Marriott International has opened its 8,000th property, with a hotel adjacent to its soon-to-open global headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.
The 245-room Marriott Bethesda Downtown at Marriott HQ occupies 12 storeys and is located a five minute walk from the metro station and a short walk from Bethesda Row.
The opening comes as the hotel group celebrates its 95th anniversary.
David Marriott, director and incoming chairman, Marriott International Board of Directors, commented:
“From the nine-seat root beer stand that my grandparents started nearly 95 years ago in downtown Washington, to the milestone opening of our 8,000th property, we have been fortunate to call this area our home.
“Marriott Bethesda Downtown at Marriott HQ reflects the continued transformation of the Marriott Hotels brand, and we are thrilled to embark on a new era of inspired travel and design with the opening of this hotel.”
The hotel, owned by The Bernstein Companies and managed by Marriott International, features a glass-enclosed lobby with mid-century modern details, a grand staircase, a 360-degree lobby bar and USB charging stations.
Natural light is a key feature of the hotel, with faceted mirrors and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, while a curated art collection from the region’s up-and-coming artists is showcased in the rooms and public spaces. Rooms and suites feature multi-functional furniture, tech-enabled work surfaces with built-in universal adapters and UCS cords, and rose gold tinted mirrors.
Facilities include a fitness centre with Peloton bikes, a library on the second floor with books by local authors, and three dining destinations from executive chef Dupree Braswell which focus on local produce.
The Greatroom lobby bar features indoor and outdoor areas which “evoke the ambiance of an Italian Piazza”, with cocktails prepared tableside and a selection of local craft beers on tap.
The hotel’s main restaurant, Seventh State, offers indoor and outdoor seating and a locally curated Mediterranean menu with dishes cooked in a custom Italian wood-fire oven in the open kitchen.
Bethesda’s first high-rise rooftop bar, Hip Flask, is accessible via a private elevator and offers seasonally rotating menus and signature cocktails.
The 24-hour ground-floor M Club is reserved for hotel guests who are Marriott Bonvoy Elite and Club paying members, with perks including complimentary food and beverage throughout the day.
The hotel also offers 8,000 sq ft of meetings and events space, including an outdoor terrace overlooking downtown Bethesda. Meeting rooms have been named after destinations significant to the company’s history, including Twin Bridges (the site of its first lodging property in 1957), Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta.
The building is LEED Gold certified and has five rooftop green spaces, which grow select ingredients for the hotel’s dining venues, and are designed to reduce pollution, save energy and manage storm water.
Weekday rates start at US$296, and an opening offer includes 15 per cent off the best available rate, 20 per cent off F&B and an upgrade to a top-floor view room.
The hotel group recently confirmed that it will begin to adopt flexible point redemption rates for its Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme from the end of March.
Marriott Bonvoy to move to flexible point redemptions from the end of March
