WASHINGTON—Marking a major milestone in the construction process., J.W. Marriott, Jr., executive chairman of Marriott International, Mayor Vincent C. Gray, District of Columbia, and dignitaries celebrated the topping off of the Marriott Marquis Washington DC, signifying that the 15-story property has reached its final construction height.
The 1,175-room property will help the city attract additional convention business by giving the facility an anchor hotel.
Joining Marriott and Mayor Gray for this occasion were city officials, community leaders, representatives from Marriott International, Quadrangle Development, Capstone Development, Destination DC, and Events DC.
“The Marriott Marquis is important not only for the District’s convention business, but for our economic development and job creation,” said Mayor Gray. “We are a world-class destination and with the addition of this convention hotel, the District, our nation’s capital, is well on the way to be the meeting destination of choice for people not only in the United States but around the world.”
Unveiling its new name and logo for the first time officially, the Marriott Marquis Washington DC will be one of only five Marriott Marquis properties in the country. After the ceremony, guests were given a sneak peek of the hotel’s lobby atrium area where the soon-to-be centerpiece of the hotel—a 56-foot sculpture named “The Birth of the America Flag” created by Baltimore-based artist Rodney Carroll is located. When complete, the sculpture will reach the fifth floor of the 15-floor building, viewable from the ground-floor lobby, mezzanine, and the interior-facing guestrooms. Carroll’s sculpture will be the largest piece of art in any Marriott hotel.
“Our company’s roots run deep in Washington, DC. More than 85 years ago, my parents opened a restaurant just up the street from the new Marriott Marquis Washington DC,” said J.W. Marriott, Jr. “When it opens, the Marriott Marquis Washington DC will quickly exemplify the transformation our Marriott Hotels brand is undergoing as it reimagines the future of travel for the next generation.”
When it opens in May 2014 the $520-million, four-star hotel will have 1,175 rooms including 49 suites, and over 105,000 square feet of function space, as well as five separate restaurant spaces. The hotel is connected directly to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center via underground concourse.
Meeting space will include a 30,000-square-foot Marquis Ballroom, two 10,800-square-foot ballrooms, more than 53,000 square feet of meeting rooms, an 18,800-square-foot indoor event terrace and a 5,200-square-foot rooftop terrace. Unique to this hotel, the below-grade meeting space has been thoughtfully designed to incorporate natural light that will filter into the meeting space from the open spaces above.
The Marriott Marquis Washington DC was also designed to earn LEED Silver (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, registered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The hotel will be one of the largest hotels in the country to earn Silver certification.
The hotel is being developed by Quadrangle Development Corporation and Capstone Development and will be operated by Marriott International. Designed by Cooper Carry Architects, Atlanta, and TVS Architects, Atlanta, in a joint-venture collaboration, the building features an innovative top-down construction method, with 15 stories above ground and 94 feet below—nearly as deep as the hotel will be tall.
