What’s New for 2022 in Boston, D.C., and New York City
by Laurie Wilson /
Cities have suffered many setbacks during the pandemic. But good things are happening, and tourism is slowly rebounding as major U.S. cities continue to take a share of a steady domestic travel market.
To continue piquing interest in visiting cities, here is a sampling of new hotels on-deck to open this year in Boston, Washington, DC, and New York City, as well as special annual city events that will be celebrated big in 2022 after being shelved last year because of COVID.
Boston
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“We are hoping to welcome as many visitors as possible, both domestically and internationally,” says David O'Donnell, Vice President of Strategic Communications Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We anticipate that our hotel occupancy for 2022 in Boston and Cambridge will exceed 65%, still well down from the 82.5% of 2019 but up markedly from 45% of 2021 and 25% of 2020. For the Greater Boston market, the slower recovery of business travel and international travel will continue to impact our numbers through 2022."
The Boston Marathon held every spring, is the world’s oldest annual marathon, dating to 1897. But, thanks to Covid, it didn’t run last year. This year’s race will take place on April 18, and the restaurants and hotels are expected to go all out.
The traditional St. Patrick’s Day Parade in South Boston was also canceled last year but is back this year. The parade in Southie dates to 1901; the parade will be held on March 20th.
Hotels
Last year, especially the latter part of 2021, Boston welcomed several high-profile hotels to its portfolio, including Newbury Boston which opened in December.
Later this year, the highly-anticipated Raffles Boston will debut with 147 guest rooms and 146 residences in a new 33-story building in Boston’s Back Bay. The property will mark the opening of the first Raffles property in North America; the brand is 135 years and based in Singapore. Expect signature Raffles services such as the Raffles Butler, and also a handful of food and beverage venues (including a patisserie and speakeasy), a state of the art Raffles Spa with indoor pool, a rooftop garden terrace and lounge, and the signature Raffles Writer’s Lounge for cocktails and conversation—these lounges are in many Raffles properties as a nod to the writers who have stayed, such as Hemingway.
Washington D.C.
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“2022 is a year that’s not only culturally rich but a continued celebration of many beloved institutions,” says Julie Marshall, domestic media relations manager, Destination DC.
There is plenty to celebrate, she says, including major milestones like the 160th anniversary of Emancipation Day and the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Celebration. 2022 is also set to see the completion of the newest phase of District Wharf, a waterfront development, as well as the completion of the rehabilitation project on the Lincoln Memorial ahead of its centennial in 2022, and a wall of remembrance will is currently being constructed and will be finalized at the Korean War Veterans Memorial.”
And The National Cherry Blossom Festival, the popular annual spring festival in DC, that celebrates the blooming of cherry trees commemorating the gift 110 years ago from Tokyo, was missed last year because of the pandemic. So expect this year’s month-long festival to blossom citywide; held March 20 to April 17.
Hotels
The AC Hotel Washington DC Capitol Hill Navy Yard will debut in February. The 222-key AC Marriott hotel will feature a bar and lounge, meeting space, and library, and is part of a mixed-use development including residential buildings and retail space. It is located near Nationals Park in the Navy Yard neighborhood.
citizenM Washington DC NoMa is also slated to open in February in the heart of NoMa near the metro and Union Market. The 292-key property will feature a ground-floor restaurant and bar and fitness center. The lower level of the property will have 1,000 square feet of bike storage, showers, and changing facilities.
Pendry Hotel Washington D.C. – The Wharf: Expected to open this year, the property will feature 131 guest rooms including 34 suites; three dining and bar concepts; a state-of-the-art Spa Pendry, and 5,000-square- feet of indoor and outdoor event and meeting space.
This winter, the 178-room Selina Hotel, an independent brand for millennial and Gen Z nomadic travelers combining work and travel will open in the NoMa neighborhood.
The 247-room Holiday Inn Express Washington DC Downtown, less than one mile from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Capital One Arena, will debut this winter with a 24-hour fitness center and breakfast.
New York City
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In an effort to increase occupancies, for the first time ever, NYC & Company launched NYC Hotel Week Winter, with citywide 22-percent-off deals on more than 110 hotels through February 13, including popular properties like Lotte New York Palace, The Pierre New York, and The Rockaway Hotel. The initiative is part of the NYC Winter Outing, which also features NYC Broadway Week, with two-for-one tickets, and NYC Restaurant Week with discounted deals at 440 restaurants.
Sex and the City is trending again thanks to the reboot, and Location Tours has relaunched its Sex and the City Hotspots Tour as both a public and private experience. The heated bus tour, given by New York actresses, highlights iconic locations in Greenwich Village, the Meatpacking District, and SoHo, that were featured in the series. Stops for comp Magnolia Bakery cupcakes and discounted cosmos at O’Neal’s, too.
Hotels
The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad will be one of the tallest buildings in the NoMad neighborhood, with 250 guest rooms and 16 branded luxury penthouse residences with views of the Empire State Building stretching to the Statue of Liberty. Also, expect restaurants and bars by Michelin-starred chef José Andrés—he will also oversee the rooftop bar with intoxicating views and sips 500 feet in the air. And, there will be a signature 6,800-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Spa and Fitness Center.
The Wall Street Hotel in the heart of New York City's Financial District the hotel is housed in the landmark Tontine building and will feature 180 guest rooms, curated libraries, and original artwork. Slated to open in March.
Hard Rock Hotel New York, set to open in midtown this April, the brand’s new 446-room flagship hotel will play out on Music Row with live music and Crosley record players and Fender guitars in guest rooms and other musician-related memorabilia handwritten like lyrics for John Lennon’s 1972 ode to his adopted New York City home. A 33rd-floor rooftop bar and lounge will harmonize with city views.
Blurring the lines between retail and hospitality, RH Guesthouse is expected to open this spring (after pandemic-related delays) as a 14-room boutique hotel in the Meatpacking District. Also featured is the RH Rooftop Restaurant (open now). Restoration Hardware (RH) is the developer, and the hotel will be part showroom and experience center showing off the furniture and fixtures.