Plans Announced for AC Hotel Bethesda at Avocet Tower

November 9, 2017 | Development

A new AC Hotel by Marriott is coming to the heart of downtown Bethesda MD – part of an ambitious mixed-use development and just a few short blocks away from Marriott International’s future global headquarters.

“It’s always exciting to announce plans for a new project,” says Corry Oakes, President/CEO of OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group, “and that’s especially true of our AC Hotel Bethesda. The brand is vibrant. The design is exceptional. And the proximity to Marriott’s headquarters provides us an incredible opportunity to be the flagship for a philosophy that’s all about ‘A New Way to Hotel.’”

Upon completion, this will be the sixth AC Hotel within OTO’s owned portfolio. Each property is designed to incorporate elements of its particular urban location while keeping within the brand’s emphasis on carefully edited style. AC guestrooms exude a subtle European sensibility, with neutral color palettes, sleek furniture, classic hardwoods and natural lighting.

While every AC Hotel focuses on shared spaces where guests connect, the 220-room AC Hotel Bethesda also serves as the social center of Avocet Tower, a $350-million mixed-use project by Stonebridge. Located at the corner of Wisconsin and Montgomery avenues, the AC Lounge will spill onto a public plaza, where a 45-foot overhang creates a signature sense of place. Indoors and out, the lounge is designed to draw guests, office tenants, and neighborhood residents during both daytime and evening hours.

The lobby and all amenities – including an oversized fitness center – will welcome not only hotel guests but also employees who work in the development’s 370,000 square feet of Class A office space.

“Integrating AC Hotel Bethesda’s amenities with the wider development enhances what the office spaces can offer their tenants,” Oakes notes, “and that, in turn, augments opportunities for the hotel. We anticipate incredible synergies between every component of Avocet Tower.”

Stonebridge and OTO Development previously worked together, with OTO developing a 204-room Hilton Garden Inn as part of NoMa’s Constitutional Square.

“Our companies enjoy a history of successful collaboration—we are excited to join forces, once again, with a company noted for creating exceptional places,” says Oakes. “Given the Bethesda market’s significant, diverse demand generators – plus proximity to Bethesda Row, the Metro, and the future Purple Line stop – this project has the potential to become one of the country’s most dynamic mixed-use developments to be delivered over the next few years.”

Construction is slated to begin in May 2019, with anticipated project completion in Spring 2021.

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