VisitMontgomery.com; @VisitMoCo
On the northern border of Washington, D.C., Montgomery County has more than one million residents in the cities and communities of Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Silver Spring. Red Line Metro links the vibrant county to the nation’s capital, and three international airports serve the area: Dulles International Airport (IAD), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
“Our proximity to Washington, D.C., enables groups to easily visit our nation’s capital while enjoying the many unbeatable amenities here in Montgomery County,” says Kelly Groff, president and CEO of Montgomery County CVB.
The 455-room Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Rockville is Montgomery County’s largest conference center, boasting 61,923 square feet of event space across 26 event rooms. The largest space, a 23,000-square-foot ballroom, can host 2,500 guests theater style or for receptions and 1,620 for banquets.
Steps from Bethesda Metro Station, the 245-room Marriott Bethesda Downtown offers 8,000 square feet of event space with a capacity of 200 people. Hotel amenities include Hip Flask, a trendy rooftop bar, and Mediterranean Seventh State restaurant, which features a custom Italian open-hearth oven.
Updates and additions to Montgomery County’s visitor and group amenities include renovations to meeting space at the 315-room Hilton Washington DC/Rockville Hotel & Executive Meeting Center. The hotel has 36,934 square feet of event space across 26 meeting rooms, with a capacity of 800 for receptions in its largest space. The 215-room Hilton Garden Inn Bethesda Downtown recently completed lobby and restaurant renovations. The hotel, located near Johns Hopkins Medicine-Suburban Hospital and several shopping and dining options, has event space to host up to 100 people.
The 284-room Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center recently opened a new restaurant, the Bench, which offers traditional American fare. The hotel has event space to host up to 500 people and overlooks Rio Lakefront, a 760,000-square-foot waterfront retail, restaurant, and entertainment district. Nearby, the upscale Copper Canyon Grill Gaithersburg restaurant recently opened a new addition, The Lake House, which sits on a lake barge and offers a casual outdoor dining experience during warmer months.
For group outings, Calleva Farm and River Tours offers tours of the Potomac River, including kayaking and whitewater kayaking trips around the monuments in Washington, D.C. In Poolesville, The Crossvines provides an eclectic mix of golf, interactive winemaking, educational programming, and an artisanal bistro. The destination also has event space for up to 250 guests.
The Tastemakers Trail features more than 20 Montgomery County-based craft beverage producers of some of Maryland’s best local libations, including brewers, winemakers, distillers, cidermakers, mead makers, and coffee producers.
