vacant lot at 1050 31st Street NW in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.<ref name=goodman>{{cite news|last=Goodman|first=S. Oliver|title=Insurance Firm Moves|work=The Washington Post|date=September 8, 1963|page=B10}}</ref> They hired local architect [[Vlastimil Koubek]] to design a five-story office building to house their businesses. Koubek initially proposed a [[Modern architecture|Modernist]] building with an all-glass first floor and exposed stone upper floors. The [[District of Columbia Zoning Commission]] approved the design, but the [[United States Commission of Fine Arts]]—which had approval authority over construction in the area under authority granted to it by the [[Old Georgetown Act]]—rejected the design as too modern. By early summer 1962, Koubek had revised his design.<ref name=Schuette /> The structure was now a spare,<ref name=krause /> [[Federal architecture|Federalist-style]] red brick building with small windows. The Commission of Fine Arts approved this design, but the Zoning Commission did not after arguing that Koubek's second effort was too far removed from the design they had originally approved. The zoning board also was unhappy with the way Koubek intended to conceal the mechanical and [[HVAC]] equipment on the roof.<ref name=Schuette>{{cite news|last=Schuette|first=Paul A.|title=Building Plan Becomes Career|work=The Washington Post|date=June 21, 1962|page=B1}}</ref>

Koubek eventually won approval from the zoning commission, and construction began in March 1963. The building was a "first" in several ways:  It was the first non-Modernist structure Koubek ever designed,<ref name=newgtown>{{cite news|title=New Georgetown Building|work=The Washington Post|date=March 31, 1963|page=C14}}</ref> it was the first major new building constructed in Georgetown in the past 50 years,<ref name=newgtown /> and it was the first new office building constructed in Georgetown in 100 years.<ref name=toopen>{{cite news|title=Canal Building to Open|work=The Washington Post|date=April 27, 1963|page=D2}}</ref>

Named the Canal Building,<ref name=vepco>{{cite news|title=Business Briefs: Vepco's Net Gains 6.7% in 12 Months|work=The Washington Post|date=March 26, 1967|page=G2}}</ref> the structure was erected by the [[George A. Fuller|George A. Fuller Company]]<ref name=occupied>{{cite news|title=Canal Building Being Occupied|work=The Washington Post|date=August 17, 1963|page=E11}}</ref> and had {{convert|36000|sqft|m2}} of usable interior space.<ref name=toopen /> It also had three underground parking levels<ref name=cooperbestdeals>{{cite news|last=Cooper|first=Rebecca|title=Best Real Estate Deals of 2013: Rehab/Reuse|work=Washington Business Journal|date=April 25, 2014|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/print-edition/2014/04/25/best-real-estate-deals-of-2013-rehab-reuse.html}}</ref> which could accommodate 50 vehicles.<ref name=toopen /> The structure, which was freestanding, had windows and views on all four sides,<ref name=cooperbestdeals /> and about {{convert|4400|sqft|m2}} of the lot in back of the building fronted on the [[Chesapeake & Ohio Canal]].<ref name=oconnell>{{cite news|last=O'Connell|first=Jonathan|title=Georgetown to Get 'Ultra High-End' Hotel|work=Washington Business Journal|date=April 6, 2009|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/04/06/story8.html}}</ref>

The building was first occupied in August 1963.<ref name=occupied /> The Young & Simon, Inc. insurance firm occupied one floor,<ref name=goodman /> and the Henry J. Kaufman & Associates advertising agency occupied another floor (expanding to two floors in 1967).<ref name=vepco />

In 1977, the [[American Association for Justice|Association of Trial Lawyers of America]] (ATLA) purchased the structure and moved its headquarters from [[Boston]], Massachusetts, to Washington, D.C. The ATLA rededicated the building under the name "[[Leonard M. Ring]] Law Center". In 2007, the ATLA purchased a new building at 777 Sixth Street NW for $105&nbsp;million, and vacated the building.<ref name=oconnell /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Rowland|first1=Kara|last2=Miller|first2=S.A.|title=Trial lawyers lobby sinks $6.2M in debt|work=The Washington Times|date=September 28, 2009|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/28/trial-lawyers-lobby-is-62-m-in-debt/?page=all|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|last=Hsu|first=Spencer S.|title=Lawyers, bankers battle it out over loan|work=The Washington Post|date=December 10, 2010|page=B1|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/09/AR2010120906485.html}}</ref>

