Design Unveiled for Trump International Hotel in DC

By Keith Loria, Contributing Editor

Trump Hotel Collection has released its plan for the $200 million redevelopment of The Old Post Office in Washington, D.C., which will transform the iconic Pennsylvania Avenue landmark into the Trump International Hotel.

“We are transforming a beautiful and iconic but long-underutilized building into a unique, stunning hotel, the likes of which are not seen in this country today,” Ivanka Trump, The Trump Organization’s executive vice president of development and acquisitions, told Commercial Property Executive. “It will offer the market’s most luxurious accommodations and host its most elegant functions, setting an entirely new level of luxury in D.C. We have set very high expectations for ourselves and plan to over deliver.”

The Old Post Office was one of the most sought-after redevelopment opportunities in the country and the Trump Hotel Collection was chosen 18 months ago by the U.S. General Services Administration as the preferred developer.

“My father, brothers and I immediately recognized this as an opportunity to create what could be the best hotel in the country, if not the world, based on its history, architecture and location,” “After an extensive selection process by the GSA, we were chosen based on our vision for the property, which preserves the historic nature of the building, as well the strength of our development team and financial wherewithal.”

Ivanka Trump, of Trump Organization

The Trump Hotel Collection enlisted famed architects Beyer Blinder Belle, interior design consultants Hirsch Bedner Associates, and historic advisor and preservation specialists John Cullinane & Associates for the redevelopment project.

When completed, the hotel will include 270 guestrooms, the largest luxury ballroom in D.C., plus world-class restaurants, retail, and spa. According to Trump, the hotel’s design nods to America’s European heritage and its references to Romanesque elements, but from a uniquely American perspective.

The luxurious guestrooms will average more than 600 square feet, making them the largest in Washington, D.C., with lofty 14-to-16-foot ceilings, soaring windows, beautiful existing millwork, and glittering crystal sconces and chandeliers. In addition, two extraordinary Presidential Suites will be located in the historic former offices of the Postmaster General, each containing 3,000 square feet with 16-foot ceilings, and views of Pennsylvania Avenue and the National Mall.

Also planned is the reinstatement of the 11th Street pedestrian entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue, which has been closed to vehicular traffic, and will serve as the driveway to the hotel’s canopied grand entrance.

Construction is scheduled to begin in Spring 2014 with an expected completion in late 2015.