The Hotel Washington, located in the nation's capitol, was built in 1917. In its privileged location across the street from the White House, the Hotel Washington housed the famous, the wealthy and the powerful for 90 years. When it opened, it had an ice-skating rink on its roof and a telephone in every guest room and bathroom.
The nine-story structure was designed by John Carrere and Thomas Hasting, who both studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. The bottom three stories were faced with rusticated stone, which is masonry constructed with conspicuous, often beveled points, while the rest was made of brown bricks. The pair incorporated the Italian Renaissance Revival style in the hotel's design.
The upper floors of the Hotel Washington originally featured "sgraffito plaster" work, which scratched into the plaster to reveal the underlying colors. This process was used to create images of presidents Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and others. In 1985, the Hotel Washington's facade and sgraffito work were restored by Mariani and Associates. Materials conservator Ivan Valtchev collaborated in the restoration effort.
With its proximity to the presidential mansion, The Hotel Washington's rooftop terrace was once the perfect spot for scenes from movies such as "The Godfather: Part II" and "No Way Out." It has a history of many famous people who were guests. They include entertainment giants like John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Duke Ellington and Aretha Franklin.
There were also political figures who resided in the Hotel Washington over the years. They include Treasury secretary Paul O'Neill, Speaker of the House John McCormack, Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy and Vice President John Nance Garner. The Hotel Washington was also the official home of the Hillary Clinton Fan Club.
On New Year's Eve in 2007, the Hotel Washington held its last celebration with a gala spread throughout 10 themed rooms. The themes were "The Last Dance," "The Last Call," "The Last Meal," "The Last Kiss," "The Last Goodnight," "The Last Laugh," "The Last Temptation," "The Last Waltz," "The Last Resort" and "The Last Hurrah," the latter of which was held in the Grand Ballroom.
The Hotel Washington was bought by Istithmar Hotels and is now known as "W Washington D.C." On July 8, 2009, it became the first "W" Hotel in the country's capitol. It underwent an 18-month, $100 million dollar renovation headed by renowned designer Dianna Wong, who preserved the original classic architecture and blended it with the contemporary W design style.
The W Washington D.C. features 317 suites and guest rooms. It also hosts a famous rooftop terrace with spectacular views and a world-class steakhouse by renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. There is also a rooftop bar and a "whatever/whenever" service promise to guests: whatever they want, whenever they want it--as long as it's legal.