==Cappella Hotel==

===Acquisition and renovation===
In January 2008, a local D.C. real estate development company, Castleton Holdings Inc., purchased the Canal Building for $18.3 million (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|18300000|2008}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars). About January 2009, another local real estate development firm, [[ICG Properties]] LLC, took a 50 percent equity investment in the property.<ref name=oconnell />

By April 2009, Castleton and ICG were in talks with a "high-end, boutique [hotel] operator" as a tenant in the building.<ref name=oconnell /> In March 2010, the other party was revealed to be Capella Hotels and Resorts,<ref name=fredericklining>{{cite news|last=Frederick|first=Missy|title=Boutique Hotel Projects Lining Up in the District|work=Washington Business Journal|date=April 12, 2010|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/04/12/story5.html}}</ref> the owner and operator of luxury boutique hotels in New York City,<ref name=frederickfinancing /> Japan, Mexico, Russia, and Thailand.<ref name=krause>{{cite web|last=Krause|first=Megan|title=Capella Hotel, Washington, D.C.|website=Boutique Design|date=June 21, 2013|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.boutiquedesign.com/content/capella-hotel-washington-dc}}</ref> The three companies tentatively announced they would renovate the building into a 48-room hotel beginning in 2011.<ref name=fredericklining /> The D.C. hotel would become the chain's flagship hotel.<ref name=frederickfinancing /> Obtaining financing during the [[Great Recession]] proved difficult. Castleton and ICG took on a third equal equity partner, the Indonesian investment firm Point Ford Management Ltd., which provided part of the $45&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|45000000|2011}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars) in financing needed for the renovation. (The deal was Point Ford's first American hotel investment.) The remainder of the financing came from [[PNC Financial Services]].<ref name=frederickfinancing>{{cite news|last=Frederick|first=Missy|title=New Capella Georgetown Hotel Scores Financing|work=Washington Business Journal|date=September 2, 2011|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/print-edition/2011/09/02/new-capella-georgetown-hotel-scores.html}}</ref>

The renovation plans drawn up by the architectural firms of [[Mancini•Duffy]]{{sfn|Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership|2011|page=44}} and Peter Silling & Associates<ref name=krause /><ref name=frederickfinancing /> called for 12 suites and 27 standard guest rooms.<ref name=Bhattarai /> Additional architectural work was provided by Michael Winstanley Architects & Planners.<ref name=cooperbestdeals /> Each guest room featured trayed ceilings,{{Efn|A trayed ceiling is a ceiling which resembles an inverted deep tray. They are usually used to hide recessed lighting.{{sfn|Jefferis|Jefferis|2008|page=532}}}} [[cove lighting]], [[Millwork (building material)|millwork]] manufactured in Europe, hardwood [[Parquetry|parquet]] flooring from a demolished French [[château]], and laser-cut marble sinks, tiles, and decorative work. Each suite also had a fireplace. Each guest room was unique, with its own color and design scheme and unique furnishings (designed by Silling & Associates). Furnishings in each room included one-of-a-kind artworks; silk curtains; custom,<ref name=krause /> hand-upholstered furniture; and glass-enclosed rainfall showers.<ref name=neibauerconafay>{{cite news|last=Neibauer|first=Michael|title=Fabiani & Co.'s Stephen Conafay Spins Off, Moves to 2200 Pennsylvania|work=Washington Business Journal|date=December 19, 2012|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2012/12/fabiani-cos-stephen-conafay-spins.html}}</ref>{{Efn|A rainfall shower is a type of shower where a large showerhead is placed in the ceiling directly above the bather. Water issues from the showerhead in imitation of rainfall—either by being pushed from the showerhead at moderate to low pressure, or by the effect of gravity.{{sfn|Rowan|Sanford|2013|page=10}}}} Each guest room contained a television, but in suites these were [[mirror TV]]s.<ref name=krause /> Anticipated hotel amenities included an indoor bar, rooftop cocktail lounge, fitness center, "signature" restaurant, outdoor dining area along the canal, spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, and wine cellar with attached wine bar.<ref name=frederickfinancing /> The lobby of the hotel could be accessed only by an electronic key. The lobby was designed to look like the living room of a wealthy home, with built-in bookshelves, [[chandelier]], and floor-to-ceiling fireplace.<ref name=krause />

