Downtown D.C. bustles with popular restaurants, high-end shopping, nightlife, world-famous museums, and several iconic hotels, some within a couple of blocks of the White House.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026, the historic The St. Regis Washington, DC has 182 recently renovated guest rooms, a 2,510-square-foot presidential suite, and 11,388 square feet of elegant function space, including the Astor Ballroom, which accommodates 250 reception guests. Fresh off a multimillion-dollar upgrade, the 459-room Washington Marriott at Metro Center has direct access to the Metro system and features 13,462 square feet of function space across 14 event rooms, with a 650-person reception capacity in the Grand Ballroom. Also newly renovated, the 559-room Capital Hilton has 31,235 square feet of event space across 21 meeting rooms; when combined, the Presidential, Congressional, and Senate ballrooms can seat 1,350 theater style. Formerly the Madison, Le Méridien Washington, D.C., The Madison is now part of the Marriott portfolio; it has 356 guest rooms and offers 27,207 total square feet of event space with a capacity of 500 people. Set to open by mid-2026, Tempo by Hilton Washington DC Downtown will have 278 guest rooms and 3,528 square feet of event space, including five meeting rooms and a rooftop venue with a capacity of 200 guests for receptions. JW Marriott Washington, DC, a Destination DC Sustainability District member, has 777 guest rooms and 40,776 square feet of function space across 25 event rooms, with a capacity of 1,200 theater style or 800 banquet style. In summer 2025, the Willard InterContinental Washington DC, which dates back to the early 1800s, debuted a complete renovation of its 335 guest rooms, which include signature suites named for historic figures who were frequent guests, including Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas, and Martin Luther King Jr. The hotel also revitalized more than 22,000 square feet of event space, including a ballroom seating 450 banquet style. Another historic property just steps from the White House, Hotel Washington has 326 guest rooms and more than 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space, including a ballroom with a capacity of 700 people. On Pennsylvania Avenue, between the White House and the U.S. Capitol, Waldorf Astoria Washington DC—once the city’s iconic post office—has 263 guest rooms and more than 34,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the 13,200-square-foot Presidential Ballroom, which can accommodate 1,300 people for receptions, and the elegant Lincoln Library, which seats 150 theater style. Additional event hotels include The Westin Washington, D.C. City Center, with 410 guest rooms and 16,961 square feet of function space; Courtyard by Mariott Washington Downtown/Convention Center, with more than 13,121 square feet of function space across 13 event rooms; the boutique Eaton DC, part of the Destination DC Sustainability District, with 209 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of event space; Embassy Suites by Hilton Washington DC Convention Center, also a Destination DC Sustainability District member, with 388 guest rooms and 6,720 square feet of function space; and Hamilton Hotel, a 326-room property on the National Register of Historic Places, with more than 18,000 square feet of newly renovated venues.
The Spire is a newly opened offsite rooftop venue, which features seven meeting spaces with a capacity of 300 guests and offers views of the U.S. Capitol. The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, owned by the U.S. General Services Administration, is the first and only federal building dedicated to both government and private use, according to RRBITC.com. It is an official World Trade Center, networking with similar centers in more than 100 countries, and has more than 65,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, including a 595-seat amphitheater, to accommodate a capacity of 5,000 guests. The building also features an extensive food court and a variety of art and historical exhibits, and hosts numerous annual events, including the Capital Book Fest and an outdoor live-music series.
