Marriott International Global Headquarters

Overview

Opportunity

Solution

Impact

Team

In downtown Bethesda, Marriott’s global headquarters translates the company’s hospitality mindset into a workplace designed around people, culture, and community.

Location

Bethesda, M

Client

Marriott International

Expertise

Hospitality Brand Design [FPO] Build To Suit [FPO] Headquarters [FPO] Climate Action [FPO] Sustainability Build to Suit & Headquarters Wellness [FPO] Architecture [FPO] Interior Design

Opportunity

At a pivotal moment for the company and the workplace, Marriott saw an opportunity to create a headquarters that reflected the hospitality experience at the heart of its brand.

Worker expectations were shifting, raising the bar for what a headquarters needed to offer. Associates wanted more choice in how they worked, easier access to amenities, and more opportunities to connect. At the same time, Marriott was focused on attracting and retaining talent while strengthening its people-first culture. Moving from a suburban campus to downtown Bethesda added another opportunity: placing the company in a more active, connected setting where the workplace could better support its people and future.

Why This Matters

01
Attracting Top Talent
Marriott needed a workplace that could attract and retain top talent as expectations changed, giving associates more choice, amenities, and reasons to come together.
02
Hospitality Starts Here
Marriott sells hospitality to the world. Bringing that same warmth inside its own walls meant employees could experience the brand they build every day.
03
From Campus to Community
Marriott’s prior campus kept the company somewhat apart from its neighbors. The move to downtown Bethesda was a chance to open up, connecting associates to each other and inviting the surrounding community inside.

This campus honors our storied history and roots in the local community, while showcasing Marriott’s exciting next chapter of growth as we remain dedicated to our purpose of connecting people through the power of travel.

Solution

Marriott’s hospitality mindset turns a 21-story headquarters into a vertical journey, with destinations that support work, learning, and everyday life.

The headquarters brings the benefits of a traditional corporate campus into a compact vertical setting designed around choice, convenience, and connection. A mix of work settings supports different needs throughout the day, while amenities across the podium floors, including The Hot Shoppe, cafés, wellness spaces, and a test kitchen, create more opportunities to gather and recharge. At the top of the tower, a dedicated learning center reinforces Marriott’s investment in its people. Public-facing destinations and brand storytelling connect the building to downtown Bethesda and Marriott’s culture, reinforcing the values at the heart of the company.

From brief to build: defining the future workplace started with understanding Marriott’s people, culture, and aspirations.

Gensler began by looking at the headquarters from the inside out, studying Marriott’s workplace, culture, and how associates worked. Surveys, focus groups, and visioning sessions helped define what the company needed from its next headquarters. That research informed everything from workplace strategy to site selection, ultimately pointing to a two-acre site in downtown Bethesda with access to Metro, bike trails, and city life. From there, the team shaped a workplace that balanced Marriott’s longstanding values with the energy of its new urban setting.

Early Design View

An early perspective sketch explores façade rhythm, vertical expressions, balcony integration, and the building’s relationship to the street.

Impact

What began as a workplace transformation became a catalyst for culture, talent, and downtown Bethesda’s continued growth and vitality.

The new headquarters demonstrates how Marriott’s values can shape both exceptional travel experiences and exceptional employee experiences.

What Changed Because of This

01
Employee Experience
The headquarters turns Marriott’s people-first values into a lived experience, creating a workplace that supports employees as intentionally as it serves guests.
02
Urban Revitalization
The move helped energize downtown Bethesda, supporting local businesses and contributing to the area’s growth as a vibrant live-work-play destination.
03
Healthier by Design
LEED Gold and Fitwel-certified design strategies support Marriott’s sustainability goals while creating a healthier, higher-performing workplace for associates.

Recognition

01

The National Building Museum

Marriott International received the National Building Museum’s 2024 Honor Award, recognizing its significant contributions to the nation’s built heritage.

02

Fast Company

Gensler’s collaboration with Marriott International was spotlighted for creating a headquarters that “is not just a billboard for what the company does, but also a representation of how the company functions.”

03

The Wall Street Journal

Gensler’s Jordan Goldstein shared insights into how Marriott’s amenity-rich, flexible headquarters was designed to draw employees back to the workplace.

Team

Project Leadership

Jordan Goldstein

Co-CEO, Principal

Francisco Gonzalez

Global Co-Chair

[FPO] Stephen Ramos

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[FPO] Matthew Dreher

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FAQ

01

What sustainable features are incorporated into the project?

The headquarters incorporates a range of sustainable design strategies that support LEED Gold certification. Features include a green roof that helps manage stormwater, permeable pavers with biofiltration systems, electric vehicle charging stations, and a parking strategy designed to reduce the project’s overall environmental footprint.

02

How does the headquarters reflect Marriott's brand?

The headquarters brings Marriott’s hospitality mindset into the workplace through shared experiences, storytelling, and spaces designed around connection. The Cabinet of Curiosities celebrates Marriott’s history and portfolio of brands through curated artifacts, photography, media, and exhibits that showcase the art of hospitality.

03

What role did employee feedback play in the design?

Gensler engaged Marriott associates through interviews, surveys, focus groups, and visioning sessions to better understand how people worked and what they needed from the future workplace.

04

What makes the workplace different from a traditional office?

Rather than organizing the workplace around individual departments, the headquarters operates as a vertically connected campus with shared destinations distributed throughout the building, encouraging movement and interaction throughout the day.

05

What makes the headquarters a “vertical campus”?

The headquarters reimagines the traditional corporate campus for an urban setting. Amenities, learning spaces, wellness offerings, dining destinations, and gathering areas are layered throughout the 21-story tower, creating a workplace experience that encourages movement, discovery, and interaction from floor to floor.

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Related Expertise

Hospitality Brand Design Build to Suit Headquarters Climate Action Sustainability Build To Suit & Headquarters Wellness Architecture Interior Design

In downtown Bethesda, Marriott’s global headquarters translates the company’s hospitality mindset into a workplace designed around people, culture, and community.

At a pivotal moment for the company and the workplace, Marriott saw an opportunity to create a headquarters that reflected the hospitality experience at the heart of its brand.

Why This Matters

Marriott’s hospitality mindset turns a 21-story headquarters into a vertical journey, with destinations that support work, learning, and everyday life.

From brief to build: defining the future workplace started with understanding Marriott’s people, culture, and aspirations.

What began as a workplace transformation became a catalyst for culture, talent, and downtown Bethesda’s continued growth and vitality.

What Changed Because of This