Historic Renovation: Transforming Historic Landmarks for Next Generation Appeal

The journey of renovating and refurbishing historic properties transcends restoration; it’s about delicately preserving the essence of history while integrating modern amenities and design elements to elevate the guest experience. It’s about honoring the past while embracing the future, ensuring that cherished landmarks continue to inspire and captivate generations to come.

Embarking on a historical renovation project can also be a financially astute decision, significantly boosting occupancy rates, RevPAR, and guest experience, providing a positive return on investment. Moreover, historical renovation offers sustainability advantages by repurposing existing structures, minimizing environmental impact compared to demolition and new construction. Incorporating energy-efficient technologies like LED lighting, advanced HVAC systems, and water-efficient fixtures further enhances sustainability, efficiency, and future resilience.

Historical renovation projects come with unique challenges such as navigating complex building regulations and codes designed to protect architectural integrity. These regulations can limit modifications, requiring careful planning and creative solutions to meet modern standards while respecting historical authenticity. Additionally, addressing structural issues and material degradation in historic buildings demands expertise in historical construction techniques and meticulous craftsmanship to integrate modern amenities and safety features without compromising historical character.

Despite these challenges, the rewards of historical renovation—both financial and environmental—make these projects worthwhile and rewarding. Our integrated teams are committed to preserving architectural heritage while integrating contemporary design, creating spaces that celebrate history and contribute to a sustainable and enriched built environment.

Founded in 1766, the Omni Homestead Resort, a National Historic Landmark in Virginia, recently underwent a $140 million renovation. The aim was to restore its historical integrity while introducing contemporary finishes. WATG and Wimberly Interiors were hired to maintain the Homestead’s iconic status, honor its history, and refresh the property with a sophisticated yet approachable residential feel.

The resort, with its rich 250+ year history, has hosted 23 U.S. presidents and numerous returning families, creating deep emotional connections. The renovation aimed to balance past, present, and future, requiring a strategic and delicate approach.

Guided by the client’s vision, the redesign focused on five principles: traditional, lightness, residential, sophisticated, and iconic. The project prioritized making the building functional and stable, including modern systems and restored structures, plaster finishes, brickwork, and façade improvements.

The Hotel Del Coronado, an iconic San Diego landmark built in 1888, posed a unique challenge during its refurbishment. Our goal was to preserve its Victorian charm while meeting modern travelers’ needs. We aimed to elevate the original elements, enhancing them with contemporary touches that enrich its heritage.

Strategic use of natural and new light through architectural and decorative fixtures illuminated the Victorian heritage. Our design balanced modern expressions with lighter palettes, maintaining authentic Victorian accents for a fresh yet historically connected feel.

In partnership with Heritage Architecture and Planning, we meticulously restored the lobby’s Illinois white oak walls and flooring, revealing intricate grains and textures. We used historical photographs, plans, and building exploration to restore the old front porch and Ladies’ Entrance stairs.

Local artisans recreated the stained-glass windows, including reinstalling the 6-foot-tall Coronation Window. The main lobby, the crown jewel, was restored to its Victorian-era prime with repaired woodwork, era-finish staining, and a new crystal and hand-blown glass chandelier.

WATG was commissioned to develop a renovation design for this elegant five-star hotel. Comprising four historically significant buildings dating back as early as 1918, Four Seasons Cartagena will be an adaptive reuse project that fully celebrates the local lifestyle and history of the region. The local government required that the majority of existing buildings be restored into courtyards and gathering areas, which WATG designed each with their own unique ambiance characteristic of Cartagena.

A unique design challenge was the requirement by the local historical preservation authorities to preserve the original uses of select rooms of existing buildings, including ballrooms, feature courtyards, guest quarters, and the chapel. This project underscores the architectural importance and cultural significance of preserving historic buildings.

The Pendry Newport Beach project is a redevelopment transforming an historically rich property, originally designed by WATG in 1986, into a contemporary luxury destination. This milestone renovation has elevated a community landmark, which historically has consistently ranked among the top hotels in the U.S, into a contemporary luxury destination. It symbolizes not only architectural evolution, but also the strength of WATG’s client relationship in safeguarding the properties integrity through innovative design to enhance guest experience and the clients’ return on investment.

The approach was multifaceted, focusing on structural enhancements, aesthetic redesign, and functional upgrades. The design leveraged the building’s strong foundational elements—often referred to by the project team as “great bones”—to embed modern luxury.

WATG’s extensive experience and local expertise ensured the project was completed on schedule, improving operational efficiency, and creating new revenue opportunities. Our team coordinated closely interior designers and landscape architects and brought all the permit documentation and construction together cohesively.  Our goal was to preserve the soul of the original design while introducing innovative elements that reflect the current and future needs of luxury travelers.

For us, every renovation project is guided by a unified vision: to honor the past, enrich the present, and inspire the future. Our meticulous approach to preservation ensures that each property retains its historical significance and cultural relevance, while innovative design breathes new life into cherished landmarks. This holistic approach not only boosts local business by providing stunning backdrops for commercial activities but also ensures the historical and educational value of these buildings is preserved for future generations to learn from and enjoy.