hotel

Crime Report: Pulling Guns on the Ritz

By ARLnow.com

(Updated on 12/23/21 at 11:10 a.m.) A man was arrested outside the Pentagon City Ritz-Carlton hotel early Wednesday morning after police say he became upset at the hotel’s rates and brandished two handguns.

The incident started around 1:30 a.m. when the intoxicated man entered the luxury hotel, asked for a room, and became incensed at the high rates, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The man also asked whether he could be served alcohol, but was denied, Sternbeck said.

The man then left the hotel and allegedly brandished two handguns when confronted by a security guard. Police were called and the man was taken into custody by officers with their guns drawn. Police recovered two guns, each with rounds in the magazine and the safeties off, according to Sternbeck. Police say one of the guns, a .45-caliber pistol, was cocked and loaded.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

BRANDISHING A FIREARM, 05/09/12, 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. On May 9 at 1:30 am, a subject under the influence of alcohol and upset with hotel rates, brandished two handguns towards a security guard. [Name redacted], 29, of Centreville, VA, was arrested and charged with brandishing a firearm, reckless handling of a firearm and drunk in public.

Weekday rates for the hotel posted online range from $339.00 to $669.00 per night.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Students Welcome Shuttle Arrival — Students at St. Thomas More Cathedral School in Arlington welcomed the arrival of space shuttle Discovery yesterday by lining up in the school’s parking lot in the outline of a space shuttle.

Budget Proposal Includes Tax Hike, Pay Raise — At a work session yesterday, the Arlington County Board agreed to raise the real estate tax rate for its new budget — set for adoption on Saturday — by 1.3 cents above the current rate. That’s well above the 0.5 cent tax rate hike in County Manager Barbara Donnellan’s proposed budget. The new budget includes increased funding for schools, libraries, housing and employee pay raises — including a 2.8 percent pay raise for County Board members themselves. [Washington Post]

Board to Consider Crystal Drive Two-Way Project — The County Board on Saturday is expected to approve a $1.9 million contract to convert the portion of Crystal Drive between 15th and 12th Streets into a two-way street with bike lanes and various other improvements. [Sun Gazette]

Renovated Residence Inn to Reopen — A grand reopening celebration is scheduled at the Residence Inn hotel on Army Navy Drive in Pentagon City. The event, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 3, will celebrate the recent “upscale” renovation of the hotel’s suites and public spaces. “The new look of our spacious suites will help our guests feel right at home and our totally reimagined lobby has wide open spaces to work and relax,” a company rep said in a press release.

Photo courtesy Chris Marquez

Crime Report: Wine as a Weapon Edition

By ARLnow.com

The Days Inn on Columbia Pike is back on the Arlington County crime report this week. The motel, which has been the scene of at least three prostitution busts in the past several months, was the scene of a fight late last night.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 04/11/12, 3000 block of S. Columbia Pike. Between 10:30 pm on April 10, and 12:30 am on April 11, a known subject struck a victim in the head and face with a wine bottle during an argument in a hotel room. The victim sustained several lacerations and was transported to an area hospital. The suspect fled the scene and a warrant was obtained for malicious wounding.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump.

(more…)

Fundraiser Offers Chance to Rappel Down Crystal City Hotel

By ARLnow.com

If you’ve ever dreamed of rappelling down a tall building, here’s your chance to actually do it, legally.

The Special Olympics of Virginia is holding a fundraising challenge called “Over the Edge,” and the prize for raising at least $1,000 is the opportunity to rappel off the roof of the Hilton Crystal City hotel on Friday, June 22.

Fundraisers can either sign up to repel down the 15-story building themselves, or nominate someone else to be “tossed” off the building — a boss, for instance. Registration is limited to the first 75 rappellers.

In addition to the fundraisers, several media personalities and VIPs will be rappelling down the side of the hotel on Thursday, June 21, in an effort to bring additional attention to the cause. The rappelling is being supervised by a company that specializes in running such fundraisers.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Wienermobile Spotted in Arlington — The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was spotted yesterday afternoon at the entrance to Bluemont Park (above). No word yet on what it was doing there.

Vornado Hurt By BRAC — Vornado Realty Trust, one of the primary commercial landlords in the Crystal City area, is hurting due to the Base Realignment and Closure Act. The company is currently “staring down the barrel of nearly 2.4 million square feet of vacant space” as the U.S. military continues to move offices and departments from leased buildings to forts and other owned properties.. [Washington Business Journal]

One Handgun a Month Law Repealed — Yesterday Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) made it official and signed a bill that repeals the state’s 19-year-old “One Handgun a Month” law. In response, Rep. Jim Moran (D) said in a statement: “Today Virginia retreated from sensible gun control policy… The repeal of this law will return Virginia to being the nation’s number one gun-running state, putting more guns into the hands of criminals and traffickers.”

Hotels Gouging For Inauguration? — Booking a room in Arlington for Inauguration Day 2013 is going to cost you. Hotels have already jacked up prices in anticipation of the crush of visitors to the D.C. area for the inauguration. TBD.com compiled a list of notable examples, and found $479 per night rooms at the Rosslyn Hyatt, $399 per night rooms at the Ballston Comfort Inn, and $299 per night rooms at the Lee Highway EconoLodge.

