Marriott is a brand leader in hospitality with over 30 brands and 8,300 properties across 138 countries and territories. Travelers rely on Marriott for luxury lodging, family vacations, and extended stays. For more than 97 years, the foundation of Marriott’s success has been putting people first and embracing change. In fact, innovation has been a constant factor in the Marriott story as they’ve helped shape the modern hospitality industry. Given their global renown and prominence and in the industry, it’s not surprising Marriott wanted their people to experience the same level of hospitality as their guests. When planning their new headquarters, they sought to create an inviting, hybrid environment that supports people, their well-being, and the different ways they choose to work.
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
New Global Headquarters Employees: 3,500 (Hybrid) Project Size: 785,000 sq. ft. Stories: 21 Outdoor Space: 9,600 sq.-ft. Rooftop Garden and Dining Terraces
Gensler
Price Modern
Marriott International Global Headquarters, Bethesda, Maryland. Photo courtesy of Gensler.
One of Marriott’s founding principles is: “Take care of associates, and they will take care of the customers.” True to their values, every element of the new Marriott headquarters is designed to make people feel welcome and comfortable at work. All workstations have a view outside and access to natural light. Height-adjustable tables allow each person to work in the way most comfortable to them. To further support associates, the headquarters includes amenities for childcare, family support, wellness, and fitness, as well as an all-weather covered outdoor space. Instead of feeling like a typical office building, the new headquarters feels like one of Marriott’s properties. For associates, the hospitality mindset behind the design makes the workplace a desired destination.
Recognizing how the role of the office has shifted to become a hub where people want to be, Marriott created a flexible workplace that increases employee engagement, as well as attraction and retention.
Marriott’s new hybrid office environment combines fluid workspaces with shared spaces and provides amenities that promote transparency and collaboration. Also, as associates began working in the new office, Marriott found a need for larger worktables, where teams can make the most of their collaborative, in-person time.
It's been really exciting to see everybody's reactions as they come into the office, experience it for the first time, and realize how different it is from the way that we worked at our old headquarters. It's bright and light and flexible, and associates really have choices of where and how they can work.
Vice President of Workplace Management, Marriott International
Marriott’s hospitality-driven design includes technology that allows employees to work and communicate seamlessly throughout the headquarters. Formal meetings rooms feature state-of-the-art technology with writable surfaces and video capabilities for larger meetings. An expansive video wall displays changing scenes that provide a connection to the places where Marriott serves its customers. Comfortable, soft seating—one of the benefits people enjoy when working from home—takes a on a bigger role in the new headquarters. Associates working in the office are also pleased with the way various open spaces foster unplanned meetings and conversations that lead to stronger one-on-one connections.
It’s no wonder that the thoughtful, welcoming Marriott headquarters was named “Best New Office We Want to Work At” by Bethesda magazine. This award reflects how the Marriott International headquarters embodies the future of work as a place of engagement and work-life integration. Plus, just steps away from the Bethesda Metro Station, the headquarters and adjacent 245-room Marriott Bethesda Downtown Hotel provide 8,000 square feet of flexible spaces for hosting meetings, conferences, and banquets. The hotel’s ground-floor restaurant with outdoor dining, a lobby bar, and seasonal rooftop-dining terrace are available to local residents and out-of-town visitors, making the Marriott headquarters campus an economic driver and cultural asset. As a showcase that embraces hybrid work and the ethos of hospitality, the Marriott International headquarters sets a new standard for creating workplaces where people want to be.
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