First NoMa Hotel to Open Next Week

NoMa’s first hotel, the new Courtyard by Marriott at 1325 2^nd Street, NE, will open its doors to the public on April 15^th, according to the NoMa BID. The 8-story, 218-room project represents a number of firsts for the burgeoning development district: not only will it be the first new hotel to open along the greater North Capitol Street corridor, but it is also the District’s first majority Hispanic-owned hotel and Marriott’s first metro area entry under their revamped Courtyard brand.

The amenities that go along with Courtyard’s conceptual makeover include a lobby with separate “welcome pedestals” (instead of a traditional front desk) and a 52-inch LCD screen that provides guests with items like local weather readings and directions to nearby attractions. Dining options are supplied by a new restaurant entitled The Bistro (Tagline: Eat. Drink. Connect.) featuring free wi-fi and a 24-hour in-house convenience store called The Market – a name that Marriott has miraculously been able to trademark. A gym, business center, swimming pool, green roof, 2,800 square feet of meeting space and a direct connection to the New York Avenue Metro station round out the project. An Au Bon Pain location occupying just some of the project’s 10,000 square feet of street level retail has already opened for business; the other retailers set to share space in the hotel have yet to be publicly disclosed.

The Finvarb Companies are the majority stakeholder in the project via Marriott’s Diverse Ownership Initiative. Other investors include Dave Wilmot of Harmon, Wilmot, Brown and Bagwell, LLC, Craig Welburn of Welburn Hospitality, Thomas Hopkins and Dr. Barron Harvey.