The Hotel Brexton, a 29-room boutique hotel in Mount Vernon has hired Paul Masai as its general manager and will open its doors to the public Feb. 12.
A native of Kenya, Masai was formerly the assistant manager at the Inn at the Colonnade. The Charles Village property and the Hotel Brexton are both is owned by Richard Naing. Masai has also held management positions at the Holiday Inn Inner Harbor and the Tremont Plaza Hotel.
After a nearly $5 million restoration, developer RWN Development Group is reviving the historic 129-year-old Mount Vernon hotel following years of disrepair and nearly two decades of vacancy. Hotel officials are counting on its proximity to universities and hospitals to draw business, Masai says.
The hotel is close to the University of Baltimore and the Maryland Institute College of Art and not far from Mercy Medical Center. By the end of the month, the hotel will house a cafe and ice cream shop managed by Gifford's Ice Cream, a chain in the Greater Washington area that has a location in Pikesville. The cafe will serve breakfast and snacks and offer outdoor seating during warmer months.
Designed by Kann Partners and built by HOD Contractors, the property was built in 1881 as a residential hotel. Hotel designers have left many original details, including a circular staircase and a pentagon-shaped elevator. The hotel also includes a Wallis Simpson Suite in honor of the Duchess of Windsor, who lived in the Brexton as a child.
Rooms at the hotel will cost between $139 and $179.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Paul Masai, Hotel Brexton