The Hay-Adams

"A historic and luxurious hotel in downtown D.C., known for its exquisite service." - Michael He

"After visiting the White House, walk to the historic Hay-Adams hotel for an afternoon tea. Available every Sunday at 3 p.m. until the end of the year in Lafayette’s dining room, service includes sandwiches, gingerbread cookies, buttery pastries, and optional add-ons of hot chocolate and Champagne. It starts at $100 per person sans the booze. New for the season is a bubbles-and-sorbet bar that invites guests to pick a flavor to float in Champagne for a fruity, fizzy treat." - Vinciane Ngomsi

"Representing the more traditional luxury hotels, the Hay Adams has been an institution — set in a monumental Italian Renaissance building just across from the White House — since 1928. Here, the feeling is of old-world elegance." - The MICHELIN Guide

"From the moment you're greeted by Hay-Adams' stately exterior, you know you're somewhere special. The wood-paneled lobby reveres the hotel's historic past without feeling stuffy. It's all elegant here, seamlessly blending Italian Renaissance–style design with Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic columns, walnut wainscoting, and ceiling treatments with Elizabethan, Italian, and Tudor motifs. Church View Deluxe rooms are comfy without being overdone. There's a bit of toile and chintz, but nothing that feels like grandma's house. Think black-and-white framed art, fresh white linens, and chic striped wallpaper. Suites come with some epic views of the White House from the private balconies. Even for a short stay don't miss Off The Record, a historic bar in the hotel's basement. A proper cocktail bar, it feels frozen in time, which only adds to the ambience you're likely to feel when you're mere steps from the White House." - Adele Chapin, Laura Ratliff

"One of these boutique winners is The Hay-Adams (No. 3), a nearly 100-year-old icon that sits across from what’s arguably the world’s most famous address — 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue." - Travel + Leisure Editors