Just northwest of Washington DC, Maryland's Bethesda is known for its affluent culture and abundant shopping. With a hotel inventory of more than 1,700 rooms (including 6 meeting hotels) and 183 restaurant venues in Bethesda, the community is a continually growing hot spot for meetings and special events.
Bethesda is home to the National Institutes of Health, the National Naval Medical Center (soon to be Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Other local headquarters include Lockheed Martin, Coventry Health Care, Marriott International and Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. The community is also home to the Congressional Country Club, host of the AT&T Tiger Woods' National Golf Tournament.
The city lies near and connects with several DC communities through the Washington Metrorail system, which serves Bethesda in two primary locations on the red line with stops in downtown Bethesda and the Medical Center. Most Bethesda meeting venues are within a 45-minute drive from Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport.
Hotel venues in Bethesda are concentrated in its downtown area; the largest hotel is the 447-room Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, with 35,000 square feet of meeting space, followed by the 390-room Hyatt Regency Bethesda, with 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
Groups will discover intriguing gourmet and ethnic dining venues in Bethesda Row, the pedestrian-friendly streetscape of which, with brick sidewalks, fountains and abundant outdoor seating, makes it an attractive area for visitors. Restaurants such as Cafe Deluxe, Redwood, Raku and Persimmon; and bars such as Black Finn, Grapeseed & Caddies on Cordell, keep Bethesda visitors coming back for more.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons user : Andrew Bossi