Courtesy photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Frida Kahlo Opening Tonight — An exhibit of 259 personal photographs of renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo will go on display at Rosslyn’s Artisphere cultural center (1101 Wilson Blvd) tonight. It’s the first time the photos have been on display in the U.S. A public opening is being held tonight from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The exhibit will run through March 25. [PBS Newshour]

Kapinos Re-Ups with Steelers — NFL punter and Arlington resident Jeremy Kapinos has re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kapinos, who lives in Arlington in the off-season, is reportedly making between $600,000 and $1.26 million for the one-year deal. [Steelers Depot]

Hotel Palomar Now ‘Le Meridien’ — Rosslyn’s Hotel Palomar has been officially rebranded as a high-end, European-style ‘Le Meridien’ hotel. The restaurant in the Le Meridien Arlington, formerly known as Domasco Restaurant, has also been rebranded; it’s now being called ‘Amuse.’ The hotel is being managed by Starwood, following the purchase of the property for some $45 million by HEI Hotels and Resorts. [USA Today, Washington Business Journal]

Revised Ultrasound Bill Passed — Yesterday the Virginia House of Delegates voted for an amended bill that requires women seeking an abortion to get an ultrasound, while removing the defacto requirement that the procedure for early pregnancies involve and invasive, transvaginal ultrasound. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) revoked his support for the original bill following protests and national media attention. [Huffington Post]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Management Change at Hotel Palomar — After being sold for some $45 million, Rosslyn’s upscale Hotel Palomar (1121 19th Street N.) will be changing management companies. Effective Feb. 22, Kimpton Hotels will no longer manage the property. Instead, it will be managed in partnership with Starwood Hotels and Le Meridien. [Hotel Palomar]

Legal Advertising Bill Fails in Richmond — A bill that would have lifted the requirement that Virginia localities place legal notices in newspapers has failed in the General Assembly. The bill could have saved localities thousands of dollars per year. Most of Arlington County’s legal advertising is placed in the Washington Times. [Sun Gazette]

Candidates Answer Affordable Housing Questions — The three candidates for Arlington County Board have each answered three questions about affordable housing in the county. Their answers have been published verbatim, in PDF format, by an Arlington-focused affordable housing advocacy group. [Alliance for Housing Solutions]

Will Kahlo Photos Give a Boost to Artisphere? — County officials are hoping that a month-long exhibit of the personal photos of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, which opens on Feb. 23, will help draw crowds and positive attention to the struggling Artisphere cultural center in Rosslyn. [Sun Gazette]

Crystal City Motel Torn Down

By ARLnow.com

The Crystal City Motel is no more.

The deteriorating, long-vacant motor lodge off of Old Jefferson Davis Highway was torn down this week to make way for the future Boeing regional headquarters.

The next-door Clark Street Playhouse is set to be demolished next. Bisnow reports that construction on the Boeing headquarters is expected to start in April and wrap up by the fall of 2013.

1/6

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Hotel Palomar For Sale? — Connecticut-based HEI Hospitality LLC is in talks to buy Hotel Palomar (1121 19th Street N.) in Rosslyn for a reported $45 million, or nearly $300,000 per room. The high-end hotel is currently owned by JBG Cos. and operated by Kimpton Hotels. [Bloomberg]

Redistricting Lawsuit Could Delay Primaries — Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has requested that the state delay the June 12 congressional primaries by two months, following a decision by the Virginia Supreme Court to allow a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s recent redistricting process to proceed. [Washington Post]

Planetarium Renovations On Track — Renovations to Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium are underway and on schedule. The modernized planetarium is expected to reopen this fall, perhaps as early as September. A citizen-formed nonprofit group, the Friends of Arlington’s Planetarium, helped to raise more than $400,000 for the renovations.  [Sun Gazette]

Yorktown Band Seeks Donations — The Yorktown Band Boosters are seeking donations of used musical instruments and cases. The 501(c)3 nonprofit asks that those with questions about donating call 703-228-5370.

New Hotel Breaks Ground in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

A new Residence Inn by Marriott extended stay hotel is being built in Ballston, across the street from Ballston Common Mall.

The project held its official groundbreaking ceremony yesterday. The hotel, which is expected to open mid-2013, will feature 11 floors and 183 all-suite rooms.

The Residence Inn is part of the Founders Square development, which by fall 2014 is expected to consist of two high-rise office buildings, one high-rise 257-unit apartment building, and a smaller building reserved for retailers — in addition to the hotel. All told, the complex will feature 775,000 square feet of office space and 28,000 square feet of retail space.

Fire at Key Bridge Marriott

By ARLnow.com

A small fire was reported at the Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn this afternoon.

Firefighters responded to the hotel just after 1:00 p.m. after a 911 caller reported smoke on the 9th floor. Upon arrival, they found a fire — in a 9th floor room — that had been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.

Some smoke and water damage was reported as a result of the fire. Nobody was hurt.

Photo courtesy @ViewFromMyDesk

View More Stories