Salamander Washington DC Reopens as The Potomac Hotel
The former Salamander Washington DC has reopened as The Potomac Hotel, Autograph Collection. Here's what DC hospitality watchers need to know.
In brief
The former Salamander Washington DC has reopened as The Potomac Hotel, Autograph Collection. The rebranded property now operates under Marriott's Autograph Collection flag, signaling a new chapter for the Washington DC luxury hotel market. The name change marks one of the more notable hospitality rebrands the city has seen recently.
Key Takeaways
The former Salamander Washington DC has officially reopened under the name The Potomac Hotel.
The property joins Marriott's Autograph Collection portfolio of independent-spirited luxury hotels.
The rebrand represents a significant shift in the DC luxury hospitality landscape.
From Salamander to The Potomac Hotel: What Changed
Washington DC's luxury hotel scene has a new name to know. The property formerly operating as Salamander Washington DC has relaunched as The Potomac Hotel, Autograph Collection, according to Hospitality Net. The Autograph Collection is Marriott International's portfolio of independent hotels selected for their distinct character and sense of place — a fitting designation for a property anchored in the nation's capital.
For DC hospitality watchers, the Salamander brand carried real weight. The original Salamander Hotels & Resorts, founded by entrepreneur Sheila Johnson, built a reputation for upscale, culturally attuned properties. The Washington DC location was part of that legacy. Its transition to The Potomac Hotel under the Autograph Collection banner suggests a reorientation toward a globally recognized loyalty ecosystem — namely, Marriott Bonvoy — while retaining the independent character the Autograph Collection is known for.
The Autograph Collection, as described by Marriott International, selects properties that offer "exactly like nothing else" — hotels with distinct personalities, local ties, and design sensibilities that stand apart from standard branded boxes. A Washington DC address, with its proximity to the corridors of power and its dense cultural infrastructure, fits that brief well.
Why This Rebrand Matters in Washington DC
Washington DC's luxury hotel market is one of the most competitive and politically sensitive in the country. Properties near the White House, Georgetown, and Capitol Hill don't just compete for leisure travelers — they compete for diplomatic delegations, lobbying firms, campaign operatives, and the steady churn of government-adjacent business that defines the DC economy. A rebrand of this magnitude, attaching a well-known property to a globally recognized collection like Marriott's Autograph portfolio, shifts how that hotel is positioned in booking searches, corporate travel programs, and international itineraries.
For DC's broader dining and hospitality ecosystem, hotel restaurants and bars often function as de facto power lunch venues and after-work gathering points for the Hill crowd and K Street set. How The Potomac Hotel positions its food and beverage program under the new identity will be worth watching for anyone tracking DC's culinary landscape. The Autograph Collection's brand ethos tends to favor locally inspired, chef-driven concepts over generic hotel dining — a signal that the property's culinary direction could evolve alongside its new identity.
Explore how DC's hospitality and dining scenes intersect on our DC Restaurant Power Rankings and follow the city's shifting luxury market for context on where The Potomac Hotel fits in the capital's high-end ecosystem.
Marriott's Autograph Collection already holds a notable presence in Washington DC and the broader Mid-Atlantic region. The collection's growth nationally has been steady, with properties selected for their architectural distinction and local narrative — qualities that align with DC's built environment and its appetite for hotels that tell a story. The addition of The Potomac Hotel deepens that footprint in one of the country's most high-profile markets.
For travelers loyal to the Marriott Bonvoy program, the rebrand means the former Salamander property now earns and redeems points within one of the world's largest hotel loyalty ecosystems — a practical shift with real implications for how the property is booked and by whom. Business travelers, in particular, who run their travel through corporate Marriott agreements, gain access to a property that was previously outside that network.
The rebrand is confirmed, but the details of how The Potomac Hotel, Autograph Collection, differentiates itself in Washington DC's saturated luxury market are still coming into focus. Watch for announcements around the property's dining and bar programming, any renovation or redesign tied to the rebrand, and how the hotel positions itself relative to other Autograph Collection properties in the region. For the DC culinary desk, the food and beverage evolution at this address will be the story that matters most in the months ahead.
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FAQ: The Potomac Hotel, Autograph Collection — Washington DC
What was The Potomac Hotel before it rebranded? The property previously operated as Salamander Washington DC, part of the Salamander Hotels & Resorts portfolio.
What is the Autograph Collection? The Autograph Collection is a Marriott International portfolio of independent-spirited luxury hotels selected for their distinct character and local identity. Properties earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points.
Is The Potomac Hotel now part of Marriott? Yes. As an Autograph Collection property, The Potomac Hotel is affiliated with Marriott International and participates in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.
Where is The Potomac Hotel located in Washington DC? The source confirms the property is located in Washington DC, operating at the same address as the former Salamander Washington DC. Specific street details were not confirmed in the source reporting.
Why does the hotel rebrand matter for DC's hospitality scene? Washington DC's luxury hotel market serves diplomatic, political, and corporate travelers alongside leisure guests. A rebrand into a globally recognized loyalty collection changes how the property is booked, discovered, and positioned in a highly competitive market.
What will happen to the hotel's dining and restaurant programming? The source does not specify dining changes. The Autograph Collection's broader brand philosophy tends to favor locally inspired food and beverage concepts, making future culinary programming worth monitoring.
Reporting drawn from: Hospitality Net. Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
