The Willard Near the White House: A Gem of a Hotel

In this installment of Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages, we see that a gently aged hotel has stood the test of time.

French-inspired Beaux Arts classicism design shines on Pennsylvania Avenue, just across from the White House. The main hotel building was the first skyscraper in Washington. The building is constructed of a limestone base and cream-painted brick and terracotta that resembles stone masonry. Dozens of American flags adorn the structure’s pediments, iron balconies, and decorative dormers. Courtesy of Willard InterContinental Washington

Situated in the heart of the nation’s capital on Pennsylvania Avenue, just across from the White House, is the Willard InterContinental, a historic luxury accommodation hotel presently owned by Carr Cos. and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.

For 200 years, in fact, the luxury Beaux-Arts architectural style hotel was known for many years as simply “The Willard,” and its prominence was known not just nationwide but internationally. It’s both charming and opulent within and without, generously apportioned with everything from lush leather seating to exquisite, polished mahogany woodwork to stunning chandeliers.