National Harbor

What National Harbor does

National Harbor is a privately-operated waterfront destination resort located in Oxon Hill, Maryland, along a 1.2-mile stretch of the Potomac River approximately 12 miles from Washington, D.C. Developed and owned by Peterson Companies (headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia), the property operates as a mixed-use tourism and hospitality estate anchored by MGM National Harbor (casino and resort), Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center (1,996 rooms), Westin National Harbor, AC Hotel, and Tanger National Harbor outlet mall (85 designer brands). The destination also includes over 40 restaurants, 130+ stores, The Capital Wheel (180-foot observation attraction), The Theater at MGM, 100+ event venues, and residential components (Pulte condominiums at The Flats, Potomac Overlook townhomes, The Esplanade apartments). Three major airports (Reagan National, Dulles, BWI) are within 40 miles, and water taxi service connects the property to Alexandria, The Wharf, and Georgetown.

The business model is leasing- and event-driven rather than direct-to-consumer operating. National Harbor leases space to anchor tenants and operators (MGM Resorts, Marriott International, Tanger) who capture the bulk of consumer-facing spend across gaming, lodging, retail, food and beverage, and entertainment. National Harbor's direct revenue streams include parking services across Fleet/Mariner/St. George garages (motorcoach parking at $50 per day), group tour coordination through a dedicated Group Sales office, event venue rentals, and ground-floor lease income. Distribution to consumers occurs through the official website, email marketing, social media (Instagram, Facebook), partnerships with Maryland Tourism, and bus/motorcoach tour operators.

The destination serves a diverse customer base segmented across leisure tourists and day visitors from the DC metropolitan area (primary), wedding and romance clients, corporate and business event planners, families, group entertainment/nightlife patrons, and holiday/seasonal event attendees. GTM is event-driven: year-round programming including America 250 Celebrations, Cherry Blossom Festival, Movies on the Potomac, fitness classes, sports watch parties, and holiday celebrations drives visitation. Direct headcount is 11-50, consistent with a leasing/property-management function rather than direct hospitality operations.

Name

National Harbor

Legal name

National Harbor

Website

https://nationalharbor.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Harbor is a privately-owned waterfront destination resort in Oxon Hill, Maryland, operated by Peterson Companies, offering hotels (including a 1,996-room Gaylord), MGM casino gaming, Tanger outlet shopping, 40+ restaurants, The Capital Wheel, and 100+ event venues serving DC metro leisure, corporate, and wedding visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waterfront Destination Resort

NAICS

Amusement and Theme Parks (71311), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Resort/Hotel-Integrated Parks (On-Property Theme/Water Parks) (THAJAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Destination Casino Hotels (THAGAJAC), Marina & Waterfront Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAK)

Keywords

• Waterfront destination resort
• Outlet shopping center
• Convention event venues
• Entertainment attractions
• Hospitality and dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxon Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Leased Retail and Restaurant Tenants: National Harbor generates revenue through leasing space to retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues throughout the waterfront district.
2. Hotel Operations: Multiple hotels on property including Gaylord National Resort (1,996 rooms), Westin National Harbor, AC Hotel, and others contribute to revenue through room bookings and hosted events.
3. Entertainment and Attractions: Revenue from The Capital Wheel, MGM National Harbor gaming and entertainment, The Theater at MGM, and various attractions throughout the destination.
4. Parking Services: Multiple parking garages (Fleet Garage, Mariner Garage, St. George Garage) provide parking revenue for visitors. Bus/motorcoach parking available for $50 per day.
5. Group Tours and Events: Group tour operators, bus tours, and event planners book venues and activities at National Harbor, generating revenue through attraction tickets, venue rentals, and dining.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

National Harbor operates a 1.2-mile waterfront destination resort along the Potomac River in Oxon Hill, Maryland, aggregating 40+ restaurants, 130+ retail stores including Tanger National Harbor outlets, eight hotels (most notably the 1,996-room Gaylord National Resort and MGM National Harbor), gaming at MGM, The Capital Wheel attraction, The Theater at MGM, 130+ event and wedding venues, and residential options. The property is owned and developed by Peterson Companies and functions as an all-in-one entertainment, hospitality, dining, shopping, gaming, and event destination serving the Washington DC metropolitan area.

