Hotel behemoth Marriott moved its headquarters just a short distance, from suburban to downtown Bethesda, MD, but the changes reflect the world we are now living in, reports the Washington Business Journal:
– Marriott made some adjustments to the building’s layout in light of the pandemic and hybrid workforce changes, including reducing individual workspaces by about 25% and increasing flexible seating and collaborative spaces, per David Marriott.
– Corporate culture, wellness and innovation are also big factors that went into the design of the new building. That’s on display right from the main lobby, where a 20-foot-tall digital wall is visible from Wisconsin Avenue and will feature rotating glimpses of vacation spots designed to reignite wanderlust.
– That space leads to a central mezzanine to be used for company gatherings and connects, via stadium stairs, to the building’s second-floor workspaces and cafeteria. Further up, there’s a 7,500-square-foot fitness center, a health center, meditation stations, walking desks in space large enough for employees to hold meetings, a day care center, and a training center on the building’s 21st floor offering sweeping views of Greater Washington.
– Employees are stationed around various neighborhoods, marked off by columns you might find in a parking garage, that house various departments. Employees are free to work from unassigned workstations in those areas or from other parts of the building throughout the day.
– Associates are also free check out the building’s innovation center, where teams test out new ways to improve hotel construction, sustainability, portfolio analysis, artificial intelligence and the guest experience. Those efforts extend to an adjacent test kitchen and beverage bar, where new flavors are concocted and techniques tried out.
photo Washington Business Journal