Stanford Hotels Corporation, LUMA Hotel
San Francisco, California, United States
Starwood Capital Group, Hilton Arlington National Landing
Arlington, Virginia, United States
Credit: Joseph Tran Photography
Credit: Joseph Tran Photography
Credit: Joseph Tran Photography
Credit: Joseph Tran Photography
Credit: Joseph Tran Photography
Project Summary
On the heels of acquiring a Hilton at the gateway to Washington, DC, Starwood Capital Group began developing a Property Improvement Plan to maintain the circa-1974 hotel’s category-leading status. The guest-minded upgrades were well-timed. They coincided with another transformation happening just outside the property’s doors, as the reimagined “National Landing” was taking shape as DC’s newest hub for commerce and community.
MGAC's Role
MGAC was engaged to provide project management support for the robust scope, which would touch nearly every square inch of the building across three years. It included soft goods upgrades to all 393 guestrooms and suites, modernization of 24,500 SF of meeting space and ballrooms, expansion of the reception and lobby bar, and relocation of the fitness center. Given the building’s age (and years of guests coming and going), we knew surprises were likely ahead. We invested nearly a year working through the scope with Starwood. During that time, we uncovered the need for additional fundamental maintenance work—namely concrete restoration. Through a value engineering process, we channeled all efforts into a comprehensive project plan.
Challenges
The hotel remained in operation for the entirety of this job—an industry reality our Hospitality team is well-versed in, having delivered dozens of similar projects across the globe. For this project, site visits and discussions with the hotel team forged fundamental relationships that proved integral to success. These conversations also shed light on another new-to-the-scope need: correcting chronic issues with reliable hot water. We directed the meticulous effort of designing and installing a new state-of-the-art domestic water system—replacing the old system piece by piece as guests slept overnight.
Success Factors
In hospitality, everything orbits around the guest experience. Exceptional care is taken to ensure service is always seamless and no detail, however small, is overlooked. Such was the ethos for this project in its quest to deliver an unrivaled guest experience for both future guests and those whose stays coincided with the project. Even with unexpected additions to the scope, we were proud to accommodate all work within the original budget and timeline.
