6 Washington DC hotels with presidential links

Most visitors to Washington, DC will never have insider access to the city’s true halls of power. But for those desiring a taste of presidential pizzazz, a visit to a DC hotel with political presence may sate the appetite.

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Lobby at the Willard Intercontinental | Photo courtesy of the Willard Intercontinental

The Willard InterContinental is known as the residence of presidents. White House-adjacent, the hotel has hosted many of the nation’s top dogs. Zachary Taylor was the first president to check in back in 1850, shortly after the hotel opened. A decade later, Abraham Lincoln moved in before his first inauguration. Then there was Ulysses S. Grant, who stayed at the hotel immediately after the Civil War. It is thanks to that residency that we have the term “lobbyist.” As the story goes, Grant liked hanging in the Willard’s lobby, where he was barraged by favor-seekers. Voilà, an expression is born.

Pastry at the Hay Adams | Photo courtesy of the Hay Adams

The Hay-Adams was built during the Roaring ‘20s and continued to make noise during the Depression. That’s because air conditioning was installed in 1930, allowing notable politicians to get into heated arguments here while simultaneously cooling off. Due to its easy access to the White House, which is just a stroll away via Lafayette Square, the sumptuous hotel has hosted U.S. presidents and many other heads of state. Most recently, the Obamas stayed here in the days leading up to the 2008 inauguration.

Ceiling in the lobby of the Hamilton Crowne Plaza | Photo courtesy of the Hamilton Crowne Plaza

The Hamilton Hotel, now the Hamilton Crowne-Plaza, was also built in the 1920s. The Beaux Arts-style hosted an inaugural ball for Franklin Delano Roosevelt way back when. The hotel suffered hard times in the latter half of the 20th century, until Crowne-Plaza made a new deal for it. Part of the revamp included decorating the lobby in blues and golds reminiscent of the Oval Office.

Photo courtesy of the W Washington Hotel

The W Washington is another hotel within a stone’s throw (if you have a good arm) from the White House. FDR’s first vice president lived at the property (under different management—there were no Ws back then) while in office. Word has it that Elvis stayed on site during the infamous DC visit when he asked President Nixon if he could join the FBI. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton attended inaugural balls here at what was then called the Hotel Washington.

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Photo courtesy of the Watergate Hotel

Of course, there are a few Washington hotels that are scandalicious. Take the Watergate, which is breaking into the DC hotel market again. The luxury property re-opened in the summer of 2016 after being closed since 2007. The hotel sits within the complex that was the site of the 1972 burglary of the DNC offices. That, of course, eventually led to the resignation of Richard Nixon, and the “gating” of every scandal since.

Photo courtesy of the Trump International Hotel

And then there’s the Trump International Hotel.  The opulent and now controversial hotel resides within the historic Old Post Office Pavilion.  Of course,  it wouldn’t be a Trump property without superlatives—it claims to have the “hugest” hotel suite in the city. There’s also an Ivanka Trump-branded day spa and a BLT Prime by David Burke restaurant.

Tagged: Hotels