Two weeks ago I took a weekend road trip from New Jersey to South Carolina, my GPS took us right past National Harbor – and I just had to stop! Not too often that I get to Washington DC, and since I’ve been following the development so closely – I had to see it for myself.

I have to admit – I am very impressed!

We parked in the parking garage (free for the first 2 hours!) and went into the Gaylord National – I’ve been in some big hotels before – but none that actually felt as big as this one. After you walk into the lobby, which is the size of a Las Vegas hotel lobby, you can go right into the 18 story atrium – the centerpiece of the Gaylord National property.

The feeling of being in a big hotel property usually is achieved by seeing the size of the lobby, or the number of buttons on the elevator but what makes the Gaylord National feel so big is the wall of hotel rooms which surround you when you walk into the atrium. Walking into this atrium almost makes you feel like you are in the biosphere 2 – if it wasn’t for the wall of glass on one end, and the glass ceiling 18 stories up, it feels like a small self-contained city. The floor of the atrium a few small buildings, making the old-fashioned town-feel even more real, as well as some beautifully manicured gardens and grounds (and this is still inside!)

View of the hotel/atrium.

Outside of Gaylord National

Courtyard Area inside the Atrium

We visited on April 11th – two weeks prior to their official grand opening, yet about a month after their soft opening, so some components were still not finished – one of the entrances onto the outside grounds was still being constructed, and then the grounds outside were still off-limits due to landscaping. But we still managed to walk outside and through the rest of the development and I have to admit – I was very surprised by the amount of construction still occurring. It seems to me that except for the Hampton Inn & Suites and the Gaylord National itself, all the remaining storefronts, hotels and businesses are still under construction. The only other place that looked like it was to be ready for business in less than a month was the Westin – but even that I was unsure about. I have to add – there clearly is a lot of work still to be completed as you can tell by the photo below, but the aloft National Harbor is clearly coming to life. As I drove onto the property you can see the signature aloft swish facing the main road. I’ll have more about that and the aloft Charleston in another post.

The main street into National Harbor

Since the centerpiece of the National Harbor project is the Statue “The Awakening” I had to visit that. After getting to the waterfront, it’s clear how National Harbor is not only a conference/business destination, but also as the ability to be a local destination. The setup of the docks, the restaurants and storefronts which will be level with the docks (technically 1 story below the main access road and Gaylord National).

The Pier on the Waterfront

The Awakening

The Awakening

The Waterfront Area.

National Harbor is a place that I would love to live – close access to two major cities (Washington DC and Alexandria, VA) yet all the comforts of home right outside of your doorstep as well. Nightly entertainment on the docks and waterfront area, as well as the security of knowing that it will never be a deserted area – even at 2AM in the morning. Hotel guests, and conventioneers will also not have to worry about going too far to eat or to talk or meet when they visit the property. If there is one annoyance about attending a convention just outside of the center of a major city, its the tease of being so close to the action, events, places to go, yet not close enough where you can walk right outside of the convention hotel and find almost everything you’d need.

National Harbor does not have that issue.

Something else which I found interesting is how only about half of the entire National Harbor property is currently being developed – the entire portion of cleared areas to the East of the property is all slated for future development – having nothing to do with the current economic situation, but just Phase 2. In Phase 2 you will see more of what you currently have – as well as much more commercial office space and residential living space, but for now, National Harbor is still a unique and very well designed mixed-use development.

Props go out to the Peterson Companies for taking a huge gamble on this development – and making it a clear success.

andrew@alconic-inc.com