The boutique hotel aesthetic has moved from the fringes to mainstream, gradually changing consumer expectations of what a hotel should look like. It’s also moving into other types of real estate from office buildings to apartment buildings.

Bethesda, Md.-based Donatelli Development has embraced the boutique hotel look. Like the developer’s other properties, Highland Park—developed with Gragg + Associates—is loaded with personality. It differentiates itself in a number of ways, including a bold, floor-to-ceiling LED light show with continually changing colors that create drama.

“It’s a major wow factor,” says Christopher J. Donatelli, president, Donatelli Development. “Because the façade of the building is all glass, the LED wall really lights up the street at night. A lot of people are drawn to it.”

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