New hotels in The Wharf

The Wharf is Washington's mile-long waterfront development along the Washington Channel, a roughly $2.5 billion project that has turned a working fish market into a district of restaurants, marinas, music venues and hotels since 2017. Two hotels we track sit directly on the water here, with a third nearby in Southwest's L'Enfant Plaza area.

What to do at The Wharf

For a weekend

Walk the promenade past the working fish market and marinas, then spend the afternoon at The Anthem or one of the Wharf's smaller music venues if a show lines up with your dates. Pendry Washington DC – The Wharf's rooftop restaurant, Moonraker, is worth a sunset drink even for non-guests.

For a longer stay

With more time, the Southwest Waterfront's L'Enfant Plaza Metro interchange connects easily into Penn Quarter and the National Mall, both a short ride or a 15-20 minute walk north.

Where to stay at The Wharf

The Wharf waterfront

Pendry Washington DC – The Wharf opened in October 2022 at 760 Maine Avenue SW, Montage International's first Washington hotel and its first East Coast property outside New York, with a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Washington Channel.

The Southwest Waterfront

The Potomac Hotel, Autograph Collection opened its current chapter in August 2026 at 1330 Maryland Avenue SW, a short walk from The Wharf and the National Mall — a building that has carried three identities in two decades, opening in 2004 as the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. before Henderson Park relaunched it as the independent Salamander Washington DC in 2022 and then rebranded it again under Marriott's Autograph Collection.

L'Enfant Plaza

citizenM Washington DC Capitol Hill opened in October 2020 at 550 School Street SW — despite the name, it sits in Southwest near L'Enfant Plaza rather than the Capitol Hill rowhouse district, about a ten-minute walk from The Wharf, the Mall and the Smithsonian museums, with a 12th-floor rooftop bar looking toward the Capitol and Washington Monument.

Which hotel at The Wharf for your trip

Travelers who want to be on the water

Pendry Washington DC – The Wharf's Maine Avenue address puts guests directly inside the promenade of restaurants, marinas and music venues, with Moonraker's Channel views as the standout amenity.

Travelers who want an established luxury address

The Potomac Hotel, Autograph Collection has operated continuously since 2004 under three different names — Mandarin Oriental, then Salamander, now Autograph Collection — keeping the same chef and spa through each change, a short walk from the Wharf itself.

Business & transit-focused travelers

citizenM Washington DC Capitol Hill, built around the L'Enfant Plaza Metro interchange rather than a scenic strip, suits travelers whose days span the Mall, downtown and the Wharf in a single trip.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in The Wharf area?

The Potomac Hotel, Autograph Collection, which rebranded in August 2026, though the building itself has operated since 2004 under earlier names.

Which Wharf hotel has a rooftop restaurant?

Pendry Washington DC – The Wharf, whose rooftop restaurant, Moonraker, overlooks the Washington Channel.

Is citizenM Washington DC Capitol Hill actually on Capitol Hill?

No — despite the name, it sits in Southwest DC near L'Enfant Plaza, about a ten-minute walk from The Wharf and the National Mall, not the Capitol Hill rowhouse district on the other side of the city.

How far is The Wharf from the National Mall?

About a 15-20 minute walk, or a few minutes by rideshare, north via the Southwest Waterfront.

What was The Wharf before it was redeveloped?

A working fish market and marina district — the roughly $2.5 billion redevelopment, built out since 2017, kept the working waterfront while adding restaurants, retail, a music hall and apartments along a new promenade.