Initially, the hotel was due to deliver in the fall of 2012{{sfn|Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership|2011|page=43}} in order to be available for the [[second inauguration of Barack Obama]],<ref name=cooperbestdeals /> but did not. In December 2012, the developers expected the hotel to open in February 2013,<ref name=neibauerconafay /> but missed this target date as well. The hotel's $50&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|50000000|2013}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars) renovation was finally completed in March 2013.<ref name=cooperbestdeals />{{Efn|The ''Washington Business Journal'' later pegged the cost of the renovation much lower, at just $32&nbsp;million, in April 2016.<ref name=cooperrosewood />}} The ''Washington Business Journal'' cited the renovation as its "Best Deal: Rehab/Reuse" for 2013.<ref name=cooperbestdeals /> The Washington Chapter of the [[American Institute of Architects]] gave the project its Award of Merit.<ref>{{cite web|title=2013 Chapter Design Award winners|website=Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects|date=2013|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://aiadc.com/competitions/chapter-design-awards-2013}}</ref> The project also received the Award of Merit – Best Renovation/Adaptive Re-use from the Maryland/DC Chapter of the [[National Association of Industrial and Office Properties]],<ref>{{cite web|title=2013 Awards of Excellence Winners|website=Maryland/DC Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties|date=2013|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.naiopdcmd.org/?page=88&terms=%222013+and+awards+and+excellence%22}}</ref> the Award of Merit – Commercial/Residential Renovation (More Than $4 Million) from the Metro Washington Chapter of the [[American Building College]],<ref>{{cite journal|title=Excellence in Construction: 2013 Awards|journal=Building Washington|date=Winter 2013|page=8|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.emconsultinginc.com/Digital_Publications/ABC_Metro_Washington/BuildingWA_Winter2013/#10}}</ref> and the Excellence in Craftsmanship Award for Lighting Systems and the Star Award for Excellence in the Face of Adversity from the [[Washington Building Congress]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2014 Craftsmanship Awards Winners|website=Washington Building Congress|date=2014|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.wbcnet.org/craftsmanship-awards/current-and-past-winners/2014-craftsmanship-awards-winners/}}</ref>

The property was assessed at about $31 million (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|31000000|2013}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars) after the renovation.<ref name=SernovitzSell>{{cite news|last=Sernovitz|first=Daniel J.|title=Deal in the Works to Sell, Rebrand the Capella Hotel in Georgetown|work=Washington Business Journal|date=March 17, 2016|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2016/03/deal-in-the-works-to-sell-rebrand-the-capella.html}}</ref>

===Operation===
Room rates at the Capella Hotel were about $600 (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|600|2013}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars) a night in 2013.<ref name=Bhattarai>{{cite news|last=Bhattarai|first=Abha|title=One Year In, the Capella Rethinks Its Strategy|work=The Washington Post|date=May 18, 2014|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/one-year-in-the-capella-rethinks-its-strategy/2014/05/16/43ea6b94-cf13-11e3-b812-0c92213941f4_story.html}}</ref>

The hotel won some early high praise. [[CNN]] called it one of 2013's hottest new hotels and ''Forbes Life'' magazine placed it in its list of the top 20 hotel properties in the United States.<ref name=Bhattarai />

However, the Capella Hotel struggled in its first year of operation.<ref name=cooperrosewood /> Unable to open by the 2013 presidential inauguration, the hotel missed an opportunity to introduce itself to many luxury travelers.<ref name=cooperbestdeals /> Occupancy rates in the months following the hotel's opening averaged between 30 and 50 percent, although they later rose to 80 percent by May 2014. Management felt the hotel was still three months behind in meeting its targets as summer 2014 approached. The hotel also failed to generate much local buzz, and began opening its doors to the public for limited events (such as [[trunk show]]s and cocktail mixing classes) and giving the public access to its formerly-exclusive rooftop lounge.<ref name=Bhattarai /> Without a ballroom or meeting space, the hotel also could not attract large numbers of travelers who might give the hotel excellent word-of-mouth.<ref name=Bhattarai /><ref name=cooperrosewood />

