Wedged between the C&O Canal, Key Bridge, and the Whitehurst Freeway, citizenM Washington DC Georgetown occupies one of the city’s most complex and consequential sites. Created in collaboration with design partner concrete, the hotel turns these constraints into its defining character, transforming a historic footprint into a hospitality experience that feels uniquely native to Georgetown while remaining unmistakably citizenM. 

Anchored by a protected 1940s-era warehouse, the building preserves the original masonry façade beneath five new stories. This historic preservation allows lower-level guestrooms to align directly with original windows, framing views of the adjacent green space and Potomac River through historic steel-mullioned openings.  

Severe constraints above and below grade further pressed the scheme. Ultra-slender structural slabs fit seven stories within Georgetown’s 60-foot height cap, while specialized waterproofing protects the building within an active floodplain. 

Inside the finished hotel, the site’s urban intensity gives way to a relaxed social landscape. Guests interact with a series of spaces that gradually shift in scale and mood: café tables for a quick stop, a communal worktable washed in daylight, tucked-away booths, and secluded lounges framed by expansive shelving. Rather than divide these activities with walls, the design uses changes in level, mesh screens, biophilic elements, and millwork to create pockets of privacy while preserving citizenM’s signature energy. The guestrooms distill this vibrant experience to its essentials, pairing tightly calibrated layouts with an integrated tablet that manages lighting, temperature, blinds, and entertainment.