Mixed-Use Development Includes Luxury Mandarin Oriental Hotel

By Staff -- HOTELS Magazine, 1/1/2003

Mixed-Use Development Includes Luxury Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Washington, D.C. The 400-room luxury Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C., will be part of the Portals project, a premier mixed-use development comprising significant upscale office, retail and restaurant components located in the southwest sector of Washington, D.C. The project is being developed by Republic Properties Corporation at an estimated total project cost of US$144 million.

The new hotel will feature luxurious and spacious accommodations, including 51 suites offering the latest technology and in-room entertainment. Significant meeting space, including an 8,300 sq.ft. (771 sq.m) pillar-less ballroom, will be developed to cater to the high-end group and meetings business in Washington. Other facilities will include a signature restaurant, an all-day-dining restaurant, a lobby lounge and cocktail bar. As for health facilities, the hotel will introduce the Mandarin Oriental’s Spa Collection—a highly personalized full-service spa and health club with indoor pool and deck.

The hotel is expected to open in Spring 2004 with Mandarin Oriental International Limited, Hong Kong, having an 80% equity interest. Mandarin Oriental’s partners in the hotel are Lano International, a real estate development company with experience in the development of luxury hotels, and Armada/Hoffer Construction Company, one of the region’s largest general contractors with extensive experience in hotel construction.

A 5-Star Sofitel Opens in Bangkok
Bangkok Accor SA, Evry, France is bringing its 5-star Sofitel brand to Bangkok, Thailand. The 380-room Sofitel Sukhumvit Bangkok will be located in the city center near the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center when it opens at the end of 2004. The hotel is well positioned near fashionable shopping centers and well-known tourist attractions, in addition to the offices of major multi-national companies doing business in Thailand.

The hotel will feature three restaurants, including two theme food- and-beverage outlets, in addition to two bars and a nightclub. Besides its proximity to the convention center, the Sofitel Sukhumvit will be well positioned to attract significant convention and business meetings. Its ballroom will be able to accommodate more than 1,000 guests for dinner, and it will have an additional 10 meeting rooms for private events or corporate training programs.

Other amenities include an exclusive spa and fitness center and the Sofitel Club. The Sofitel Sukhumvit Bangkok will be Accor’s fifth Sofitel in Thailand.