A wedding at The Mayflower Hotel puts your family inside a century of Washington history, with gilded ballrooms and a grand promenade on Connecticut Avenue. We love it because one building holds so many different rooms, so a full wedding weekend can change mood from night to night without anyone leaving.
Most hotels give you a ballroom and a foyer. The Mayflower gives you a floor plan with personality. So instead of a general list, here is the building the way we think about it: room by room, and what each one is good for.
About The Mayflower
The hotel opened on February 18, 1925, designed by New York's Warren and Wetmore with local architect Robert Beresford. Calvin Coolidge's inaugural ball followed within weeks, and the hotel says its Grand Ballroom went on to host every inaugural ball from Coolidge to Ronald Reagan. It marked its 100th anniversary in February 2025.
If an older relative calls it the Renaissance Mayflower, they are not wrong. It carried that name until 2015, when it moved to Marriott's Autograph Collection. Today the hotel lists 27 event rooms and six ballrooms across about 42,582 square feet.
6 rooms we love working in at The Mayflower
1. The Grand Ballroom, for the main event
This is the room people picture. It seats up to 500 for a wedding and has a proscenium stage, which is a gift for an entertainment team. A band, a family performance or a slideshow has a proper frame, and the speeches have a natural home. We like to build the dance floor to feel connected to that stage so the energy runs from the performers straight into the crowd. The hotel's chart lists the room's combined space at 500 for a banquet and 700 theater style, so a seated ceremony in the same room is possible if you plan for the flip.
2. The Chinese Room, for the room next door
Inspired by James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room, this 2,703 square foot space is unlike anything else on the floor. It holds 250 for a reception and combines with the Grand Ballroom into 10,359 square feet. That makes it a strong cocktail hour room: keep guests here with soft live music, then open up to the ballroom when dinner is ready.
3. The State and East Ballrooms, for the sangeet
These two rooms were once the Presidential Dining Room. Together they give about 8,000 square feet and hold 850 for a reception, or they work apart at 500 and 350. That is the right shape for a sangeet, the music and dance night before an Indian wedding, because families can spread out, perform and then dance without using the Grand Ballroom until the big day. It also suits a ceremony in one and cocktails in the other.
4. The Palm Court, for the afternoon events
The Palm Court Ballroom was once a place of palm trees and fountains where guests gathered for tea. At 2,967 square feet it holds 300 for a reception and 240 for a banquet. We think of it for a mehndi, the relaxed henna gathering, or a welcome lunch, when you want a room that feels social rather than formal. A DJ at a low level or a small band of live musicians is all it needs.
5. The Promenade, for the walk between it all
The hotel's central promenade was designed so people could stroll through the building, past crystal chandeliers and Beaux-Arts detail. It is the part of a Mayflower wedding that costs nothing and impresses everyone. Moving from one room to the next here feels like part of the event. If you are planning a baraat, the groom's dancing procession, ask the hotel where it could start, where it could finish, and whether dhol drums can play indoors.
6. The Mezzanine, for the crowd that wants to linger
At 3,000 square feet and 150 for a reception, the Mezzanine is where guests can mingle before the main event. On a big night we like a spot like this as a pressure valve: somewhere for grandparents to sit and talk while the music builds in the ballroom. The hotel has also set up historical exhibits on this level, which gives your guests something to discover.
Planning a wedding weekend here
With 581 guest rooms and Farragut North Metro a block away, The Mayflower can hold a whole family. Here is one way a multi-day South Asian or fusion weekend could flow. Availability and pricing are up to the hotel, so treat this as a starting point for your conversation. The District Ballroom is a good example of why to ask early: at 4,352 square feet, its chart figures run well above the 150 wedding guests the hotel quotes for it, and the difference usually comes down to the layout you want.
| Event | A room to ask about | Why it could fit |
|---|---|---|
| Mehndi or welcome lunch | Palm Court Ballroom | Smaller, daytime, easy to mingle |
| Sangeet | State and East Ballrooms | Room for a stage, screens and dancing |
| Ceremony | District Ballroom | Seats up to 150 wedding guests, or use the East and State rooms for more |
| Cocktail hour | Chinese Room or Mezzanine | The Chinese Room joins the Grand Ballroom; the Mezzanine is made for mingling |
| Reception | Grand Ballroom | Stage, height and up to 500 seated |
Questions worth asking your event manager:
- How long does a room flip take if the ceremony and reception share a space?
- Which entrance and service elevator do entertainment vendors use, and when can we load in?
- Is there a time when amplified music must end?
- Can a ceremonial fire be used indoors, and what approval does that need?
- Can the Grand Ballroom's 17th Street entrance be used for arrivals?
What Planet DJ brings to The Mayflower
Our work here has taken a whole family through a series of events. Jasmine Sethi and Angad Singh held their mehndi, sangeet and ceremony at a residence in Potomac and their reception at the hotel, back when it was the Renaissance Mayflower. Here is how Jasmine described it:
"Planet DJ Productions provided me with DJ, lighting, generator rental, party favors, and a dhol player. It was my one stop for a bunch of services which was great!"
Jasmine Sethi & Angad Singh
That is what we like to do here: one team across every room, so the sangeet and the reception feel like chapters of the same story. In a building this ornate, lighting is about working with the gold rather than covering it, with warm tones in the Grand Ballroom and bolder color for a sangeet. Our MCs keep guests moving between rooms on time, and for an Indian wedding we plan the music so aunties, cousins and college friends all get their moment.
If The Mayflower is your room, tell us your date and we will help you think through the weekend.
Frequently asked questions
How many guests can The Mayflower Hotel hold for a wedding?
The hotel says the Grand Ballroom seats up to 500 for a wedding, and the District Ballroom seats up to 150. The East and State Ballrooms together hold 610 at a banquet on the hotel's capacity chart. For a reception style event, the Grand Ballroom and Chinese Room combined are listed at 1,100. Dance floors and stages reduce those numbers.
Is The Mayflower Hotel in DC the same as the Mayflower Inn in Connecticut?
No. The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection is at 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington, DC, and that street name is probably why the two get mixed up in search results. The Mayflower Inn and Spa is a separate property in the state of Connecticut. Check the address before you read reviews or send an inquiry.
Does The Mayflower Hotel help plan weddings?
Yes. The hotel says each couple works with a certified wedding planner, who arranges a complimentary menu tasting for up to four guests about two months before the wedding. White or ivory floor-length linens and napkins are included. Decor, specialty linens, chairs, centerpieces, favors and entertainment are priced separately, so plan a budget line for each.
What Metro station is closest to The Mayflower Hotel?
Farragut North on the Red Line is the closest station, about a block from the hotel. Guests take the L Street exit and walk north on Connecticut Avenue. Farragut West is also nearby. That makes it an easy trip for local guests, who can skip downtown parking and head home after the last dance.
