Georgetown University unveiled improvements to its almost 40-year-old hotel and detailed further renovations set to begin in fall 2025 at an event Feb. 25 and Feb. 26.
The planned five-story hotel will include 146 guest rooms, a restaurant and bar and over 13,000 square feet of event and meeting space. In recent years, the hotel transitioned from hosting students during the COVID-19 pandemic to housing students during renovations to Henle Village.
Amelia Zimmerman is the vice president of sales and business development at Crestline Hotels and Resorts, the company leading the renovation, which won a bid to oversee the hotel’s operations in the pre- and post-opening phases of the renovation. She said the goal of the hotel’s renovations is to modernize the space while matching Georgetown’s overall architectural style.
“The design is meant to be a four-star, four-diamond, high-end product that will compete with the high-end product that’s in Georgetown,” Zimmerman told The Hoya. “Right now when you go into Georgetown, you have high-end, upper upscale and luxury properties. And that is the feel of this property.”
Crestline Hotels and Resorts underwent a rigorous request for proposal (RFP) process, during which Georgetown submitted a request to a series of third-party management companies for a project proposal for the renovations. University officials, after meeting with Crestline, selected the company, which also manages roughly 125 hotels across the United States.
Elizabeth Delens, vice president of operations at Crestline, said she felt inspired by how members of the Georgetown community have been interested in seeing the new direction of the hotel.
“I’m very encouraged by the feedback that we heard,” Delens told The Hoya. “Also, it seems like there’s a lot of support from the people that came to the open house.”
Delens added that she aimed to create a new model of the hotel that aligned with the rest of Georgetown’s campus.
“My understanding of the goal is to elevate the hotel product and the dining product, elevate it as an experience and a product, in keeping with the rest of the university,” Delens added. “The Georgetown University brand is powerful, and it has a feel and a message to it. Our goal is to have the hotel be a net positive contributor to the community.”
Hamid Dornajafi is a project manager in the Capital Projects department, a division within Georgetown University’s Planning & Facilities Management. Dornajafi said he is optimistic about the upcoming renovations.
“I think the environment should be a space that reminds them of their good experience or be an introduction to a good experience they’re going to have on campus,” Dornajafi told The Hoya. “So the project overall can make a good environment for people.”
Dornajafi added that though the old building served the community for many years, the new building will be more tailored to the different types of people who visit the university.
“I can see this building, I can see it was a great one at its time, but it definitely needs to get renovated,” Dornajafi said. “It can serve the hospital and also students coming to see Georgetown before starting their program or after their graduation.”
Zimmerman said the primary goal of the project is to reflect Georgetown’s values through the improvements of the space.
“I think the pride and spirit of Georgetown is very unique. And that is what we’re excited to bring and really tap into,” Zimmerman said. “That’s part of what this event is about, getting the community feedback from Georgetown and understanding what is specifically important to staff, students, visitors that are coming into Georgetown and incorporating that into the feel and the hospitality that will come with this project.”
Zimmerman added that she hopes the hotel offers Georgetown visitors an experience that matches the university’s atmosphere.
“We all know that Georgetown has very high standards, which is great,” Zimmerman said. “We want everybody walking away from here to go, ‘Wow, this was a great experience.’”