Whether you're perusing the stylish boutiques, meeting up with friends at a nightclub or grabbing a bite to eat, Washington's 14th Street NW has it all. With so much to do, you are going to want to stay close to all the hot spots.
Kimpton Hotels recently announced plans to open up Mason and Rook in spring 2016 in the spot formerly occupied by the Hotel Helix which closed its doors in mid-October 2015.
"The 14th Street corridor has exploded [with development]," said Ben Timashenka. regional vice president of hotel operations for Kimpton's Mid-Atlantic hotels. "It is one of the hottest streets probably on the East Coast. ...We are just really excited to be growing with that community."
Kimpton's Mason and Rook Hotel is set to open in spring 2016 — Photo courtesy of Kimpton's Mason and Rook Hotel
Timashenka promises a complete repositioning of the structure. "We are honestly going all the way down to the concrete," he said. They will be adding a 1,800-square-foot ballroom, a larger building footprint to include bringing the lobby closer to the street and adding an additional 100 to 200 square feet to each of the planned 178 rooms.
An on-site restaurant is also planned, but a name and concept are still in development.
The design was incorporated to match the brownstones in the neighborhood and echo the residential feel of Logan's Circle. "You are going to walk into the room and it's going to feel like you are going into someone's really high end apartment," Timashenka said. "The rooms are extremely large and there are a lot of different tones in the room."
The new hotel will be renovating the space formerly known as the Hotel Helix — Photo courtesy of Kimpton's Mason and Rook Hotel
The name is a nod to the country's founders – many of whom were members of the Freemasonry organization – and the game of chess.
This home away from home will add to Kimpton's already impressive lineup of hotels in the nation's capital including The George, Hotel Palomar and Hotel Monaco. "We saw [this new hotel] as an opportunity to grow with [14th Street] and offer a product on that side of town," he said. "There is really nothing that is going to match it."
The hotel's location will be a great asset to guests, Timashenka believes. "You can go [to the hotel] and experience what 14th Street has to offer but, yet, you are still in a great location to go to everything else Washington, D.C. has to offer."
Reservations are now being accepted for dates beginning in late March.
