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At the majestic Willards’ Hotel, a few blocks from the White House, Emily and her younger sister charmed fellow guests — Vinnie with her comical impersonations and Emily with her sharp wit. One night at dinner, the waiter brought a flaming plum pudding to the table, and Emily, according to family lore, remarked to the cadaverous 77-year-old Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, not known for his rollicking sense of humor: “Oh, sir, may one eat of hell fire with impunity here?”
The city's got it all—just on a very manageable scale, which I appreciate. Architecture: you've got Neoclassical to the best of the Brutalists. Hotels: There are the Old World haunts—the Willard Intercontinental and the Hay-Adams—and the posh ones like the Dupont Circle and the Thompson.
Stop by the Willard hotel lobby, a D.C. landmark that sets up jaw-dropping Christmas decorations, each year better than the last. Their towering tree decorated in refined ornaments stands out against the marble columns and paisley moquette, a visual ensemble worthy of a story book fantasy.
Head for the polished mahogany of the Round Robin bar at the stately Willard Hotel in Washington DC, popular with politicians since President Abraham Lincoln. Kentucky senator Henry Clay introduced the southern special here in the 1830s, and £14 buys bourbon, sugar syrup, soda water and mint leaves.
Voted #4 best hotel in the United States in the 2020 Readers' Choice Awards.
Named #1 hotel in Washington, D.C. --- "It's hard to beat this hotel's location and proximity to the city's biggest sites; it's a true grand dame of D.C., and the impeccable service won't disappoint."
Born 200 years ago, the Swedish soprano embarked on headline-grabbing tour that shared the spotlight with a political maelstrom.
When it comes to historic hotels, you can't leave Washington, D.C. off the list, as our nation's capital has plenty of contenders. The Willard, built in 1818, has hosted everyone from Abraham Lincoln to the Dalai Lama, and the Round Robin Bar is still where politicos talk shop — it's just minutes from the White House.
We were both staying at the Willard Hotel, and the March on the Washington was on a Wednesday, August 28th. And on Tuesday evening a group of his closest political advisors, people who were very close to him, came to him and said, "We need to talk to you, Martin. We want to know what you're gonna say."
On the night before the 1963 March on Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stayed at The Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. Not only that, but the historic hotel is also the place where King put the finishing touches on his 'I Have a Dream' speech.
Dining-wise, downtown’s historic Willard Hotel may be best known for its fancy Peacock Alley high tea. But Café du Parc weaves casual French fare (Niçoise salad, croque monsieur) with plainer American selections like turkey clubs and Cobb salad. Seating available in the main dining room or across its sprawling terrace outside flanked with white-and-blue awnings. Its adjoining coffeeshop Le Cafè got a recent refresh, with grab-and-go pastries and a short French menu
One of the oldest hotels located in Washington D.C., the Willard InterContinental was originally founded in 1847 by Henry Willard and has served as a retreat for prominent guests like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama, Abraham Lincoln, and more.
You’re guaranteed to do a lot of walking here, so it’s wise to stay in the heart of the city. The famed Willard Intercontinental Hotel, which has welcomed a number of U.S. presidents, foreign dignitaries, and celebrities, is a solid choice.
The Willard InterContinental has played host to an impressive list of beloved novelists and writers. Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, and Walt Whitman have all checked in. Roald Dahl lived at the Willard for a month while moving to DC and Nathaniel Hawthrone once described the hotel saying, “This hotel, in fact, may be much more justly called the center of Washington and the Union than either the Capitol, the White House, or the State Department.”
This historic hotel a few blocks from the White House invites guests in from 7 AM to 7 PM to use their guest rooms along with free WiFi, parking and hotel amenities such as the fitness center. There’s also a $20 food and beverage credit at the all day restaurant Le Café and the opportunity to run into various government power players.
Every year for the World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. This year, the Willard InterContinental was named among the top 3 city hotels in Washington, DC.
his refreshing beverage, synonymous with the Kentucky Derby, is composed of Bourbon, sugar, crushed ice, and (of course), mint leaves, and served in a pewter-bottomed cup. Who invented it? While there are references to something similar from centuries ago in Arabia, the person who popularized it in America was 19th century Kentucky Congressman Henry Clay, who in 1850 asked a bartender at Washington D.C.’s Willard Hotel to mix one for him. More about its main ingredient in our treatise on Bourbon, where you will also learn about what the mint julep had to do with the invention of the drinking straw.
This 1818 institution in Washington, D.C., has played a continuous role in the nation’s history. Just two blocks from the White House, the Willard served as a temporary residence for Abraham Lincoln before his inauguration. And Calvin Coolidge lived there during his vice presidency.
Keeping with tradition, the historic D.C. hotel overlooking the National Mall fires up its grills to barbecue hotdogs, burgers, and ribs. The grab-and-go offering with chips or coleslaw is available for locals and hotel guests.
