10 New Venues in Washington for Summer Entertaining and Events

Gaylord National debuted the 16,000-square-foot Riverview Ballroom in May, an expansive column-free private event venue with floor-to-ceiling windows and unobstructed panoramic views of the Potomac River. The waterfront space is over 16,000 square feet and can hold 1,800 guests for theater-style events, 820 guests for classroom-style events, 990 guests at round tables, and 1,850 guests for standing receptions. The Riverview Ballroom, which can be divided into eight different spaces, offers two outdoor terraces equaling more than 10,000 square feet of space, as well as pre-function space.

The Darcy, a 226-room hotel that’s part of Hilton's Curio Collection, opened this spring near 14th Street in what was once a Doubletree. Lead designer Christian Schnyder of Beleco brought in rich wood tones, distressed metals, and colorful artwork to create a refined look. Dining options include Siren, a seafood-driven restaurant by acclaimed Chef Robert Wiedmaier, as well as Chef David Guas' Lil B Coffee & Eatery, set to open soon. The property boasts 5,400 square feet of meeting space, and all meeting rooms offer natural light. The 1,856-square-foot Logan Ballroom, which is divisible into two rooms, can seat 100 guests for classroom style-events, 140 guests in rounds, 200 guests for theater-style events, and 200 guests for receptions. The 1,121-square-foot Ellington Room can hold as many as 80 guests in round tables and 100 guests for receptions. The 830-square-foot Gaston Room can hold 80 for theater-style events, the 540-square-foot Deacon Room can hold 50 for theater-style events, the 453-square-foot Whitman Room can hold 30 for theater-style events, and the 416-square-foot Wylie Ballroom seats 12. There’s also a 2,400-square-foot outdoor terrace that is available for events and can accommodate 100 guests at round tables or 140 guests for receptions. The stately 900-square-foot Presidential Suite at the Darcy, with a living room and dining area that features a table for six, also is available for events. All catering menus are created by Wiedmaier’s kitchen.

The Spirit of Washington is the newest addition to Entertainment Cruises's fleet in the city. The renovated 175-foot yacht began sailing in March and is available for group reservations of 20 to 500. The four-level yacht’s first-level Capital Deck and second-level Waterfront Deck each accommodate 175 seated guests or as many as 200 guests for receptions. The third level’s District Lounge seats as many as 35 to 40 guests inside and is equipped with an open-air patio deck and bar. Amenities on board include designated dance areas and full-service bars.

Pod DC, a 245-room micro-hotel, opened in May across the street from the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. When it opens in July, the hotel’s rooftop Crimson View will boast cityscape views and will be available for private events for as many as 150 standing guests. Crimson View’s decor will include a large indoor/outdoor patio with hanging planters. The hotel’s food and beverage venues will offer private and semiprivate event spaces for as many as 400 people. Opening in August, Crimson Whiskey Bar will have private space tucked in the back of the bar, and the entire Whiskey Bar also can be rented out for a large group.

Artechouse is Washington’s first interactive digital art gallery, a permanent 15,000-square-foot facility that will be devoted to the world of digital multimedia art. Slated to open in the beginning of June near the Smithsonian Metro stop, Artechouse will accommodate as many as 400 standing guests or 262 seated guests. The gallery boasts innovative multi-media technology, such as 24-foot-high fully programmable and customizable walls, a laser HD projection system, and a state-of-the-art sound system. The space also will offer in-house beverage and mixology services and a fully built-out catering prep area.

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center unveiled the renovation of its ballroom in March, adding new furnishings, carpet, and wall coverings to the 5,940 square-foot Washingtonian Ballroom, the pre-function space, the Rio Meeting Room, and public areas. The decor reflects the hotel’s lakeside setting, with neutral tones and commissioned artwork inspired by the nature of Maryland. The Washingtonian ballroom can hold 500 guests for theater-style events, 360 guests for classroom-style events, 550 guests for standing receptions, and 480 guests for banquets.

The recent renovation of Ritz-Carlton Suite at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C. was the final phase of the hotel’s full-property renovation, which included the lobby and Quadrant Lounge, the redesign of its Club Lounge, and the completion of its new meeting spaces and 10,500-square-foot ballroom. The 2,220-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Suite boasts a spacious living room with a fireplace, a formal dining room, a private dressing room, and a walk-in closet, as well as full marble bathrooms featuring a jacuzzi, a separate bathtub, and a rainforest shower, along with a separate guest bathroom. The suite also offers an outdoor terrace with panoramic city views. The Ritz-Carlton Suite can accommodate up to 25 guests standing and 20 on the terrace. The formal dining room can seat eight and has a connecting pantry so that the executive chef can customize a chef’s tasting menu.

New industrial chic event venue Ajax opened in March in Mt. Vernon Triangle, offering 5,000 square feet of open space. The facility accommodates 150 guests for a seated dinner and dancing, 220 for seated dinners, and 250 for standing receptions. The venue is managed by business partners Jodi Moraru of event planning, design, and management firm Evoke, and Suzi Molak, event director at Shaw’s Long View Gallery.

Take Five Meditation opened in Dupont Circle in February with a schedule of daily meditation classes and group events like gong sound baths, book talks, and leadership workshops. The space is available for private event bookings, and can hold up to 125 people standing. The lounge includes a large marble kitchen space with a sink and small fridge. The meditation studio portion of the space can accommodate 50 seated for meditation (with doors that can close off the meditation room or open completely flat against the wall to create one large space). The entire venue can seat as many as 80 people with the doors flattened open.

In April, Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles debuted its renovated conference space. Two-thirds of the 60,000 square feet of function space was redone, upgrading everything from the lighting to the artwork to the technical capacities. There’s a distinctive lower and upper rotunda, three ballrooms, a second-floor promenade, and the West Lobby with doors that open onto a picturesque sunset terrace. Two new small-group rooms with glass walls are situated near the ballrooms. Designed by Architectural Interiors of Annapolis, the new color scheme includes blue, cream, silver, and gold carpets, wall coverings, and furniture with crystal chandeliers. A 2016 renovation installed a 15-by-10-foot media wall in the lower rotunda and created the Studio, a high-tech boardroom with a touch-screen table, adaptive colored lighting, and surround-sound audio for conference calls.