Arlo opens first hotel in Washington, D.C.

Arlo Hotels—the independent lifestyle hotel brand with properties in New York, Chicago and Miami—has opened the Arlo Washington DC, the company’s seventh hotel and its first in the nation’s capital. The property is close to the National Mall, museums and the city's convention center.

“We are thrilled to bring Arlo Hotels to Washington, D.C., a city known for its vibrant culture, diverse backdrop and rich history,” Olev Pavlov, CEO of Quadrum Global, said in a statement. “Expanding our footprint to the nation’s capital is an exciting milestone for the Arlo brand, and we look forward to welcoming travelers and locals alike to stay and enjoy all that the hotel has to offer, including our rooftop, restaurant, events and the genuine sense of community that defines every Arlo hotel.”

The new 445-room hotel incorporates the district’s oldest surviving apartment building, the 1888 Harrison Apartments, as well as a 12-story addition. The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, is a prime example of the Romanesque Revival style. The team at Architecture Incorporated juxtaposed the old with the new when completing the renovation of the historic building and designing the new 12-story addition.

The hotel’s interiors were developed by multidisciplinary design studio Meyer Davis, which also contributed to Arlo Midtown and Arlo Wynwood’s aesthetics. The studio, led by Will Meyer and Gray Davis, highlighted some of the historic building’s original features while embracing the organic style found at other Arlo properties. Brand standards include light-tone woods, a custom grid light feature and an oak reception desk.

Lounges display the restored vaulted brick ceiling dating back to the building’s original construction. This space also has a full-service bar, and a fireplace lounge is next door.

Accommodations and Public Spaces

The hotel’s guestrooms and suites are in both the new building and the historic space. The old Harrison Apartments rooms have the original exposed brick wall in their small dens. All rooms have dark walnut wood floors with small pops of green and red on the headboards and custom light fixtures. The black-and-white penny tiles in the bathrooms were inspired by the original tiles in the Harrison Apartments. A select number of guestrooms have balconies overlooking the city.

The new building has an interior courtyard, a fitness center and the penthouse Arlo Suite.

The hotel has 4,287 square feet of event space, including five private meeting rooms. The hotel is also within walking distance of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Food and Beverage

Arrels, the restaurant by Chef Pepe Moncayo, is also on the hotel’s historic ground floor. The dining room, designed by //3877, pays homage to Moncayo’s Spanish origins through warm materials, terra-cotta tiles, exposed brick and textured plaster. Arrels is also home to the hotel’s ground-floor bar and lounge area. Arrels will also operate the Bodega by Arrels on the ground floor, which will serve coffee and espresso drinks and grab-and-go breakfast and lunch items.

The ART DC rooftop includes a bar and lounge and a resort-style pool. The rooftop bar and lounge have both indoor and outdoor areas. Decor elements include Verde Alpi marble and Calacatta turquoise stones, along with eye-catching 3D tiles on the front of the bar. The perfect setting for cocktails and dancing, ART DC will adopt the brand’s new nightlife component, Arlo After Dark, in 2025, featuring year-round entertainment and music programming.

Art curator Jasmine Akrel helped shape the brand’s art program. Akrel will lead Arlo Washington DC’s Living Room Gallery Series, debuting a new exhibition alongside its grand opening with works by artists such as Sage Barnes, Vicky Barranguet, Angels Grau, Denis Meyers and more. As with its other properties, Arlo Hotels has partnered with pioneering artist Brooke Einbender (aka Mindbender Art) to reimagine Arlo Washington DC’s elevator spaces, blending art and technology.

Arlo Washington DC is expected to achieve LEED certification within six months of completion (spring 2025). The property is demonstrating over 25 percent reduction in energy cost and will have a 6,000-square-foot green roof, including a 12,000-gallon cistern to capture rainwater that will be treated and reused on-site.