Washington Marriott Wardman Park

When real estate agents describe a property as a “Wardman” it is a reference to Harry Wardman. Wardman was one of the pioneers of great architectural living in Washington, credited with building well over 80,000 units from the early 1900’s to 1938. His impact is most evident in Columbia Heights, Brightwood, Kalorama and, finally, in Woodley Park. His attention to detail, fine materials, architectural design, as well as a desire to create not just great, but awesome buildings is still something that designers emulate to this very day.

Harry Wardman was the force behind the Hay- Adams Hotel, the Jefferson, twelve office buildings and over four-hundred apartment buildings.

With all that he accomplished, Harry Wardman identified the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel to be the jewel in the crown of his structures. The Wardman was not only a hotel; it was an apartment “tower” that still stands to this day at the corner of Woodley and Connecticut. Like so many other structures, the building was considered a “folly” as it was being built. It was thought to be too far from the city center. It was a critique that was proved wrong, for as soon as it opened its doors the hotel was filled to capacity. At the time of construction, 1916, hotels were what modern apartments are today.

And so, although the Wardman was the largest hotel in Washington (and one of the ten largest in the country at the time), it soon became the nucleus of the social and political scene in Washington. When it opened the hotel had 1200 rooms, one of the largest lobbies in the entire world, a billiard room, and baths that could accommodate many more than the existing baths on the Capitol for use by members of Congress. Wardman’s passion was such that he torn down his own home to make room for the tower while his wife was in Paris on vacation.

Harry Wardman more than any other person, created what is today a legacy of grand, elegant design that still reigns supreme in the nation’s capital. In 1938 he died just as his second stab at wealth and design was beginning to take flight for the second time. To this day, the Wardman Tower stands. It remains home to some of the finest suites in all of Washington DC. Its surrounding gardens and grand entrance make the Marriott Wardman Park one of the most popular wedding destinations.