AKA White House

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AKA White House
AKA White House, Washington, DC.jpg
AKA White House
Hotel chainAKA
General information
Location United States
Address1710 H Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°54′00″N77°02′25″W / 38.899917°N 77.040362°W / 38.899917; -77.040362
Opened2005
OwnerKorman Communities
ManagementAKA
Technical details
Floor count11
Other information
Number of rooms141 [1]
Website
AKA White House

AKA White House is a luxury extended stay hotel owned by Korman Communities located at 1710 H Street NW in Washington, D.C., in the United States. The operator is AKA, the extended-stay hotel brand owned by Korman Communities. AKA White House opened in 2005.

Contents

About the hotel

The Metropolitan Building

1710 H Street NW was constructed in 1958. Originally known as the Metropolitan Building, it was considered one of the finest Modern architecture structures in the city. [2] It was occupied for many years by the Bell Atlantic subsidiary of AT&T, which purchased the building in 1967. [3] [4] The building was shuttered in 1990, [5] and some time after 1997 to H Street Associates, a consortium of developers.

Conversion to AKA White House

In May 2004, H Street Associates proposed converting the building into condominiums. [6] Later that year, [7] however, the property was purchased by Korman Communities, a fourth-generation family-owned real estate development company. [8]

Korman Communities intended to create a mix of standard long-term-contract apartments and short-term extended-stay hotel units. But the leasing of extended-stay units was so popular that the company decided to convert all units to extended-stay hotel rooms. [7] Korman Communities gave control over the property to AKA, its extend-stay hotel brand. [9] AKA invested $50 million to transform the office building into luxury extended-stay hotel rooms. [4]

Hotel rooms and amenities

As constructed in 2005, the AKA White House had 141 rooms. [7] Units featured brushed stainless steel fixtures, [4] dark wood parquet floors, and marble countertops in the kitchen. [7] Kitchens were fully outfitted with refrigerator, oven, stove, microwave oven, dishwasher, toaster, coffee maker, and a complete set of cookware. Each unit was outfitted with a large, flat-screen television and DVD player in the living room and each bedroom; a stereo system in the living room; high-speed Internet access in the living room, dining room, and each bedroom; and a front-loading washer and dryer. All units featured an open floor plan and high ceilings. [7] Most of the units were one- and two-bedroom apartments. The top four units, however, were penthouse suites, which featured higher ceilings, a balcony complete with table and chairs, and a private elevator. [4] [7]

AKA White House also featured a business center (with conference room), fitness center, day spa, and rooftop deck with a retractable canopy. [4] [7] A cafe, [4] Heidi's Brooklyn Deli, [1] originally existed on the first (street) floor. Hotel amenities included a concierge and daily or weekly maid service, but no room service (although a continental breakfast was offered on weekdays). [7]

Prices for AKA White House in 2005 were $165 ($257 in 2023 dollars) a day for a one-bedroom unit to $595 ($928 in 2023 dollars) to $895 ($1,396 in 2023 dollars) a day for penthouse suites. [4]

AKA White House no longer requires a minimum stay of 30 days. [7] Guests may stay just a few days, or a few months, although some stay as long as a year. [4] Many companies rent units on long-term contracts. [7] Longer-term stays require 15 days' notice before a guest moves out.

2011 renovation

AKA White House spent about $2.5 million to renovate its ground floor in 2011. The floor underwent a build-out that created a 4,000 square feet (370 m2) lobby. Heidi's Brooklyn Deli vacated as a tenant, and the space converted into a new lounge area. In early December 2011, a cocktail bar was added to the lounge, providing crafted cocktails and soft drinks.

References

  1. 1 2 Frederick, Missy (December 7, 2011). "Hotel Renovations". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  2. ↑ Duscha, Julius (August 23, 1959). "Washington's Biggest Office Building Boom Is Altering the Skyline". The Washington Post. p. A22.
  3. ↑ Goodman, S. Oliver (January 6, 1967). "Capital Commerce: C&P Buys H Street Building For New Administrative Base". The Washington Post. p. E5.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hedgpeth, Dana (September 19, 2005). "Commuter Fatigue Inspires Development". The Washington Post. p. D3.
  5. ↑ McCartney, Robert J. (February 4, 1990). "A Rough Ride for Profits: After 2-Year Climb, Downturn Forcing Firms to Cut Costs, Jobs". The Washington Post. p. H1.
  6. ↑ "What's Going Where". The Washington Post. May 27, 2004. p. T05.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Abruzzese, Sarah (April 22, 2006). "A Short-Term-Housing Haven in Downtown D.C.". The Washington Post. p. APT5.
  8. ↑ Hawryluk, Maggie (September 12, 2007). "Home Comforts Lead Korman to Success". Real Estate Weekly.
  9. ↑ Hudson, Kris (January 11, 2012). "Korman Expands Extended-Stay Hotel Brand". The Wall Street Journal.
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