The Willard has been one of the most refined accommodations in the nation’s capital since it first opened as a hotel back in 1818. The establishment has seen many updates and additions in the following two centuries, and today is one of the Intercontinental brand’s premier properties in the U.S. Guest rooms furnished in an updated Federalist style overlook some of the city’s most famous landmarks, while the Round Robin Bar still serves the best mint juleps to be found outside Kentucky. So if your idea of a fall trip is more like a field trip to see the country’s monuments and museums, you might think about booking a room here for rates starting at $464 or a mere 42,500 IHG Rewards points, which is about half of what they normally go for.
You'll be in good company at this historic property across the street from The White House that dates back to 1816, and counts past guests such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. (who even edited his famous "I Have a Dream Speech" in the lobby!), and the Dalai Lama, among others. At the gallery off the lobby, guests can peruse photos, historical artifacts, and learn about the timeline of the hotel's history and renovation.
These days, you might be picking up whatever butter you can get your hands on at the supermarket. But in times where this baking staple is a bit more plentiful, it's important to know the difference between two major types of butter — unsalted and salted — and when it's best to use each.
The Willard Intercontinental’s Café du Parc is within a block of the Warner and National Theaters. The classic French brasserie offers a three-course pre-theater menu ($52) full of familiar favorites. Current dishes include French onion soup, boeuf bourguignon, roast chicken, and sesame-crusted yellowfin. There is a nice patio in good weather.
Jim Hewes, a cocktail historian and bartender who’s worked at the historic Willard InterContinental’s Round Robin bar for 34 years, has served countless presidents, including Reagan, Clinton and Obama. This cosy, wood-panelled bar, metres from the White House, has always been the preferred watering hole of D.C.’s elite (many of whom frequented the speakeasy hidden on the 10th floor during prohibition).
Located inside the historic Willard hotel, the Round Robin Bar has served as the de facto clubhouse for Washington’s movers and shakers since opening in 1847. The hallowed spot was reportedly a favorite of Mark Twain and Walt Whitman as well as 19th-century Kentucky statesman Henry Clay, who famously shipped in a barrel of bourbon and introduced everyone to the mint julep (which remains the Round Robin’s signature drink to this day).
The Willard Intercontinental Hotel has been a pillar of DC high-society for decades. Just two blocks from the White House, this is where anyone who is anyone visiting DC spends the night. Celebrities, foreign dignitaries, and almost every president since Franklin Pierce, the Willard has hosted more VIPs than almost anywhere in the city. And that truly is saying something.
The drink is a truly American invention, popping up in the south during the eighteenth century. Legend has it that U.S. Senator Henry Clay introduced it to the famous Round Robin bar in Washington D.C. back in the day. There’s just something cool about sipping a cocktail that has soothed minds and bodies for hundreds of years, isn’t there?
Some versions of the drink had been used for various ailments since the founding of America, but Senator Henry Clay is credited with its mass appeal when he ordered it at the Round Robin Bar at Washington DC’s Willard Hotel, a hotel that dates back to 1818.
Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But it was down the street at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel where Dr. King crafted the speech hours before delivering it to 250,000 people. (VIDEO)
While the phrase "dressy casual" might sound contradictory, consider it to be the style in between casual attire and semi-formal. "Dressy casual is a modern approach to the dress code that allows the guest to wear special event clothing that is on-trend, relaxed and comfortable but still within the structure and guidelines of etiquette in regards to the time of day and elegance of the event and location," says Steele Haley Stevenson, Director of Catering and Conference Services at the Willard InterContinental in Washington D.C.
The best time to visit Washington, D.C. might just be the winter. Fewer crowds and cooler weather make it the perfect winter getaway. Spend your days exploring the Smithsonian museums followed by a big bus tour of the Washington monuments (or take a night time trolley tour). Don’t miss these ideas if you only have one day in DC. If you have time, head to Arlington National Cemetery, go shopping in Georgetown, or tour the Capitol (just be sure to book tickets in advance). A couple of our favorite Washington, D.C. hotels for families are The Willard Intercontinental and The Kimpton George Hotel.
The classic tour operator based in Norwalk, Connecticut, includes Washington, D.C., in a trip called “In Freedom’s Footsteps: Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.” The trip focuses on American history with a touring itinerary that includes Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Harpers Ferry, Jefferson’s home Monticello, Richmond, Colonial Williamsburg and Mt. Vernon, and concludes with three nights at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Washington is no stranger to a cocktail culture. After all, it was Kentuckian Henry Clay who introduced the mint julep to the barkeep at the venerable Willard Hotel two centuries ago (they still use his recipe today)
The best-laid plans are often better off ignored — at least that was the case with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963.