Aparium Hotel Group is developing three new hotels: the Hotel Westland in Seattle; the Hotel Heron in Alexandria, Va.; and the Populus Hotel in Denver.
“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,” Aparium Hotel Group Founder and CEO Mario Tricoci said in a statement.
Hotel Heron
A first-time partnership between Aparium, May Reigler Properties and Potomac Investment Properties, Hotel Heron is a conversion of the 1926 George Mason hotel building in Old Town of Alexandria, Va. 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, ground-floor flagship restaurant and a rooftop bar. Project construction is underway and the property is scheduled to open 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,” May Riegler CEO Kevin Riegler said. “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
Located in Pioneer Square, Hotel Westland will be the hotel group’s first hotel in Seattle. A partnership with Urban Villages, the adaptive reuse of the historic Westland Building is expected to open in late 2023 with 120 guestrooms and suites, 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
Slated to open in Denver's Civic Center Park in early 2024, the 13-story Populus is meant to be an architectural landmark in the city. Architecture firm Studio Gang has been tasked to design the building’s distinctive 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 the first carbon-positive hotel in the U.S. 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 feature 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. Occupying the corner intersection at 14th Street and Colfax Avenue, Populus will serve as the catalyst for the revitalization of the historic Denver neighborhood. Construction on the project started in April.
“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,” Urban Villages CEO Grant McCargo said.
Further expansion of the Aparium Hotel Group is underway with future openings planned for Louisville, Ky.; Atlanta; and Nashville, growing its portfolio to 16 hotels in 15 states in the next 24 to 36 months.