Inauguration by Numbers at Washington Marriott Wardman Park

The Presidential Inauguration is just two weeks away, and Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, DC’s largest convention hotel, is making sure that everything is covered, down to the last detail. There’s not a moment to spare, with back-to-back events starting on January 17, from the Aloha Ball to the American Music Inaugural Legends and Urban Balls, hosted by singer icon Dionne Warwick and hip-hop master Ludacris. Hotel General Manager Edward Rudzinski and his staff of 1,000 are putting the finishing touches on what has been three months of preparation, at this 1,334-room hotel.

“Our associates are very excited to be part of such an historic event,” said Rudzinski. “Many of them have worked here for some time now, and are seasoned veterans of previous presidential inaugurations. The anticipation levels for these major events are at an all-time high!”

A great amount of pre-planning started over three months ago, to insure that the colossal amounts of food, beverage, and amenities needed to take care of the thousands of guests who would come to the hotel would be at-the-ready.

What does it take to celebrate the inauguration of a new President of the United States of America? Here’s an idea…It takes -

• 71 miles of linens (you could drive on them if you stretched them from Washington, DC to Baltimore and back!)
• 2,182 hotel beds changed daily
• Over 49,000 meals over five days will be prepared by 78 chefs, overseen by Executive Chef Horst Lummert and Executive Sous Chef Georg Feldschmied
• 50,000 hors d’oeuvres
• 40,000 pastries
• 3,000 lbs of shrimp (that’s alotta fish!)
• a ton-and-a-half of crabmeat
• 2,250 lbs of BBQ back ribs
• Over 8,000 lbs of beef tenderloin
• 2,000 lbs of chocolate
• 2,000 lbs of cheese
• 1,500 cases of beer
• 600 cases of wine, 400 cases of spirits….
• and 500 cases of assorted beverages!

“Ninety-nine percent of the work for inauguration is in the planning, and the hotel’s preparations have been underway since the beginning of November,” added Rudzinski, a long-time Marriott associate and “old hand” of several presidential inaugurations. "As soon as the first guest checks in, the preparation is over. All we need to do is make sure everything runs smoothly.”

Built in 1918 and nestled on 16 beautifully landscaped acres in Northwest Washington, DC, the Marriott Wardman Park recently completed a comprehensive $100 million renovation to its guestrooms, suites, 195,000 sq. ft. meeting space, restaurant and lounges. The hotel is within walking distance of the National Zoo and enjoys a convenient on-site Metro accessibility at the Woodley Park-Zoo stop on the Red line. For more information or to make reservations, contact your travel professional, call the hotel directly at (202) 328-2000, or visit www.wardmanparkmarriott.com.