Conferences of up to 1,000 people in theater style, banquets for 500, receptions for 1,100, board meetings and weddings can all be organized at the Mayflower Hotel, on Connecticut Avenue in downtown Washington, D.C. The hotel has 581 guest rooms and suites, so a full program can run under one roof.
Seminars and company events
The hotel sells its function space for company meetings, conferences, VIP roundtables, gala dinners and receptions. The ballrooms and meeting rooms add up to about 43,000 square feet and were recently restored. A sales and events team handles programs from a single board meeting to a multi-day conference with a room block. Audiovisual equipment is supplied in-house, and meeting and catering menus are available from the team. The Mayflower belongs to Marriott's Autograph Collection, so qualifying events and group stays can earn Marriott Bonvoy points.
Weddings and receptions
A wedding team plans ceremonies and receptions on site, with menus built around each couple. The State Ballroom, the Palm Court Ballroom and the Chinese Room are the spaces the hotel puts forward for weddings. The District Ballroom on the lower level suits a ceremony for about 200 guests, while the largest receptions use the Grand Ballroom, which seats 500 for dinner.
Rooms and capacities
The Grand Ballroom covers 7,656 square feet under a 21-foot ceiling. It holds 700 in theater style, 440 in classroom style, 500 at a banquet and 800 at a reception. Joined with the Chinese Ballroom, it reaches 10,359 square feet, 1,000 in theater style and 1,100 at a reception. The Chinese Ballroom alone seats 210 in theater style and 200 for dinner.
The East and State Ballrooms were once called the Presidential Dining Room. Together they cover 7,896 square feet and take 725 in theater style, 610 at a banquet and 850 at a reception. The Palm Court Ballroom, off the main lobby, takes 275 in theater style and 300 at a reception. The District Ballroom, 4,352 square feet on the lower level, seats 320 at a banquet.
For smaller groups, the Cabinet room seats 100 in theater style and 64 around a conference table, and the Senate room seats 100 in theater style. Eleven rooms named after states, such as Virginia, Georgia and New York, seat 50 to 75 in theater style or 22 to 36 around a conference table. Independence and Constitution suit boardroom meetings of 16 to 30.
Accommodation
Delegates and wedding guests can stay on site in 581 guest rooms and suites. Group packages for meetings link the room block to the event, with suite upgrades and parking passes that grow with the size of the block.
Catering
Food and drink for events come from the hotel's own kitchen, with dedicated meeting and event menus. Edgar Bar and Kitchen, the hotel restaurant, serves American brasserie dishes made with local ingredients and works well for a team dinner outside the function rooms.
History and setting
The Mayflower opened in 1925 and describes itself as the longest-operating hotel in Washington. President Calvin Coolidge's charity inaugural ball took place in the Grand Ballroom that year, and the hotel went on to host other inaugural balls and state dinners. Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt both attended gatherings in the Chinese Room. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Getting there
The hotel stands at 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW, between Farragut Square and Dupont Circle. Farragut North station on the Metro Red Line is about a block away. Union Station, served by Amtrak trains from New York, Philadelphia and Boston, is four stops away on the Red Line. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is the closest airport, about 20 minutes by car outside rush hour.
