hotel

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Small Business Saturday — This holiday weekend, in addition to today’s traditional Black Friday shopping bonanza, Arlington residents will be able to participate in “Arlington Small Business Saturday.” The day encourages Arlingtonians to shop and dine at small, local businesses this weekend. “Your favorite retail, dining and online small businesses are participating and providing discounts or incentives on a variety of products and services,” according to organizers.

Retirement Ceremony for Therapy Dog — Bailey, a therapy dog at the Capital Hospice Halquist Center near Virginia Hospital Center, is retiring after 10 years of service to those who have life-limiting illnesses. A private retirement ceremony will be held for Bailey, a golden retriever, at the hospice center on Monday night. “Cider, special Goldrush brownies and dog treats will be served,” according to an online invitation.

Library Recovers from Database Crash — The electronic catalog and accounts system for Arlington Public Library and Arlington Public Schools is back up and running after crashing last Friday. “We are very pleased to report that our system is back online, along with research databases, and that most if not all data feared lost has been recovered and restored,” the library said on its web site. “Your privacy was never compromised. We are taking steps to prevent such an outage from happening again.” [Arlington Public Library]

Homeless Navy Vet Gets Apartment — Ernest Maas, a 61-year-old Navy veteran, is giving thanks this Thanksgiving weekend for the roof over his head. Maas got the keys to a new apartment in Arlington on Wednesday after spending the past three years homeless and living in the woods around Four Mile Run. The new apartment was coordinated by the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network. [WJLA]

Arlington Hotels: Tax Us, Please — The Hotel General Managers’ Committee of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the Arlington Tourism Coalition are hoping to lobby the Virginia General Assembly to reinstate the county’s hotel tax surcharge. The 0.25 percent tax on hotel rooms in Arlington generated nearly $1 million per year that went to tourism promotion efforts. State lawmakers declined to renew the tax last year in retaliation for Arlington’s fight against HOT lanes on I-395. [Sun Gazette]

Hotel Worker Robbed at Gunpoint

By Katie Pyzyk

Police say a man with a gun robbed a worker at the Days Inn on the 2200 block of Arlington Blvd last night.

According to police, a man walked into the hotel lobby around 6:30 p.m. and pointed a gun at the desk worker while demanding she get on the ground. The suspect then went behind the desk and took an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register.

While the suspect was in the lobby, a customer entered the area and the suspect turned the gun on him, ordering him to the ground. The suspect then fled through a back door. Nobody sustained any physical injuries in the incident.

The suspect is described as a white man, around 5’10” with a medium build. At the time of the robbery, he was wearing khaki pants, a dark jacket, a dark winter hat and a dark scarf that covered part of his face. The witnesses said he appeared to be in his 40s.

There are no pictures of the suspect because the hotel’s surveillance camera was not working at the time of the robbery. Besides the two victims, there were other people near the hotel lobby at the time of the incident, but they claim to have not heard or seen anything. According to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, those people were visiting from another country and had been drinking.

Anyone with information about the robbery or the suspect is asked to call the non-emergency line at 703-558-2222.

Man Found Dead on Hotel Toilet

By ARLnow.com

A 51-year-old Maryland man was found dead in the lobby restroom of a Crystal City hotel Monday morning.

The hotel’s cleaning staff discovered the man unresponsive in a bathroom stall around 9:00 a.m. on Monday (Sept. 17). He was sitting on a toilet, slumped against the back wall. Paramedics were called but they were unable to revive the man, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The man was a resident of Bowie, Md., according to police. It’s not clear whether he was a guest in the hotel.

Authorities believe the man had a heart attack while on the toilet. His death is not considered suspicious.

File photo

Tourism Spending in Arlington Rises to $2.7 Billion

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County says tourists and visitors spent $2.7 billion in Arlington in 2011, an increase of 7.6 percent over the $2.5 billion spent in 2010.

The $2.7 billion in spending represents 13.1 percent of all tourism dollars in the Commonwealth of Virginia, making Arlington the top county in the state for visitor spending.