The [[American Automobile Association|AAA]] gave Cappella Hotel four diamonds out of five in 2014. The hotel retained that rating in 2015.<ref>{{cite report|author=American Automobile Association|title=AAA/CAA Four Diamond Hotels|date=January 15, 2016|page=1|access-date=May 3, 2016|url=http://www.aaa.biz/Travel_Information/Diamonds/Awards/2016/January%202016%20-%204D%20Hotels%20-%20FINAL.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128041225/http://www.aaa.biz/Travel_Information/Diamonds/Awards/2016/January%202016%20-%204D%20Hotels%20-%20FINAL.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref> But [[Forbes Travel Guide]] (formerly known as the Mobil Guide) declined to give the hotel either four or five stars in 2015, and did not add it to its "recommended" list.<ref name=forbes>{{cite web|title=Forbes Travel Guide 2016 Star Award Winners|website=Forbes Travel Guide|date=February 2016|access-date=May 3, 2016|url=http://www.forbestravelguide.com/about/awardwinners}}</ref>

==Rosewood==
In March 2016, after three years in operation, Castleton Holdings and ICG Properties<ref name=SernovitzSell /> agreed to sell their interest in the hotel building to CTF Georgetown Hotel LLC, an affiliate of Hong Kong–based CTF Development Inc.<ref name=sernovitzvaluable>{{cite news|last=Sernovitz|first=Daniel J.|title=This Really Is the Most Valuable Hotel in Washington|work=Washington Business Journal|date=April 27, 2016|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2016/04/georgetown-hotel-becomes-dcs-most-valuable.html}}</ref> The hotel sold for an "astounding" $65 million (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|65000000|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars), or $1.3&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|1300000|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars) per guest room. This was nearly three-and-a-half times the per-guest room price of [[The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown]] (which sold in December 2015 for $32.5&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|32500000|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars)), almost five-and-a-half times the per-guest room price of the [[Washington Marriott Georgetown]] (which sold in September 2015 for $113&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|113000000|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars)), and more than two-and-three-quarters the per-guest room price of [[The St. Regis Washington, D.C.]] (which sold in July 2015 for $82&nbsp;million (${{formatnum:{{inflation|US|82000000|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars)).<ref name=sernovitzvaluable />

CTF Georgetown Hotel hired [[Rosewood Hotels & Resorts]], a Hong Kong–based luxury hotel and resort company, to brand and manage the property. The Rosewood opened on April 21, 2016, making it the first Rosewood property in the Washington metropolitan area. Rosewood Hotels said it intended to make only cosmetic changes to the hotel.<ref name=cooperrosewood>{{cite news|last=Cooper|first=Rebecca|title=Capella Hotel Officially Becomes Rosewood Washington D.C.|work=Washington Business Journal|date=April 22, 2016|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/top-shelf/2016/04/capella-hotel-officially-becomes-rosewood.html}}</ref>

==References==
;Notes
{{notelist}}

;Citations
{{reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last1=Jefferis|first1=Alan|last2=Jefferis|first2=Janice|title=Residential Design, Drafting, and Detailing|location=Clifton Park, N.Y.|publisher=Thomson-Delmar Learning|date=2008|isbn=9781418012755|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PMPsAwAAQBAJ}}
*{{cite book|last1=Rowan|first1=Gerald|last2=Sanford|first2=Steve|title=Compact Houses: 50 Creative Floor Plans for Efficient, Well-Designed Small Homes|location=North Adams, Mass.|publisher=Storey Publishing|date=2013|isbn=9781612121024|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WUGrAQAAQBAJ}}
*{{cite report|author=Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership|title=D.C. Development Report: 2011/2012 Edition|location=Washington, D.C.|publisher=Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership|date=2011|access-date=May 4, 2016|url=http://www.wdcep.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DCDR11.pdf}}

{{Hotels in Washington D.C.}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosewood Washington, D.C.}}
[[Category:Hotels in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Hotels established in 2013]]
[[Category:2013 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]