Glass Houses

A new hotel in downtown Norfolk showcases works by glass artists.

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_{Renderings courtesy of Baskervill}

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If you missed the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts back in 2013, don’t worry. Chihuly, along with other glass artists Peter Bremers and Lino Tagliapietra, will soon have some of their works shown year-round in downtown Norfolk. Developer Chris Perry, wanting to showcase his family’s 200-piece glass art collection, has commissioned the Glass Light Hotel and Gallery. The hotel will house 115 guest rooms; a French-inspired, 72-seat restaurant and bar; an atrium lounge; and, oh yeah, art made by some of the most well-known glass artists in the world. Dishes in the restaurant will be locally sourced, and the menus will change year-round in order to feature the varying products of the season.

The hotel is taking over the historic 13-story Royster Building on Granby Street, right down the street from the Chrysler Museum of Art and its glass studio. The Royster Building, built in 1912, served as an office space, laboratory, and, most recently, the headquarters for the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority. “Bringing that building back to life from a historical perspective is really exciting for us,” Perry says. The new hotel will also include the Royster’s adjoining four-story building.

The Glass Light will be the sixth hotel in Virginia belonging to the Marriott Autograph Collection, a collection of upscale and luxury hotels all around the world that are independently owned, but are licensed under the Marriott International Autograph Collection name. The others in Virginia are the Cavalier Virginia Beach Hotel, the Morrison House in Old Town Alexandria, the Alexandrian (also in Old Town), the Draftsman in Charlottesville, and the Williamsburg Lodge.

The average size of the rooms is 390 square feet, each room having “an open, airy feel with natural minerals ... reminiscent of a working studio,” writes Hunter Compo, director of sales and marketing at the Glass Light Hotel. Art by Chihuly, Bremers, and Tagliapietra will appear throughout the lobby, restaurant, and hallways of the hotel. “Guests will see a neutral palette, clean lines, a modern aesthetic, as well as detailed preservation of the historic elements of the Royster building,” continues Compo. Not only will guests be able to peruse brilliant pieces of art, they will also have the opportunity to participate in glass blowing demonstrations. Additionally, the hotel will have two board rooms, a 1,007-square-foot meeting room, and a pre-function lounge for anyone who is looking to spice up their corporate events.

The Glass Light has also commissioned local artists to create pieces for the hotel, which will open in December. Marriott.com