Marriott International has expanded its Marriott Hotels portfolio with the opening of the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC.
Owned by Quadrangle Development and its partner Capstone, the $520m Marriott Marquis Washington, DC is Marriott International’s 4,000th hotel.
Marriott International executive chairman JW Marriott, Jr said, "Washington is one of the world’s greatest cities and we are excited to host visitors and groups from across the globe at our newest hotel to fly the Marriott Hotels flag."
"The Marriott Marquis Washington, DC also has created more than 500 new jobs, with 63% coming from the District," he added.
Of the total construction cost, $206m was contributed by Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia and the owner-operator of the Walter E Washington Convention Center.
The hotel’s exterior was designed by Cooper Carry Architects and TVS Architects, and its interiors were designed by HOK Design.
Located at 901 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, the hotel is connected to the Walter E Washington Convention Center through an underground concourse. The hotel has a 44,000ft² glass ceiling and a 56ft steel sculpture in the lobby.
The 15-storey Marriott Marquis Washington offers 1,175 rooms including 49 suites, a bi-level fitness centre, and over 105,000ft² of meeting space including 83 meeting rooms, a 31,000ft² Marquis Ballroom and two 10,800ft² ballrooms, and an 18,000ft² indoor event terrace and a 5,200ft² outdoor event terrace.
Dining venues at the hotel include casual restaurant Anthem, The Dignitary lounge, High Velocity sports bar, a lobby bar, and a speciality restaurant that is scheduled for opening in late 2014.
The hotel is planned to be one of the largest LEED Silver (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified hotels in the country.
Destination DC president and CEO Elliott L Ferguson said that developments such as the Marriott Marquis strengthen the region’s tourism industry and help it to attract visitors, drive economic impact and create jobs.
"The hotel is opening at a perfect time as we’re looking forward to a busy summer travel season filled with exciting events and milestones such as the 10th anniversary of the DC Jazz Festival, the 200th anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner and of course, July 4th in our nation’s capital," Ferguson added.
Image: The glass ceiling and steel sculpture in the lobby at the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC. Photo courtesy of Marriott International.
