Photos: Alexandria's First Waterfront Hotel Opens

(Updated 1:36 p.m. Thursday) ALEXANDRIA, VA — For Old Town Alexandria visitors, staying on the waterfront was not an option unless they knew a friend with a property. That has changed since Hotel Indigo, Alexandria's first waterfront hotel, opened Wednesday at 220 South Union St.

The hotel is LEED-certified and features five stories, 120 rooms and a terrace overlooking the Potomac River. Managed by InterContinental Hotels Group, the hotel mixes modern design elements with tributes to Old Town Alexandria's historical roots. Hotel Indigo's nod to "The Port City" includes a sculpture of a fisherman pulling in a net by local Chris Erney.

Hotel Indigo itself was part of another major historical discovery. When the hotel broke ground in late 2015, it discovered remains of an 18th century ship and 1755 warehouse. The discoveries have inspired designs of warehouses and marine images found all over the hotel.

The hotel has also incorporated local partners into its operation. Washington Business Journal reported that local Chef Cathal Armstrong will open an upscale restaurant called Hummingbird near the end of May. The lobby will feature to-go items from another Armstrong outlet, Society Fair, Together We Bake, Port City Brewing Co. and other local businesses. In addition, the lobby features a library stocked by local bookstore Hooray for Books. The hotel will work with Torpedo Factory Art Center rotate works of art of the hotel facing the outdoor lounge, general manager Kate Ellis told the Journal.

The hotel had offered a preview for visitors by serving as a rest stop during Alexandria's annual GW Parkway Classic on April 23.

Hotel Indigo is booking for rooms on or after May 5 with rates starting at $159 per night.

Images by Isaac Maiselman/courtesy of Hotel Indigo