Washington, D.C.: Trump begins work on new hotel at Old Post Office

Donald Trump, posing with a golden shovel marked with his brand name, broke ground last week on what will be a new addition to his hotel chain: renovation of the hulking Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C.

The company promises elegance and luxury in the $200-million redo of the 1899 building at Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street Northwest. It will be called Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C.

The Old Post Office Tower, a landmark operated by the National Park Service, includes an observation deck where visitors can take in some of the best views of the Capitol. It will be closed until 2016 when the hotel is expected to open.

Trump and his businesswoman daughter Ivanka last Wednesday posed for photos in announcing the hotel that will bring 270 rooms and suites to the Romanesque Revival building, which takes up a city block. Trump doesn’t own the building; the General Services Administration awarded him a 60-year lease.

The new hotel will transform the postmaster general’s former offices into three-bedroom presidential suites, ranging from 3,500 to 5,000 square feet, a hotel announcement says. Each will have a master bedroom, dining room with fireplace, pantry-kitchen and a shower and steam room.

Guest rooms will measure 600 square feet with high ceilings and historic touches kept intact. There also are plans for a 13,000-square-foot grand ballroom as well as a spa, fitness center and restaurants.

“Our commitment to historic preservation and long history of redeveloping landmark properties is reflected in our design approach, which is inspired by the legacy of this great structure and executed in a manner that captures the sophistication and luxury of our brand,” Ivanka Trump said in a statement.