The pandemic changed our relationship with the office, and for many companies, headquarters are now much smaller or entirely non-existent.
Despite many white-collar workers being resistant to return to the office, some firms—including Google and Amazon—are taking the plunge and investing millions of dollars in sleek new workspaces.
Among those doubling down on office space is international hotel chain Marriott, which is betting big with a new $600 million campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
Last month, Marriott opened the doors to its new headquarters—a 21-story, 785,000-square-foot building that took more than half a billion dollars and six years of planning and construction to complete.
The space, which includes a new Marriott hotel next door, is designed to house employees who work with more than 8,100 hotels in 139 countries and territories.
The company, which has adopted a hybrid work model for its corporate staff, said in a press release announcing the opening of its new HQ that it “believes a blend of in-person and virtual connectivity enhances the associate experience, enables collaboration for its global workforce, and fuels business performance.”
Marriott said its offices were designed to prioritize childcare, family support and wellness, with facilities at the Bethesda headquarters including a fitness center, meditation rooms, medical resources and outdoor garden space, as well as an 11,000-square-foot childcare center that can accommodate 91 children up to the age of five.
Each workstation has an outside view through floor-to-ceiling windows, the company said, with workers offered sit-stand desks.
“The campus has been designed to better connect our global workforce in support of our hotels and teams around the world,” Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano said in a statement. “Empowering associates and accelerating innovation were our key priorities and central in every decision we made to deliver a compelling environment for associates to work, learn and thrive.”
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