Located just north of Pennsylvania Avenue, the adjacent neighborhoods of Penn Quarter and Chinatown are home to historic and new attractions, major hotels and boutique inns, and significant memorials.
Chinatown is easily identified by the 60-foot-high Friendship Arch, one of the largest ceremonial arches of its kind outside of China. Installed in 1985 and restored in 2002, the arch features traditional colorful tiles and 284 painted and sculptured dragons. Chinatown was once home to thousands of Chinese immigrants, but now is one of the city’s most varied neighborhoods, with culturally diverse restaurants and shops.
Penn Quarter is home to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and the 20,000-seat Capital One Arena, a multipurpose sports and entertainment venue (home to the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals). Set to complete a six-phase, $800 million redesign in 2028, the arena currently can host 2,500 for receptions and seat 1,000 for banquets.
The LEED Platinum-certified, 2.3 million-square-foot Walter E. Washington Convention Center features 703,000 square feet of exhibition space on two levels, 198,000 square feet of meeting space across 77 rooms, and a 52,000-square-foot ballroom seating 4,600 guests theater style. The convention center is Metro-accessible, with a dedicated stop, and is walkable to neighborhood restaurants, downtown museums, nightlife, and the National Mall.
Connecting to the convention center via an underground concourse is the 1,175-room Marriott Marquis Washington, DC. The hotel has 100,474 square feet of function space across 80 event rooms, including a 30,600-square-foot ballroom with a capacity of 3,500 guests. It is one of the country’s largest hotels to earn Silver LEED certification. Both the convention center and hotel are members of the Destination DC Sustainability District.
Two blocks from the convention center is CityCenterDC, a 10-acre mixed-use shopping, dining, and entertainment destination with condominiums, apartments, office buildings, and a public park. Several popular restaurants at CityCenter offer private dining spaces, including Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, Estuary, and Centrolina. The Museum of Illusions at CityCenter offers a unique
space for parties, corporate events, and teambuilding, featuring more than 50 exhibits and special programs.
Part of CityCenterDC, Conrad Washington DC has 360 guest rooms and nearly 32,000 square feet of function space, including a grand ballroom, a rooftop terrace, and other outdoor venues. Other area hotels include Grand Hyatt Washington and The Westin DC Downtown, both Destination DC Sustainability District members. Grand Hyatt Washington features 902 recently renovated guest rooms and suites, offers lobby access to the Metro, and is expected to open a new restaurant concept and complete renovation of more than 43,000 square feet of meeting space early this year. Currently, the hotel’s Independence Ballroom can accommodate 2,050 for receptions or 1,210 for banquets. The Westin DC Downtown offers 807 guest rooms and 77,872 square feet of function space, including 25 breakout rooms and a 19,000-square-foot ballroom with a capacity of 950. Additional hotels with event space include the 181-room Riggs Washington DC, with 4,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor rooftop event space; 184-room Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC, with more than 5,500 square feet of function space and additional courtyard and private dining space; and 445-room Arlo Hotel, which incorporates and preserves the city’s oldest apartment building, dating from 1882, with 4,287 square feet of function space, a courtyard, and rooftop indoor/outdoor lounge space.
Unique theater venues in the neighborhoods include historic Ford’s Theatre, which offers group tours and experiences in a working theater restored to reflect its appearance the night President Lincoln was assassinated; Shakespeare Theatre Company, which has two theaters, seating 437 and 761 guests, and additional space to host receptions of up to 500 guests; and the 1,950-seat Warner Theatre, a restored 1920s-era building with space to host 800 for receptions and 500 for banquets. Each theater has a full lineup of productions.
Additional offsite event spaces in Penn Quarter and Chinatown include the National Union Building, with 27,000 square feet of event space over seven floors, and Puttery DC, an indoor mini-golf venue with three themed courses, two bars, and pre-set or customizable space for teambuilding or social events of up to 600 guests. The National Law Enforcement Museum offers exhibits, programs, and special events, and features a 100-seat theater, a main gallery with a capacity of 450 guests, a boardroom, and smaller meeting rooms. The recently renovated and expanded Visitor’s Center at the U.S. Navy Memorial has exhibits and interactive displays illustrating the story of the men and women of the Sea Services. Venues at the memorial include The Arleigh & Roberta Burke Theater (222 seating capacity) and a commemorative plaza, along with The Gallery Deck and the Delbert D. Black National Chief’s Mess, which are available separately or can be combined to accommodate up to 120 people for dinners or 300 for receptions.
