This Courtyard hotel—the first to open in Washington, in 1993—is franchised by Marriott but owned and managed by the Doyle Collection, which also owns the Dupont Hotel and Normandy Hotel, both in DC. This arrangement gives the hotel two sets of standards to live up to.
The vibe here, as with most Marriotts, is business travel. Two years ago, the guest rooms were renovated in an effort to become more contemporary; there’s an emphasis on angles and glass. Floor-to-ceiling windows were installed in every room.
The hotel’s dark, Victorian-style lobby will be renovated in 2011, although the hotel will remain open. The new design will be more open, with more appealing colors, modern technology, and a bistro.
