Salamander Collection, the medley of hotels and resorts founded by uber-entrepreneur Sheila Johnson, is growing fast. So quickly that when HOTELS asked Prem Devadas, president of Salamander Collection, what the growth trajectory was for the company, his answer was coy, if not cryptic: “We will have some significant news to share soon, potentially as soon as this week, and will be in touch,” he said.
One week later it was official: PGA National Resort, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., had become the seventh property within Salamander Collection, and the second to host a PGA Tour event, the Cognizant Classic, joining Innisbrook, home of the Valspar Championship. A fore(tunate) turn of events.
PGA National was acquired by London-based real estate investment firm Henderson Park, which has involved Salamander on previous deals before; namely, Salamander Washington DC, née Mandarin Oriental Washington DC, which it acquired in the summer of 2022 in conjunction with Salamander. Two years later it finished off a renovation of the hotel to imbue it with the Salamander equine essence (paying homage to its Virginia roots) and dialed back the Far East motif, reminiscent of Mandarin Oriental.
There was a temporal condition placed on the hotel’s renovation, which includes a brand-new spa and celebrity-chef driven F&B: Its completion needed to happen prior to the presidential inauguration on January 20, one of the largest demand generators that Washington, D.C, ever gets, not to mention the chance to show off the hotel to the glitterati.
One of the hotel’s show pieces is the reimagined Presidential Suite, whose sitting room, if you didn’t know you weren’t in the White House, looks peculiarly like the Oval Office, though that wasn’t the express intent of interior designer Thomas Pheasant. The aim was to give it a bold though warm look, with high ceilings and windows that capture sweeping views of the district, including the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial.
HOTELS caught up with Devadas prior to the inauguration to discuss the renovation and why it’s so meaningful not only to Salamander, but the nation’s capital.
HOTELS: Though the Salamander name is not new to the DMV, when it was announced that Salamander and partner Henderson Park had purchased the Mandarin Oriental in D.C. in 2022, it was a bit of an aberration since it was Salamander’s real first entry into a global, gateway, non-resort market. How has the city and travelers embraced the hotel in the time since the hotel has become part of Salamander Collection?
Devadas: Since its opening in 2019, Salamander has managed Hotel Bennett in Charleston, S.C.; however, we had been looking for the right opportunity in Washington, D.C. for some time. Not only had our founder Sheila Johnson been a leading business figure in the district for 50 years, but our Salamander Middleburg resort, located just an hour outside of D.C., had established a loyal following in the region among luxury leisure guests and corporate groups.
In partnership with Henderson Park, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community and travelers since we officially launched. As part of enhancing the arrival experience, we introduced Salamander’s signature “Living Room” to the lobby, transforming it to be warmer and more welcoming, along with a completely transformed Lobby Lounge that overlooks the Grand Lawn and the Washington Marina. This area has truly become the living room of D.C., offering a compelling gathering place for locals and visitors.
HOTELS: The hotel subsequently has gone through a rather large-scale renovation that includes guest suites, public spaces and F&B outlets. What have been the biggest challenges and what are you most proud of about it?
Devadas: Renovating a hotel is filled with opportunities and challenges. We didn’t close the hotel during the enhancement period and our team worked to minimize any disruptions and maintain exceptional service. We made significant enhancements to our guest suites, public spaces and our food-and-beverage outlets, requiring meticulous planning and execution to ensure guests weren’t disrupted.
We are specifically proud of two new additions. First, is the Salamander Spa. Though the former Mandarin spa was very well regarded, it had only eight treatment rooms and was restricted to one level. We converted a former office space on the lobby level and created a new reception area, relaxation tea lounge, nail studio, men’s grooming salon and six additional treatment rooms—and then connected the floors with a grand staircase making us the only dual-story spa in D.C. Now, our upstairs focuses on aesthetics while downstairs is dedicated to body treatments and offers our enhanced steam and sauna facilities, as well as water-therapy experiences.
Second, our new restaurant called Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi opened to critical acclaim, and just four months into operations, it’s already rated second on Washingtonian’s list of top restaurants in the region. The restaurant is a true partnership with Chef Kwame and was designed by Modellus Novus. The concept was inspired by D.C. surveyor Benjamin Banneker and his heritage to the West African Dogon tribe. The restaurant celebrates the cultures within D.C.’s four quadrants and serves vibrant cuisine through an Afro-Caribbean lens drawing from Kwame’s unique Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian and Creole background.
HOTELS: The January 20th Inaugural was a big time for the city and, logically, for the hotel. What was it like racing against the clock to have the hotel ready in time for the days before and after it?
Devadas: Our team worked exceptionally hard to prepare the hotel for the inauguration, which occurred just after the culmination of our renovation. This unique opportunity allowed us to showcase some spaces for the first time, especially the Presidential Suite with its views of the Potomac River. Our team did an amazing job ensuring everything was in order when our guests arrived.
HOTELS: Regarding the aforementioned Presidential Suite, the sitting area looks awfully similar to the Oval Office. Was this part of the design brief?
Devadas: The suite’s oval-shaped living room was actually designed to showcase its views of the Potomac River, spanning from The Wharf to the Jefferson Memorial.
HOTELS: Sheila Johnson’s imprint is seen throughout the hotel—from the Living Room to the equestrian motifs throughout. What was her vision for the property and how has it come alive through the renovation?
Devadas: Not only are our company’s core values derived from Sheila, but she also leads our design direction. At Salamander DC, she envisioned creating a welcoming and home-like atmosphere for guests, similar to what we created at Salamander Middleburg. The goal was to transform the hotel into a refined urban setting that would become D.C.’s living room.
Upon entering, guests are greeted with refined-yet-comfortable furnishings in warm hues with enhanced seating groups, creating a welcoming sense of arrival. In our guest suites, we collaborated with residential interior designer Thomas Pheasant, who also designed Sheila’s personal home, and with whom we worked on room design in Middleburg. This partnership ensured an inviting residential atmosphere, including in our new Monument Club for our most discerning guests.
To honor Sheila’s passion for equestrian sports and Salamander’s roots in Middleburg, we commissioned a piece of bas-relief artwork behind the front desk that showcases galloping horses alongside D.C.’s iconic monuments. With her fine arts photography and design background, Sheila also helped develop the art collection in our Living Room and Lounge, which features works by Black American artists who have made significant contributions to D.C.’s cultural fabric.
