The Banneker, which recently opened in Northwest, taps into the talents of local, national and international artists to make for one beautiful stay.
Each room features work from local artists.
Curating exceptional artwork for a hotel is a tricky proposition. There’s the challenge of choosing a theme, coordinating with interior design color schemes and incorporating works that actually have meaning— serving as touchstones for memorable stays. The Kimpton Banneker Hotel’s art curation crew pulled it off splendidly in conjunction with Toronto-based Mason Studio (masonstudio.com). The hotel is named after Benjamin Banneker, one of America’s Black innovators who played a pivotal role in surveying the land that became the nation’s capital. Banneker even identified the meridian line for DC, known as 16th Street, where this modern Kimpton property now resides.
The 144-room property, once Hotel Rouge and only six blocks from the White House, opened earlier this year after a $20 million renovation. It’s a modern knockout. “From the three-dimensional and figurative artwork featured in the public spaces and guest rooms by local DC artist Emon Surakitkoson (emonsurakitkoson.com) [to] curated local partnerships, the nation’s history is interwoven throughout every aspect of the property,” says Raeshawna Scott, the hotel’s general manager.
Victor Ekpuk’s lobby mural is a scene-stealer.
A massive lobby mural was painted by Victor Ekpuk (victorekpuk.com), whose work can be found in the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and The Phillips Collection. Other artists featured throughout the hotel include photographer Susana Raab (susanaraab.com), multimedia creator Lori Katz (lorikatz.com) and Aziza Claudia Gibson-Hunter (gibsonhunterstudio.com), the co-founding member of Black Artists of DC.
Local artist Meg Biram (megbiram.com) created an original mural for the U-shaped rooftop bar known as Lady Bird—dubbed for the former first lady and socialite. The lofty perch, with lovely views of the city, including the White House, opened just before Thanksgiving; it features signature cocktails like the O Captain, My Captain (aged rum, carrot juice, demerara, angostura); and Oaxaca (vida mezcal, grapefruit juice, honey syrup, Tajín)—all complemented by little charcuterie boards, making for artistically sublime winter nights. 1315 16th St. NW, 202.234.6399, thebanneker.com, @thebanneker
The bright, Frenchinspired signature restaurant, Le Sel.
Photography by: Courtesy of Kimpton Banneker Hotel
