In 2014, downtown Washington, D.C., will welcome a new player to the convention game with the opening of the Wash- ington Marriott Marquis. With 1,175 guest rooms and more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, the $520-mil- lion hotel will give meeting planners a flexible new venue in D.C.’s city center with a direct connection to the adjacent Walter E. Washington Convention Center. One of only five Marriott Marquis hotels in the country,
the new property will offer an abundance of flexible meeting space, including the 30,000-square-foot Marquis Ballroom with 22-foot ceilings, as well as two 10,000-square-foot ball- rooms with 20-foot ceilings. Planners will also have access to more than 55 meeting rooms and 26 salons spread throughout the ballroom space. A 2,500-square-foot rooſtop terrace with views of downtown and an 18,800-square-foot indoor event terrace will accommodate special events of all shapes and sizes. Aiming for LEED Silver certification, the Washington Mar-
riott Marquis will be one of the largest hotels in the United States to achieve the designation. Initiatives to reduce
Downtown D.C.’s new convention center hotel
energy, waste, and CO2 emissions, as well as efforts to improve indoor air quality, are just a few of the ways the property will keep sustainability at the forefront of its goals. Aſter meetings wrap up, guests can take advan-
tage of the hotel’s many on-site amenities, including an 8,000-square-foot fitness center, five restaurants and lounges, and numerous retail shops. Te lively Penn Quar- ter district and stops for the Metro green and yellow lines are only steps away, but guests may want to stay put — the hotel, with its light-filled grand atrium lobby, is set to become D.C.’s newest social hub. Attendees with leisure time to spare will love that Mount Vernon Square, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and a handful of historic parks are all just a short walk away.
For more information: Washington Marriott Marquis Pre-Opening Sales Office, 999 Ninth Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001; (202) 962-4882; dcmarquismeetings.com
Superior space Te new Washington Marriott Marquis’ meeting space includes the 30,000-square-foot Marquis Ballroom with 22-foot ceilings, as well as the Liberty and Independence Ballrooms, both offering more than 10,000 square feet and 20-foot ceilings.