Washington, D.C.
- The 1,175-room, 49-suite Washington Marriott Marquis will debut in May 2014 next to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The property will feature more than 105,000 square feet of meeting space, a grand lobby with an atrium skylight, a restaurant and retail outlets.
- The historic Howard Theater, where African American marquee acts like Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and D.C.’s own Duke Ellington performed, recently finished a $21 million restoration and is now welcoming private events. The kitchen offers a menu designed by chef Marcus Samuelson of The Red Rooster in Harlem, N.Y.
- Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group’s chic Donovan House Hotel recently completed a renovation. Its pool-side deck overlooks Logan Circle and surrounding church steeples, Victorian brownstones and elegant, leafy avenues.
- The Observatory at the Graham Georgetown boutique hotel opened in April as the only public rooftop deck in the neighborhood. Views of Georgetown University, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Virginia skyscrapers across the Potomac River are part of the decor.
- Event spaces will be plentiful inside the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) when it debuts in 2015. Construction is under way on a National Mall five-acre site for the Smithsonian Institution’s 19th museum, which will stage ceremonies and performances, and have exhibition space focusing on African American history and culture. An auditorium, cafe, education center and multiple exhibition halls will featured. The museum is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification for sustainable elements such as solar hot-water panels on the roof and a geothermal groundwater system.
Maryland
- RiverView Terrace at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Fort Washington, Md., recently opened as the resort’s newest event venue, featuring a 15,000-square-foot lawn overlooking the Potomac River, Old Town Alexandria on the river’s Virginia side and Washington monuments upriver.
- Westin Annapolis added 6,000 square feet of new meeting space, bringing inventory to 13 meeting rooms totaling 19,000 square feet of flexible function space.
- Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club recently opened in an Art Deco theater built in 1938. Following its $8 million renovation, the property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers live music and 300 seats for dinner.
Virginia
- VisitAlexandria is offering a suite of off-site group experiences, including Experiential Food Tours in partnership with DC Metro Food Tours and a historic and cultural learning tour spotlighting restaurants, markets and distilleries. Meanwhile, the city’s Port City Brewing Co. features customized group tours and tastings.
- Residence Inn Arlington Ballston recently opened in Arlington and features two meeting rooms, including the Executive Suite, with 1,495 square feet of space for 190 attendees.
- Hilton Garden Inn Arlington/Courthouse completed an extensive renovation that included the addition of 2,600 square feet of meeting space and an outdoor patio for events.