The Madison in Washington, DC Reopens
Monday October 13, 2003
After nearly a year of renovations, The Madison in Washington, D.C. has reopened. The new owners have spent a lot of care and money in an effort to restore this classic grand hotel to its former position as "The Correct Address" in Washington. The original Madison set many standards in luxury and was the first hotel to introduce the minibar. The style and furniture of the hotel are new, but some history remains -- even some of the hotel's original employees from the first opening over 40 years ago were rehired by the new owners.
Profile of The Madison
WASHINGTON’S ICONIC MADISON REOPENS AFTER 10-MONTH RESTORATION
Hotel Salutes Occasion In Typically Unconventional Fashion with Its Polo Team
WASHINGTON, DC, Sept. 24, 2003 – After a ten-month, nearly $40 million dollar refurbishment, The Madison, the 353-room hotel that set new standards for luxury with its 1963 debut, reopened Sept 12, 2003 to reclaim its former status as "Washington's Correct Address." Typical of The Madison - traditionally a one-of-a kind, independent property with a distinct personality - the occasion (a precursor to The Madison’s grand re-opening on Nov. 13) was marked not with the ubiquitous ribbon cutting, but with a "goal scoring ceremony" featuring the hotel's polo team assisted by The Honorable Anthony Williams, the Mayor of The District of Columbia. At approximately 9:10 a.m., four members of The Madison Polo Team, along with Mayor Williams astride a pony and wearing the number one Madison team jersey with which he had just been presented, stopped traffic in the middle of downtown Washington, DC as they lined up a goal shot through The Madison's newly installed glass doors.
The goal shot, made by Madison team member Charles Muldoon who is ranked among the top one percent of the world's polo players not only signaled the re-opening of the hotel - host of every U.S. President since John F. Kennedy - but saluted the first annual The Madison Cup Polo Tournament, which had been slated for The National Mall on Sept. 21; Hurricane Isabel forced its postponement. The polo match is one of a number of intriguing events The Madison is sponsoring to re-establish its identity as a truly unique entity on Washington, DC's hospitality landscape. The Madison Battle of the Hill 2003, the Nation's Capital’s first congressional/celebrity golf tournament, also postponed by Isabel, is another such event.
After the reopening goal was scored, Greg Miller, who holds an ownership position with the hotel and who is the president of Alexandria, VA-based PMHS, The Madison’s management company, raised his glass and declared, "Here's to another 40 years!" He then welcomed advertising executive King Pound, who had been the last guest to check out of the hotel before its November 2002 closing, as The Madison's first guest and presented Pound with a giant golden key.
Reopening the hotel in an unconventional manner and sponsoring such events as The Madison Cup and The Madison Battle of the Hill 2003 to express its individuality would strike a responsive chord with the legendary Washington developer, philanthropist and collector Marshal Coyne, who built The Madison to be the city’s most sophisticated hotel. A striking blend of modernist style and priceless antiques from Coyne's personal collection, with service and amenities that set new standards for luxury hotels in the U.S. (the hotel introduced the minibar), The Madison quickly became Washington's top rated hotel. As such, it took center stage in Washington's social life to become the Washington address of countless heads-of-state, international diplomats, business magnates, show business icons and sports stars. It was the site of the most exclusive inaugural galas, the most distinguished charity events and the most talked about social occasions. Indeed, invitations bearing the words "The Madison" were some of the city's most coveted.
However, by the time Coyne died in 2000, the luster of the hotel had faded. In 2002, it was purchased by a partnership of The Buccini/Pollin Group, Monument Realty LLC, and Multi-Employer Property Trust, who - despite the post 9/11 doldrums of the travel industry and the downturn in the economy - were determined to restore The Madison to its former position as Washington's iconic hotel. They closed it in November 2002 to embark on an ambitious refurbishment that would entail: a gut renovation of the public spaces on the first two floors, including the lobby, restaurants, bar, ballroom and meeting rooms; restoration of all the guest accommodations and elevators; the installation of a new roof, as well as new heating, venting and air conditioning systems; re-cladding the first level of the exterior in granite; installing theatrical lighting on the front of the hotel to accentuate the building’s verticality; and mounting a new port cochere. The first major restoration in The Madison’s 40-year history was completed after ten months of work at a cost of $37 million.
"Purchasing the hotel and making the commitment to restore it during a recession, coupled with a travel industry climate still reeling from the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, was a leap of faith," observes Dave Pollin, president of The Buccini/Pollin Group, the Alexandria, VA concern that is one of the hotel's owners (and who is the captain of The Madison Polo Team). "As Washingtonians, we grew up with The Madison being the hotel in town. We have special memories of it and we felt the city would re-embrace the hotel, which had been so quintessentially Washington. Moreover, we believed bringing the hotel back was an important vote of confidence in the city’s hospitality and tourist industries."
The result of the new owners' commitment is more a reinvention than a restoration. The renewed Madison bears little physical resemblance to its predecessor. The 21st century Madison has a more classic ambiance, its décor inspired by the Federal era of the hotel’s namesake, James Madison. Still, it embraces the spirit of the original, in terms of stylish elegance and a dedication to the most minute of service details.
The Madison now blends early 19th century design traditions with the amenities and services expected of a world-class contemporary luxury hotel - expectations the circa 1963 Madison helped establish. Essentially, the renewed hotel defines what The Madison means to today's travelers and to the residents of the Nation's Capital.
# # #
Information on this page has been provided by hotels or their representatives.
