alexandria

Kimpton Hotels is opening a new luxury hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. The Lorien has 107 guestrooms and suites, designed by Vincente Wolfe. The rooms include custom-made furnishings, such as wingchairs and trellis-style headboards in soothing gray and white tones. Suites and specialty spa rooms also have bathrooms with claw foot tubs and rainfall showers. All rooms have 42" flat panel televisions, a spacious work area, wireless and wired high-speed Internet access, an iHome clock radio, laptop safe, plush robes, and an honor bar with organic and healthy options.

The Terrace suites include couches and seating for hosting gatherings for up to 30 people and the hotel offers a "Terrace Menu" with choices that range from private wine tasting and alfresco dining to dance lessons and such as sleeping bags, blankets, telescopes for outdoor stargazing.

The Lorien Hotel will also have a full-service spa with five treatment rooms and be home to a restaurant, tasting room and a retail cheese shop. The restaurant is overseen by chef Robert Wiedmaier and will serve Belgian cuisine with American inspiration. The hotel opens this month and grand opening rates start at $139.

The city of Alexandria in Egypt already has a beautiful modern Library but the plans for an underwater museum are even more ambition. Alexandria, one of the great centers of learning in the ancient world, was hit by an tsunami in the year 365. Subsequent earthquake susbsidence meant that many of the city's greatest archaeological treasures are under water. Since 1994 excavations by divers have revealed sphinxes, granite blocks and what are believed to be pieces of the Pharos of Alexandria lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The plans for the new museum designed by architect Jacques Rougerie call for an immersed fiberglass tunnel that would allow a dry place to view underwater monuments. The museum comes with a hefty price tag. it could cost up to $140 million. The Egyptian government has hoped that private organizations and companies might be willing to finance the operation. The goal, according to the Guardian, is to have construction start at the beginning of next year. Given the global economy and the general malaise when it comes to massively ambitious building projects currently, this seems like a lofty goal. And even if the money does miraculously appear the museum's builders will face all sorts of challenges including how to secure good viewing spots in the tunnel and keep the tunnel safe and dry.

Egypt has long sought to find a way to bring more tourists to Alexandria. The beautiful Bibliotheca Alexandrina attracts some visitors but the library on its own does not have the same pull that a library and a museum might. But some have already complained about the funds used to maintain the library and so money for a new building project seems extravagant especially when it could be used for social programs and for maintaining some of the city's existing structures.

George Washington slept here. Well, not actually but the land this estate sits was once part of George Washington's River Farm. The 25-acre estate has river views and is the largest remaining private estate on the Potomac. The home was originally built during the mid 19th century and then expanded over time. In 2001, it had a complete renovation.The stately brick home has six bedrooms. Not a lot of interior pics on this one but it seems like a nicely kept elegant home. It is listed at $9.75 million. After the jump, a country home for a senator perhaps?

Alexandria, Egypt, a city rich in ancient ruins and also the home of the strikingly modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina will have a new place to stay. The Four Season Hotel Alexandria is part of San Stefano, a massive complex that includes residences, offices, a shopping mall and a marina all done on a grand scale that is nearly Dubai-esque. There are 127 rooms and suites overlooking the Mediterranean and the hotel has a restaurant, spa and a circular infinity pool on the fourth-floor terrace overlooking the Corniche and the Mediterranean. Reservations are available starting September 1 and rooms start at $250.

A charming hotel in Louisiana which closed in 2004 will soon be restored to its former glory. The historic Hotel Bentley in Alexandria, Louisiana is being bought by Centreniks Hospitality Group LLC, which plans to spend $14 million to buy and restore the Louisiana landmark. The hotel has a long history and once played host to General Dwight D. Eisenhower for an extended stay during military training. The four-star hotel, which was built in 1908, will have a formal reopening in August but may have a soft open in the spring. The eight-story hotel has a balconied lobby, crystal chandeliers and antiques. The once-bustling small town had fallen on hard times and is now in the process of revitalization.