Marriott Breaks Ground on $600M HQ Campus

The Bernstein Cos. and Boston Properties are developing the project, which will bring both the hospitality company’s headquarters office and a Marriott hotel to downtown Bethesda, Md.

Rendering of the new Marriott International headquarters complex in downtown Bethesda, Md.

Rendering of the new Marriott International headquarters complex in downtown Bethesda, Md.

Joint venture partners The Bernstein Cos. and Boston Properties have broken ground on the new Marriott International headquarters complex in downtown Bethesda, Md.

The more than 785,000 square feet of office space in the 22-story LEED Gold headquarters building will support about 3,500 employees. Amenities will include a childcare center, a fitness center and a cafeteria.

Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s president & CEO, touted the company’s move from its current suburban location to a walkable, transit-oriented site. He noted that the headquarters office building will feature easy access to transportation options that include the Bethesda Metro Station less than two blocks away.

The Bernstein Cos. and Boston Properties own the land and will jointly develop and own the Marriott International headquarters office building, while The Bernstein Cos. will build and own an adjacent Marriott hotel. Marriott will manage both the office building and the hotel.

Demolition of the buildings currently on the site (a hotel, a small one-story retail building and a five-story office building) will begin in July, with construction to follow, a Boston Properties spokesperson told Commercial Property Executive.

In a prepared statement, Adam Bernstein, president & CEO of The Bernstein Cos., referred to the company having owned the property for more than 30 years. Bernstein Cos. did not reply to CPE’s request for additional information.

The headquarters office building is scheduled for completion by mid-2022, with the adjacent hotel opening early the same year.

Marriott International has made its home in Montgomery County, Md., for more than 60 years. As of 2017, it supported about 6,100 jobs in Montgomery County alone, becoming one of the region’s largest private employers.

How appropriate: A full-service hotel next door

The site of the $600 million campus was decided on last year.

The headquarters complex’s Marriott Hotel will be a 244-key, full-service property with more than 8,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space. The hotel’s amenities will include a coffee shop, a rooftop bar and lounge, and a contemporary neighborhood restaurant with the option of outdoor dining on a pedestrian plaza.

Image courtesy of Marriott

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