We'll Leave the (Burnt Orange) Light on For You

by Restonian

The last year has seen one big change in Reston--not one, but two fancy new hotels have opened their doors with amenities that would have been unthinkable when our plastic fantastic planned community was founded. Rooftop bars with views of bland glass boxes rivaling those in, say, downtown Dallas! Multiple dining "concepts," for those who find "food" too commonplace! Rare bourbons, not the stuff in plastic bottles once made right here in Reston for folks at a certain state school!

Now, we're simple folk who usually stay at lesser hotel brands, ones where you can park right outside your front door and walk down a "breezeway" to get ice from a machine that sounds like a broken rock tumbler. But we do think these hotels would benefit from a little more...Reston.

Instead of rooftop bars, why not a sunken conversation pit? Nothing sparks lively conversation and good times like stepping down into a living space muted by thick wall-to-wall carpeting.

Instead of pricey wooden and textile finishes to signal contemporary good taste, why not poured concrete? If it was good enough for generations of Reston kids to play on, it's good enough for a C-level executive flying into town for an in-person "standup," whatever that is.

Gyms with ellipticals and weight racks are great, but to get your guests' heart rate really pumping, why not provide bikes and point them to the W&OD? They'll be in tip-top shape, assuming they don't get run off the trail.

Instead of valet parking, why not offer baffling color-coded garages, inscrutable rules about when you can park for free, and an app to provide the true Reston experience?

Everyone loves room service, but we love chain dining even more!

And, of course, what busy business person doesn't love golfing when they're not busy doing business? Might want to hurry up and get those guest passes while they're still available, the end.