Marriott Convention & Resort Network, or CRN, hotels are the cream of the meetings and conventions properties in the hospitality giant’s portfolio, and its hotels in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area certainly live up to that marquee billing.
Meetings Today ventured to the U.S. capital and Baltimore for a closer look at these premier properties, exploring their fine F&B offerings, meeting space and off-site options that add flavor to the destinations.
Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
753 rooms; 38 mtg. rooms; 80,000 sq. ft.
With an enviable setting in Charm City’s Harbor East district, and a boardroom with water views, the Waterfront is the most-popular gala venue in the city and features a dedicated conference floor with a 19,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom. Off-site options include the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, packed with historic locomotives and a variety of event locations; Oriole Park at Camden Yards, considered one of the top ballparks in the nation, and with a meeting room that can accommodate 149 people overlooking the yard; dinner or cocktail cruises via Watermark Cruises; and group dining restaurants Fleming’s Steakhouse, Roy’s Hawaiian fusion restaurant and La Scala Ristorante—don’t miss out on the downstairs bocce ball court for a surefire small-group activity!
Marriott Marquis Washington, DC
1,175 rooms; 54 mtg. rooms; 107,500 sq. ft.
Perhaps the most-heralded new D.C. property, the Marriott Marquis Washington, DC is a stunner, from its 55-foot Birth of the American Flag atrium lobby sculpture to an 8,000-square-foot health club and M Club Lounge that are the largest in the Marriott chain. Connected to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the Shaw-Penn Quarter, this stylish property echoes the trend of offering ad-hoc meeting spaces, along with the 30,600-square-foot Marquis Ballroom accommodating up to 3,000. Don’t overlook The Dignitary, which exudes all the dark, woody warmth of its more than 40 regional bourbons, for cozy, sophisticated receptions.
Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel
807 rooms; 36 mtg. rooms; 64,000 sq. ft.
Located in the heart of downtown, the Renaissance may just be the “sleeper” choice in the CRN D.C. portfolio, offering a lower room rate but a myriad of creative meeting space, including three ballrooms on the lower-level convention floor and a variety of nooks and “laboratory” spaces that speak to the brand’s unique, creative take. The lobby bar area doubles as a fun event space, with management that is eager to up the ante with entertainment, etc., to spice up a networking event.
Crystal Gateway Marriott
697 rooms; 27 mtg. rooms; 34,300 sq. ft.
Set across the Potomac from D.C. in Virginia’s Crystal City, this hotel is embarking on a $30 million renovation scheduled for an April 2017 completion. Offering the largest ballroom in Northern Virginia, at 16,000 square feet, the Crystal Gateway also benefits from very close proximity to Reagan National Airport (two miles away) and direct access to the Metro Subway.
JW Marriott Washington, DC
772 rooms; 29 mtg. rooms; 37,000 sq. ft.
The first JW hotel—it actually opened a month before Bill Marriott Jr., honored his father John Willard by affixing his initials on the brand’s top tier of properties—this flagship recently completed a renovation of its meeting space and guest rooms. Located just blocks from the White House, groups can rent out suite-level rooms for a reception that drinks in some of the best views in the city from its large balcony. Exemplifying the brand’s “Authentic, Intuitive and Clean” F&B motto, Executive Chef Adam Salyer takes a scientific approach that will blow attendees away with his meticulous cuisine creations.
Washington Marriott Wardman Park
1,152 rooms; 84 mtg. rooms; 195,000 sq. ft.
The grande dame of the collection, the Wardman Park opened in 1918 in a residential area near Embassy Row. Brimming with elegance, charm and history—and boasting nearly 200,000 square feet of meeting space in multiple configurations—some of the District’s most exciting dining is nearby in the Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle neighborhoods, which provide a serene sense of place in contrast to the Georgian Revival architecture of the city center.
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
1,995 rooms; 89 mtg. rooms; 480,000 sq. ft.
Perhaps the large-meeting crown jewel in the CRN crown, and located on the waterfront just across the Potomac River from D.C., Gaylord National boasts a cavernous, 19-story-tall atrium that is a hallmark of the Gaylord brand. Sort of a city within itself—especially when combined with the National Harbor development next door—water taxi service is also available to D.C. Grand in all senses, the Gaylord will stun attendees with its 18,000-square-foot Pose Ultra Lounge and the Broadway-caliber stage of the Potomac Ballroom.
Marriott Convention & Resort Network
888.236.2464
