The Lafayette

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The historic Hay-Adams is an exceptionally elegant downtown Washington DC luxury hotel, rich in both history and luxury. www.hayadams.com

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"Where nothing is overlooked but the White House." Tel: 202-638-6600 Sales / Catering; 202.835.2263 / Reservations: 800-853-6807

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A Brief History:

The Hay-Adams, located across Lafayette Square from the White House, holds a special place in Washington, D.C. This classic hotel takes its name from earlier residents of its site: John Hay, private assistant to President Abraham Lincoln and later secretary of state, and Henry Adams, an acclaimed author and descendant of U.S. Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Like their homes, the Hotel has long been a favorite gathering place in the Nation's Capital.

Premier Washington developer Harry Wardman bought and razed both homes in 1927. In their place, he constructed an Italian Renaissance-style apartment hotel designed by architect Mirhan Mesrobian. The 138 room Hay-Adams House cost $900,000. It featured a dazzling array of architectural elements, including Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders, walnut wainscoting and intricate ceiling treatments with Tudor, Elizabethan and Italian motifs. Wood paneling from the Hay residence found a new home in the grand public space now known as The John Hay Room.

The Hay-Adams House opened in 1928 and quickly attracted prominent Washingtonians and elite travelers, including Charles Lindburgh, Ameila Earhart, Sinclair Lewis and Ethyl Barrymore. Guests were drawn to the Hotel by its unparalleled views of the White House, Lafayette Square and St. John's Church as well as such amenities as large suites, kitchens, steam heat, an elevator, circulating ice water, marble baths, and as of 1930, Washington's first air-conditioned dining room.