Where was the first Marriott hotel opened in 1957?

The first Marriott hotel opened in Arlington, Virginia, in 1957. It was the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel, marking the Marriott family’s move from food service into lodging.

J. Willard Marriott and his wife, Alice, had begun with a nine-seat root beer stand in Washington, D.C., in 1927. Their company expanded through restaurants and food-service operations before entering the hotel business with the motor hotel near the capital.

The Twin Bridges property was designed for motorists and reflected the postwar growth of automobile travel. Its location near Washington made it a practical base for visitors arriving by road. Marriott later expanded its hotel portfolio and developed a major franchising and management business.

Bethesda is a common alternative because Marriott’s corporate history is strongly associated with nearby Maryland, where the company later established its headquarters. The first Marriott hotel itself, however, was in Arlington, Virginia.