The Willard stands on Pennsylvania Avenue, two blocks from the White House, on a corner where travellers have been received since the early 19th century. The present Beaux-Arts building opened in 1901, and it is one of the most historic luxury hotels in Washington, D.C., operated by InterContinental.
History
The hotel has been at the centre of political life in the capital for generations. Abraham Lincoln stayed at the earlier Willard before his inauguration in 1861, and many presidents have stayed or dined there since. In August 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. worked on his “I Have a Dream” speech at the hotel on the eve of the March on Washington. The hotel closed in 1968 and reopened in 1986 after a full restoration.
Architecture and design
The architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, who also designed the Plaza in New York, gave the building its mansard roof and limestone façade. Peacock Alley, the long corridor of the ground floor, and the Round Robin Bar are its best known spaces. The hotel is a listed historic site.
Location
The White House, the National Mall, the Smithsonian museums and the National Theatre are all within walking distance of the hotel.
Weddings and events
The Willard has 19 meeting and event rooms, including three ballrooms, for weddings, galas and conferences at the centre of the capital.
At a glance
What sets it apart
- 01Beaux-Arts building by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, opened in 1901
- 02Two blocks from the White House
- 03Where Martin Luther King Jr. worked on his 1963 speech
- 04Peacock Alley and the Round Robin Bar
Chronology
Dates that matter
1816
A first hotel opens on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street.
1847
Henry Willard takes over the hotel and gives it his name.
1861
Abraham Lincoln stays at the Willard in February before his inauguration.
1861
Julia Ward Howe writes the words of the Battle Hymn of the Republic at the hotel in November.
1901
The present building by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh opens.
1963
Martin Luther King Jr. finishes his I Have a Dream speech at the hotel in August.
1968
The Willard closes in July.
1974
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1986
The hotel reopens in August as the Willard InterContinental after a full restoration.
