The Hay-Adams Hotel

Though today’s White House may not be the universally respected institution that it was in less partisan times, just across the street is another Washington D.C. fixture that’s lost none of its luster. The Hay-Adams Hotel is a 1928 Italian Renaissance monument, one whose privacy and discretion are near-legendary, and whose location, with the White House and the National Mall as a backdrop, is one-of-a-kind. Constant attention has kept it looking as opulent as can be, while constant technological improvements mean that, beneath its old-world elegance, the Hay-Adams is a thoroughly modern luxury hotel.

The Lafayette is the restaurant, named for its view of Lafayette Square, which, combined with its upscale but unfussy contemporary American fare, earns it a place of respect on the D.C. dining scene. And its subterranean bar is even more well known: Off the Record is adorned with caricatures of political figures from a variety of eras, and you never know what kind of business you might overhear at the next table. There are more youthful and more modern hotels in town than the Hay-Adams, but there’s no replacing a true original.