It's been nearly a year since Curbed last checked in on the construction at the Morrison-Clark Inn, one of D.C.'s eighteen essential hotels (and the only District inn on the National Register of Historic Places). Since that time, when the surrounding neighbors voiced their concerns about safety, preservation and disappearing views in a Q&A session, the Morrison-Clark has not only placed design plans and concepts on their website, but also in their lobby. A three dimensional model sits encased in plastic next to sketches of new concepts for the lobby. Furthermore, the hotel has since avoided incidents like the carriage house collapse.
Eleven months later, the projected July 15th opening date is looking awfully ambitious considering that the six floor, 43,000 square foot addition is nowhere close to topping out. However, the elevator shaft is in clear view from the top floor of the existing inn (and from the sidewalk on L Street next to the church). Additionally, there are a few model rooms in the existing inn that showcase how different the 57 new rooms will be. Essentially, both the new suites (which include a separate den) and the new Victorian rooms (which do not) have brighter walls, fancier curtains and more interesting furniture choices than the current Victorian rooms. Also, the current rooms don't have the electronic keys or flatscreen televisions. However, the old Chinese artwork and porcelain vases that give the inn its charm will be brought to the new building as well.
· Morrison-Clark Expansion Meeting Unveils Angry Neighbors [CDC]
· Morrison-Clark Will Hold Expansion Meeting Tomorrow Night [CDC]
· The 18 Most Essential Hotels in Washington D.C., March '14 [CDC]
· Morrison-Clark Inn: Updating and Preparing For the Future [BadWolf DC]
· The Morrison Clark Inn Is Expanding [Official Site]