RENOVATIONS |
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which occurred just after the culmination of our renovation. This unique opportunity allowed us to showcase some spaces for the first time, especially the Presidential Suite with its views of the Potomac River. Our team did an amazing job ensuring everything was in order when our guests arrived.
HOTELS: Regarding the aforementioned Presidential Suite, the sitting area looks awfully similar to the Oval Office. Was this part of the design brief? Devadas: The suite’ s oval-shaped living room was
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actually designed to showcase its views of the Potomac River, spanning from The Wharf to the Jefferson Memorial.
HOTELS: Sheila Johnson’ s imprint is seen throughout the hotel— from the Living Room to the equestrian motifs. What was her vision for the property and how has it come alive through the renovation? Devadas: Not only are our company’ s core values derived from Sheila, but she also leads our design direction. At Salamander DC, she envisioned creating a welcoming and home-like atmosphere
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for guests, similar to what we created at Salamander Middleburg. The goal was to transform the hotel into a refined urban setting that would become D. C.’ s living room.
Upon entering, guests are greeted with refined-yetcomfortable furnishings in warm hues with enhanced seating groups, creating a welcoming sense of arrival. In our guest suites, we collaborated with residential interior designer Thomas Pheasant, who also designed Sheila’ s personal home, and with whom we worked on room design in Middleburg. This partnership ensured an inviting
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residential atmosphere, including in our new Monument Club for our most discerning guests. To honor Sheila’ s passion for equestrian sports and Salamander’ s roots in Middleburg, we commissioned a piece of basrelief artwork behind the front desk that showcases galloping horses alongside D. C.’ s iconic monuments. With her fine arts photography and design background, Sheila also helped develop the art collection in our Living Room and Lounge, which features works by Black American artists who have made significant contributions to D. C.’ s cultural fabric. |
PGA National Resort in Florida is the newest member of Salamander Collection. Photo credit: Will Pryce |
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44 hotelsmag. com May / June 2025 |