Best New Office We Want to Work at
Leave it to a hospitality company to create a workplace that’s thoughtful and welcoming to its own employees, particularly those with children. Marriott International Inc. opened its bright, 21-story, 785,000-square-foot headquarters near Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle in September 2022. It’s easy to see why workers might want to go into the office. A 20-foot-tall ultrahigh-resolution video wall in the lobby displays far-flung destinations, the top floor boasts high-tech training areas and views that can stretch to Virginia, and on the wellness floor you’ll find nurses on staff, treadmill desks, relaxation pods and a 7,500-square-foot fitness center complete with instructors and Peloton bikes. There’s room for 2,800-plus work spaces, all with window views. Among multiple dining options, workers can preorder meals from the food court-style Hot Shoppe. Working parents, particularly, should take note: An expansive day care center that can serve 91 children features a STEM room and a 6,600-square-foot covered outdoor play space. A lactation area includes a refrigerator for breast milk and eight curtain-drawn private spaces that have their own pump-ing equipment. So, when can we start?
Marriott International Headquarters, 7750 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 301-380-3000 marriott.com
Best Places for Dogs to Exercise Indoors
If your dog is ready to take the plunge, K9 Aquatic and Wellness Center in Potomac offers half-hour indoor swim lessons ($60) for dogs 4 months and older. Owners can relax on a bench while a swim coach accompanies the pooch in the water. Dogs will do laps or paddle and play with balls or other fetch toys. The facility’s five pools are each 28 feet long and 4 feet deep and are heated to 90 degrees. Four of the pools are 4½ feet wide, and one is 9½ feet wide. Dogs from the same family can swim together; otherwise, pools are reserved for just one pet at a time. Reservations are required; towels are provided.K9 Aquatic and Wellness Center opened its doors in 2016. Owner Dominique Darcis says she’s been swimming her dogs forever and calls it “the best exercise for dogs—it helps build muscle mass that walking does not do.”
K9 Aquatic and Wellness Center, 12948 Travilah Road, Potomac, 240-683-1100 k9aquaticcenter.com
Olde Towne Pet Resort in North Bethesda offers indoor exercise classes for dogs, from a cardio class (that includes running on a pet treadmill) to agility play (with a seesaw, a balance beam and tunnels to explore) to swimming in a 4-foot-deep heated pool. Each class runs about 20 minutes. For an intense workout, there’s an hourlong Iron Dog class for pets to tackle all three activities. Another option: a “Pawlates” class. Trainers work with dogs on their agility and balance as they learn how to use exercise balls and other equipment. Most classes cost $40; the Iron Dog session is $95. Dogs must be spayed or neutered. Most pet owners drop off their pooch for class and return when the session is over. Reservations are preferred.
Olde Towne Pet Resort, 12230 Wilkins Ave., North Bethesda, 888-475-3580 oldetownepetresort.com