The tourism industry is responsible for 24,000 jobs in Arlington and generates nearly $74 million, according to the county, citing data from the U.S. Travel Association. Tourism payroll and employment in Arlington both outpaced the statewide averages, up 3.2 percent and 1.9 percent respectively.

“We’re very pleased with the steady growth of the County’s tourism sector,” Arlington Convention and Visitors Service Director Emily Cassell said in a statement. “While we’re still progressing toward the peak hotel occupancy and revenue levels of 2008 and 2009, the significant growth in visitor spending is a sign of good things to come.”

Virginia lawmakers failed to renew Arlington’s 0.25 percent hotel tax surcharge in 2011. The surcharge expired after Dec. 31, 2011, and is expected to result in the loss of just over $1 million in annual revenue used for tourism promotion by the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service. Although some general county funds were allocated to make up for the shortfall, the Convention and Visitors Service budget for Fiscal Year 2013 is only $500,000, compared to $1.4 million in FY 2011.

Helicopter Called In To Track Robbery Suspect

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police called in the U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter last night to assist in the search for a robbery suspect.

Around 9:45 p.m., a suspect threw hot coffee on the front desk attendant at the Best Western hotel on the 2400 block of S. Glebe Road. The suspect then hopped the counter, stole $450 in cash and a cell phone, and fled the scene in a white sedan, according to police.

A K9 unit and the helicopter were called in, but police were ultimately unable to locate the suspect.

“The suspect is described as a black male, 6’0” tall and 170 lbs,” according to the police report. “He was wearing a black hat, reading glasses, black athletic jacket, white athletic shorts and white shoes at the time of the robbery.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pentagon City Elevator Contract Approved — The Arlington County Board has approved a contract to design a second elevator for the busy Pentagon City Metro station. The estimated $5.1 million elevator construction project has already received $4.5 million in federal funding. [Arlington County]

Arlington’s Roads Rate ‘Poor’ — More than one third of Arlington County’s 974 mile street network is in “poor” condition, based on the county’s own assessment. The reason for the poor road conditions may lie with spending. The county has been spending significantly less on paving than the amount recommended by its top streets official. [Patch]

Board Considers Solar at Supermarkets — County Board members say they’ll consider a Green Party proposal to either force or encourage supermarkets to install solar power arrays on their roof. The solar power could help refrigerate food during power outages. [Sun Gazette]

Maywood Neighborhood Profiled — The historic Maywood neighborhood of Arlington is “endearing and peaceful” and “extremely friendly,” according to a radio profile. [WAMU]

Renovations Revealed at Crystal City Hotel — Last week the 343-room Crystal City Marriott officially unveiled its $7 million redesign, which included new common areas like a new bar/restaurant and a new fitness center. [Marriott]

Flickr pool photo by Lifeinthedistrict

Another Prostitution Bust at Columbia Pike Hotel

By Katie Pyzyk

Police made a prostitution bust at the Days Inn hotel on the 3000 block of Columbia Pike last night.

A surveillance team observed numerous johns entering and exiting three separate rooms at the hotel, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. They were all followed and confronted when they left the hotel. According to Sternbeck, all the men confessed to having paid for sex and received citations for solicitation of prostitution.

Three women were arrested and charged with prostitution and keeping a bawdy place. The women also admitted to posting online advertisements for sex services, Sternbeck said. An additional woman was charged with receiving money from prostitution.

Police officers seized $2,100 from the alleged prostitutes.

Police targeted the hotel based on information they had gathered about possible prostitution occurring there. This is not the first time the hotel has been used for such activity. In December police detained six people at the hotel on suspicion of participating in a prostitution ring.

National Right to Life Convention Coming to Arlington

By ARLnow.com

The annual National Right to Life Convention will be coming to Arlington later this month.

The convention is billed as the “42nd annual meeting of pro-life grassroots leaders and experts from across the country.” The three day event starts on Thursday, July 28, and will feature six “major sessions,” more than 100 pro-life speakers and more than 70 workshops.

