The Marriott Key Bridge was the second Marriott hotel ever, and was the oldest Marriott hotel when it closed in July 2021. It had been acquired in 2018 by Woodbridge Capital Partners, which has been involved in hotels like Montage Beverly Hills, Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley, Four Seasons Papagayo, and Bacara Santa Barbara.
Arlington County approved plans in 2020 to partially renovate the hotel itself, while adding condos. No progress had been made on this. Instead, homeless have been squatting in the property.
Originally opened in 1959 as the Key Bridge Motor Inn, it was located in Rosslyn just across the river from Washington D.C. It featured a fantastic view, as a result, and in its history hosted both Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.
And on Friday the county condemned it deeming the still-closed hotel “as unsafe and unfit for habitation.”
A large police presence was involved in clearing the hotel, going room-by-room and floor-by-floor, to clear out the homeless.
The hotel was nice, certainly nice enough, at one point. In recent years the low rise rooms at the back of the property were disgusting at best. But I have to wonder whether condemning the hotel, to keep homeless people from using private rooms that weren’t otherwise being used, in a building that wasn’t being used, is really the best answer.
(HT: Brian G)
The Key Bridge Marriott should have been demolished 20 years ago. I remember staying there in 2007 and 2008 for $50 per night, when Priceline allowed you to make a bid for hotel stays. My last stay there was early 2017, when rooms had recently underwent a superficial renovation. Renovation notwithstanding, it was still a borderline dump.
I remember as a little kid stopping there and eating with my parents in the restaurant, it was good. Then later on as an adult would stay there when back in town, twice it was going to %^$%#%$ in the late 1990’s.
If torn down and condo’s built would be a hell of a view.
Wow…between the Marriott and that Holiday Inn across the street…both decent places to crash for sub-100 bucks including breakfast.
My college roommate actually had his wedding reception there back in 2013. I thought it was pretty decent back then but I really only saw the penthouse ballroom, elevators and lobby. If they tear down and rebuild I’m sure whatever codos they put up will be wildly expensive given the view and upscale skyscrapers planned in Rosslyn 2 blocks away.
This order was a coverup so they could move the tenants out quickly and easily. I hope this place is renovated and turned into something productive.
A metaphor for the whole DC Swamp.
Drove by it Friday morning and saw the large police presence. I assumed it was some police/fire training exercise. Thanks for posting!
But did the squatters get breakfast?…or just a measly 1,000 Bonvoy points?
Will Rosenfeld’s company be getting a big payout due to the property’s condemnation in this way triggering some kind of insurance coverage or other indemnification?
He acquired it in 2018, and then in either 2021 or 2022 stopped maintaining the fire alarm system and got the water cut off. The land will probably eventually be repurposed probably into high-priced condos.
Not too far away from this place is the River Place Condos/Apartments — another piece of land that is going to end up torn down and redeveloped following from the condo’s lease on the underlying land expiring and not being renewed by the land owner.
Gary, your last comment was pretty ridiculous. I’m sure it’s not homeless families with young kids just squatting in a “unused building”. It’s people doing hard drugs, fencing stolen property, damaging things like fixtures, plumbing, flooring, and electrical, along with a host of other things that aren’t safe or healthy for them. What if a homeless person got injured in there? Will they a lawyer to sue the property owner for not properly locking it up and hiring security to keep themselves out? What about the drain on public resources like EMS/FIRE/POLICE for the constant overdoses, deaths, crime, and other things happening in that abandoned property? I’m actually surprised DC did anything here, so that speaks to what was really going on there, must have been pretty bad. Let’s let homeless move into all the homes that are on the market in your neighborhood and see what happens when they move out. Give me a break Gary.
Ben G,
The property is not in DC. It was Arlington (Virginia) which condemned the property, not any government entity in DC.
Arlington’s political players have been about as big business/real estate developer friendly as it gets for at least the last 25+ years.
good kick those MF Lazy SOB’s
from every corner of this great country
you are doing them a favor if you do that , Despite regular people opinion
Stayed there a couple of nights when we moved from Connecticut to DC in 1977. I was in 9th grade and remember my father handing me a room key – saying I was too old to be spending the night with my parents. Believe me, I was fine with that!