If you would like to submit your hotel or resort's travel specials for consideration for inclusion on this site, please submit it via email. Press releases are included at the sole discretion of the Hotels/Resorts/Inns Guide. Only photos sent via email in .jpg or .gif format will be accepted. Press releases or photos/slides received by mail will not be included.
Profile of The Madison
WASHINGTON’S ICONIC MADISON REOPENS AFTER 10-MONTH RESTORATION
Hotel Salutes Occasion In Typically Unconventional Fashion with Its Polo Team
WASHINGTON, DC, Sept. 24, 2003 – After a ten-month, nearly $40 million dollar refurbishment, The Madison, the 353-room hotel that set new standards for luxury with its 1963 debut, reopened Sept 12, 2003 to reclaim its former status as "Washington's Correct Address." Typical of The Madison - traditionally a one-of-a kind, independent property with a distinct personality - the occasion (a precursor to The Madison’s grand re-opening on Nov. 13) was marked not with the ubiquitous ribbon cutting, but with a "goal scoring ceremony" featuring the hotel's polo team assisted by The Honorable Anthony Williams, the Mayor of The District of Columbia. At approximately 9:10 a.m., four members of The Madison Polo Team, along with Mayor Williams astride a pony and wearing the number one Madison team jersey with which he had just been presented, stopped traffic in the middle of downtown Washington, DC as they lined up a goal shot through The Madison's newly installed glass doors.
The goal shot, made by Madison team member Charles Muldoon who is ranked among the top one percent of the world's polo players not only signaled the re-opening of the hotel - host of every U.S. President since John F. Kennedy - but saluted the first annual The Madison Cup Polo Tournament, which had been slated for The National Mall on Sept. 21; Hurricane Isabel forced its postponement. The polo match is one of a number of intriguing events The Madison is sponsoring to re-establish its identity as a truly unique entity on Washington, DC's hospitality landscape. The Madison Battle of the Hill 2003, the Nation's Capital’s first congressional/celebrity golf tournament, also postponed by Isabel, is another such event.
After the reopening goal was scored, Greg Miller, who holds an ownership position with the hotel and who is the president of Alexandria, VA-based PMHS, The Madison’s management company, raised his glass and declared, "Here's to another 40 years!" He then welcomed advertising executive King Pound, who had been the last guest to check out of the hotel before its November 2002 closing, as The Madison's first guest and presented Pound with a giant golden key.
Reopening the hotel in an unconventional manner and sponsoring such events as The Madison Cup and The Madison Battle of the Hill 2003 to express its individuality would strike a responsive chord with the legendary Washington developer, philanthropist and collector Marshal Coyne, who built The Madison to be the city’s most sophisticated hotel. A striking blend of modernist style and priceless antiques from Coyne's personal collection, with service and amenities that set new standards for luxury hotels in the U.S. (the hotel introduced the minibar), The Madison quickly became Washington's top rated hotel. As such, it took center stage in Washington's social life to become the Washington address of countless heads-of-state, international diplomats, business magnates, show business icons and sports stars. It was the site of the most exclusive inaugural galas, the most distinguished charity events and the most talked about social occasions. Indeed, invitations bearing the words "The Madison" were some of the city's most coveted.
However, by the time Coyne died in 2000, the luster of the hotel had faded. In 2002, it was purchased by a partnership of The Buccini/Pollin Group, Monument Realty LLC, and Multi-Employer Property Trust, who - despite the post 9/11 doldrums of the travel industry and the downturn in the economy - were determined to restore The Madison to its former position as Washington's iconic hotel. They closed it in November 2002 to embark on an ambitious refurbishment that would entail: a gut renovation of the public spaces on the first two floors, including the lobby, restaurants, bar, ballroom and meeting rooms; restoration of all the guest accommodations and elevators; the installation of a new roof, as well as new heating, venting and air conditioning systems; re-cladding the first level of the exterior in granite; installing theatrical lighting on the front of the hotel to accentuate the building’s verticality; and mounting a new port cochere. The first major restoration in The Madison’s 40-year history was completed after ten months of work at a cost of $37 million.
"Purchasing the hotel and making the commitment to restore it during a recession, coupled with a travel industry climate still reeling from the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, was a leap of faith," observes Dave Pollin, president of The Buccini/Pollin Group, the Alexandria, VA concern that is one of the hotel's owners (and who is the captain of The Madison Polo Team). "As Washingtonians, we grew up with The Madison being the hotel in town. We have special memories of it and we felt the city would re-embrace the hotel, which had been so quintessentially Washington. Moreover, we believed bringing the hotel back was an important vote of confidence in the city’s hospitality and tourist industries."
The result of the new owners' commitment is more a reinvention than a restoration. The renewed Madison bears little physical resemblance to its predecessor. The 21st century Madison has a more classic ambiance, its décor inspired by the Federal era of the hotel’s namesake, James Madison. Still, it embraces the spirit of the original, in terms of stylish elegance and a dedication to the most minute of service details.
The Madison now blends early 19th century design traditions with the amenities and services expected of a world-class contemporary luxury hotel - expectations the circa 1963 Madison helped establish. Essentially, the renewed hotel defines what The Madison means to today's travelers and to the residents of the Nation's Capital.
# # #
Information on this page has been provided by hotels or their representatives.
If you would like to submit your hotel or resort's travel specials for consideration for inclusion on this site, please submit it via email. Press releases are included at the sole discretion of the Hotels/Resorts/Inns Guide. Only photos sent via email in .jpg or .gif format will be accepted. Press releases or photos/slides received by mail will not be included.
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