PROJECT  Canal House of Georgetown

LOCATION  Washington, District of Columbia, US​

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  3/25/2025

Firm(s): Peter Fillat Architects 

Design Team Members: Peter Fillat - President & CEO, John Fetty - Principal, Ariel Westmark - Associate Principal

Client: 
Contractor/Construction Manager: Clark Building Group (CBG)

Landscape Architect: Lee & Associates (LAI)

Structural Engineer: Tadjer Cohen Edelson

Civil Engineer: Wiles-Mensch

Mechanical Engineer: Allen & Shariff

Electrical Engineer: Allen & Shariff

Photographer(s): ©2025, Sam Oberter Photography; ©2025, Isaac Maiselman Photography
Additional project support: 

PROJECT SUMMARY

Located at 1023 - 1031 31st St. NW, in the charming and historic Georgetown area, Canal House of Georgetown is the newest hotel by the Georgetown waterfront. The Canal House of Georgetown is a successful example of adaptive reuse, transforming a vacant office building into a vibrant hospitality destination.

The 105-room, 48,757 GSF hotel is comprised of an existing office building, three existing buildings and an addition on to the back of the office building. A roof top penthouse expansion on the suite level gives guests panoramic views of old Georgetown. The Lobby and Bar is designed as a destination food and beverage venue enlivening the street. Inside are hidden gems to enjoy and socialize with memorable venues throughout.

The constraints of the existing structure heavily influenced what was possible, making flexibility in brand requirements essential. The Tribute Portfolio brand was an ideal fit, offering the flexibility needed to adapt minimal brand standards to the building’s framework. The first thing we did was reshaped the structure—cutting out a small portion of the building—to add more guestrooms per floor.

To give a unique hotel experience to the guest, we had to get creative on where to locate certain amenities. Nestled in the footprint of the adjacent row home is the Library Lounge that connects to the hotel lobby. The other two townhomes serve as individual suites for guests.

Another unique feature is the enclosed Courtyard Restaurant created behind the townhomes. The courtyard becomes a vibrant social destination right off the lobby. With a day to night ambiance, it blurs the interior and exterior while providing flexibility to adapt to any social setting.

JURY COMMENTS (if applicable)

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF

IMAGES (Captions and Photographer Credit)
1. Photography by Sam Oberter
2. Photography by Sam Oberter
3. Photography by Isaac Maiselman
4. Photography by Sam Oberter
5. Photography by Isaac Maiselman
6. Photography by Isaac Maiselman
7. Photography by Isaac Maiselman
8. Photography by Isaac Maiselman