Speakers will include House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

The convention will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, at 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway. The previous two National Right to Life conventions were held in Jacksonville, Fla. and Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Hyatt Regency has been on a roll in terms of booking notable or unique events with disparate themes. It has recently hosted the 2011 DMV Music Awards, the Anime USA convention and the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally, and a trade group meeting about the health of cow udders.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Old Arlington Remembered — Long-time Arlington resident Judy Downs Tinelli recalls the Arlington of her childhood: Sycamore Street was a stream, her neighbor had a herd of cows, and those in the District considered her dad’s 20 minute commute (from what is now East Falls Church) excessive. [WAMU]

Moran Styrofoam Amendment Fails — A measure proposed by Rep. Jim Moran (D), which would have amended a legislative branch appropriations bill to ban polystyrene foam food and beverage containers from congressional cafeterias, failed in the House on Friday. Moran’s general election opponent, Republican Patrick Murray, issued a statement about Moran’s amendment. “Seriously, Jim?,” Murray asked. “Are you really willing to spend all of your time on Styrofoam instead of creating jobs?” [The Hill]

Pottery Barn Offers ‘Arlington’ Sign — Via Shirlington Village Blog Spot, we learn that Pottery Barn is currently offering a 66 inch by 12 inch wall sign that says “Arlington” in bold, black letters on a distressed cream-colored background. The sign is currently on sale for $119.00. [Pottery Barn]

Hotel Celebrates LEED Gold Certification — On Monday, the Renaissance Arlington Capital View hotel in Crystal City celebrated its recent award of LEED Gold environmental certification. Among those on hand at the celebration was David Marriott, grandson of Marriott International founder J.W. Marriott. The Renaissance chain of hotels is owned by Marriott.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Mixed Reaction to Electronic Textbooks — Electronic textbooks are getting mixed reviews from Arlington Public Schools students. Some say they appreciate the accessibility and update-ability of the electronic books, but others say the books can be glitch-y and are not easy to search. [Sun Gazette]

Topping Out for New Ballston Hotel — A “topping out ceremony” was held on Friday for the new Residence Inn hotel within the Founders Square development in Ballston. The ceremony was held to celebrate the last of the building’s 11 floors being built. The hotel is expected to open mid-2013. [CityBiz Real Estate]

Kenmore Students Donate Bags for Dog Dirt — This morning the 6th grade science classes at Kenmore Middle School are being recognized for their donation of about 10,000 used plastic bags to the group Arlington Dogs. The bags will be reused for pet waste disposal at Arlington County’s eight dog parks. By reducing the amount of pet waste in the park, the bag donation should also improve the water quality of Arlington’s streams.

Dogma May Close N. Arlington Store — Dogma Bakery’s store in the Lee Harrison Shopping Center is in financial jeopardy, according to owner Sheila Raebel. The gourmet dog bakery and boutique has reportedly been losing money for the past two years, and last year’s opening of a Petco store across the street likely hasn’t helped matters. Dogma’s Shirlington location, however, is expected to become profitable at some point this year. [Examiner.com]

Arlington Parking Meter Slogan, Explained — In case you were wondering, the slogan on Arlington County’s parking meters — “All May Park. All Must Pay” — originated in 1994. The phrase was coined to succinctly describe a policy change: the county stopped allowing those with disabled placards to park for free, due to rampant abuse of the system by the non-disabled. [Washington Post]

Police Investigate Shooting Outside Crystal City Hotel

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police are investigating a shooting that occurred early Sunday morning in Crystal City.

The incident happened just after 3:00 a.m. According to police, four people were posing for photos behind a vehicle parked in front of a hotel on the 2700 block of Jefferson Davis Highway when an unknown suspect fired between 3 and 6 gunshots. The hotel desk staff heard the shots and called police.

Responding units found a male victim shot in both ankles. The man was treated by medics and taken to George Washington University Hospital, according to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Four bullet casings were found at the scene.

The victim and his three friends claimed that they had only heard the gunshots and had not seen the shooter. Sternbeck said there was “not much cooperation” from the group, and that the investigation is ongoing.

The incident is not believed to be connected to the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally, Sternbeck said. The Hyatt Regency Crystal City hotel at 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway is the rally’s official hotel.

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