Product overview

National Harbor is a waterfront destination resort in Maryland featuring a diverse portfolio of attractions, accommodations, dining, shopping, and entertainment. The core Waterfront District offers 1.2 miles of Potomac River shoreline with The Capital Wheel (180-foot Ferris wheel) and Flight Deck lounge. Accommodations include MGM National Harbor (casino and resort), Gaylord National Resort (1,996 rooms), Westin National Harbor, and AC Hotel. Retail includes Tanger National Harbor outlet center with 85+ brands. Dining features 40+ restaurants including SUCCOTASH, Grace's Mandarin, Fiorella Italian Kitchen, and Fogo de Chão. Entertainment venues include The Theater at MGM National Harbor, Bobby McKey's dueling piano bar, Topgolf, and escape rooms. The destination also offers wedding venues, event spaces (130+ venues), family activities, and residential living options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Capital Wheel

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Peterson CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeterson Companies is the owner and developer of National Harbor. The company's privacy policy covers nationalharbor.com and other properties including Fairfax Corner, VA Gateway, Downtown Silver Spring, Rio Washingtonian Center, and Fair Lakes. Peterson Companies is headquartered at 12500 Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22033.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Universal CityWalk: Entertainment, dining, and retail district integrated with Universal theme parks and hotels. Directly comparable as a resort-integrated entertainment/dining/retail complex with themed attractions and on-site lodging.
• American Dream: Mega entertainment and retail complex in East Rutherford, NJ combining indoor theme park, water park, ice rink, outlet retail, and dining. Comparable as a multi-anchor destination mixing entertainment attractions with retail and lodging-adjacent demand.
• Disney Springs: Large-scale dining, shopping, and entertainment district integrated with resort hotels. Comparable as an all-in-one themed destination offering retail, F&B, and attractions to leisure visitors in a walkable footprint.
• The Wharf DC: Phase-developed waterfront entertainment/dining/marina destination in Washington DC. Directly comparable as a regional waterfront mixed-use destination competing for the same DC-metro leisure and convention visitors.
• Downtown Silver Spring: Mixed-use entertainment, dining, and retail district also developed by Peterson Companies in suburban Maryland. Highly comparable as a sister Peterson-developed destination with similar dining/shopping/entertainment mix targeting DC-metro consumers.
• Baltimore's Inner Harbor: Waterfront mixed-use district featuring dining, retail, hotels, and attractions along Baltimore's harbor. Comparable as a regional Mid-Atlantic waterfront destination competing for similar leisure and convention audiences.

Others

• Simon Property Group: Largest US mall and mixed-use real estate operator with properties featuring dining and entertainment components. Relevant as a real estate capital allocator and operating partner that competes for outlet and entertainment retail tenants serving similar consumers.

Broad incumbents

• MGM Resorts International: Operates MGM National Harbor as anchor tenant and runs a broader portfolio of integrated casino resorts nationally. Comparable as the operator of the destination's flagship gaming/hotel component and as a strategic partner with material influence on the property's economics.
• Gaylord Hotels (Marriott): Operates the 1,996-room Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center and runs a small portfolio of large convention hotels. Comparable as the convention lodging anchor and as a brand/distribution platform serving the same meetings demand.
• Tanger Factory Outlet Centers: Operates the 85-brand Tanger National Harbor outlet mall and runs a national portfolio of outlet centers. Comparable as the retail anchor and as a broader outlet platform with overlapping customer demographics and brand relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nationalharbor
• Facebookfacebook.com/visitnationalharbor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nationalharbor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Harbor