Why ME by Melia? Part 2

This is a follow up to an earlier post. Read part 1 here.


Above: the ME Madrid at night


Besides delivering more tourist dollars to DC than most other hotels, the ME by Melia will also create more jobs.

Jobs. A good rule of thumb is that a luxury full-service hotel employs one worker for every hotel room. A lesser hotel employs slightly fewer, and a limited-service or "extended stay" hotel (like Residence Inn or Element) only employs one worker for every 3.5 hotel rooms. So ME will create more jobs than many other hotels - in fact, more than 155! And that doesn't include managing the new residences, the jazz club & restaurant, or the cafe.

In addition, full-service high-end hotels generally pay better as well. They need to train employees better - and that means they also need to pay them better to keep them.

Our Plan for 5th & I

Our team wants to bring hotel rooms, retail, and residential housing to the city-owned vacant lot at 5th & I Streets NW. That basic outline isn't unique, but our final product will be:

• The Arts Residences at 5th & I: Residences offering city views. 96 units
  
• ME by Meliá: A four-star+ hotel with a young, international edge. 174 rooms
• International Photography Space: A curated exhibition space incorporated into the hotel, exploring world themes in art photography
• Café Cappuccino: A unique urban coffee house offering full-service breakfast and lunch for the neighborhood, with take away options and a pet-friendly sidewalk terrace
  
• Boisdale of Washington: A London-based cultural dining experience and live jazz club featuring contemporary and historic jazz styles, a diverse menu and a renowned selection of scotch whiskies. A neighborhood destination, Boisdale will bring entertainment options to Mount Vernon Triangle while offsetting noise concerns by locating the jazz club below grade level. Estimated 150 seats
  
• Parking: Underground parking with valet service

There's a lot more to tell - we'll be bringing you more updates over the coming days and weeks. Stop by the public presentation on Thursday to hear about what could be in store for 5th & I.

Why ME by Melia? Part 1

Why ME by Melia? Two reasons: Spending and Jobs. But how is that different from any other hotel?

Spending. ME by Melia caters to an international demographic that often skips DC entirely when visiting the United States. ME's current research shows those travelers preferring to go to New York, L.A., and Miami. The people who are loyal to Melia hotels and the ME brand aren't coming to D.C., but we think they should be. Those are travel dollars that could be spent here in D.C., and right now they aren't.

More familiar hotel brands are, well, more familiar, but to a great degree they are splitting up existing demand: usually, a new Marriott caters in large part to existing Marriott travelers, a Hilton brand caters to Hilton customers, etc. A brand that isn't already here in D.C. will bring new travelers to D.C., rather than splitting up an existing pie of travelers. That brings new revenues to the D.C. treasury and new spending to city businesses.

Next post: Jobs.

You are Cordially...

All are invited to the next step for Mount Vernon Triangle. You'll see the four short-listed development teams present their visions for the City's property at the corner of 5th & I Streets, NW. The presentations begin at 6:30 pm, this Thursday, May 1, at The Carnegie Library, 801 K Street NW (right at the center of Mount Vernon Square, across from the new Convention Center). We're looking forward to sharing our ideas with you, and learning more about what you want the corner of 5th & I to be.

(Photo courtesy Keegie in DC, Flickr).

Welcome

Hello & welcome! The Arts at 5th & I blog is coming soon....