Celebrity chef José Andrés plans to open his first hotel, taking over a long-vacant property in Washington, D.C.'s high-end Georgetown neighborhood.
The 67-room luxury hotel called Bazaar House by José Andrés is slated to open at 3000 M St. NW in 2027. It’s expected to include multiple dining venues, events space, a wellness center, high-end shopping outlets and a members-only private club and restaurant on the penthouse level, according to a press release from the company.
José Andrés Group operates 40 restaurants across the globe from tapas spots to food halls. As the D.C.-born company's first hotel, Bazaar House launches a new chapter for José Andrés Group. Andrés started his culinary empire 30 years ago in the District and is well-known among Washingtonians for his restaurants, including Mediterranean eatery Zaytinya, Spanish restaurant chain Jaleo and The Bazaar in the Waldorf Astoria. He is also a New York Times bestselling author, television personality and humanitarian who was twice named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people.
José Andrés Group is teaming up with global real estate developer Thor Equities through a partnership for the new hotel. Thor Equities' portfolio includes luxury hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons.
It took Thor Equities seven years to obtain local municipality approvals for Bazaar House in Georgetown, according to the press release. Bazaar House is being planned as a six-story, mixed-use building, according to the Old Georgetown Board, a design advisory entity that reviews projects for the neighborhood.
The future hotel would replace a vacant lot that has long been an eyesore. Thor Equities purchased the site in 2016, a spokesperson for the developer told CoStar News in an email.
“I think it's a fantastic addition to the commercial district,” Joe Sternlieb, CEO and president of the Georgetown Business Improvement District, told CoStar News. Sternlieb has led the nonprofit group that works to improve Georgetown's commercial district for more than a decade.
The property previously was home to the Latham Hotel, which closed in 2012 when it started falling into disrepair because of water damage, Sternlieb said. The building was put up for sale and purchased by SB-Urban with the goal of creating micro-apartment units. SB-Urban later chose to sell the site to Thor Equities for “north of $50 million," Sternlieb said.
The announcement of the Bazaar House hotel comes on the heels of Andrés tapping Sam Bakhshandehpour as global CEO of José Andrés Group earlier this year. Andrés was formerly CEO but remains chairman of the group.
The company has transitioned toward more hotel restaurants from standalone culinary locations over the past few years. José Andrés Group has assumed management of food and beverage in at least five hotels in the last two years.
“Like restaurants, hotels have a remarkable ability to transport us, provide a welcome retreat and become a unifying anchor in our community,” Bakhshandehpour said in the release.