The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection

Immediately after its opening in 1925, The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection became known as the Grande Dame of Washington, DC. Just four blocks from the White House, this grand hotel has been host to events that have changed the course of human affairs; it has hosted the inaugural balls of every United States president since Calvin Coolidge in 1925. The day it opened, the hotel boasted more gold leaf than any other building in the country, except for the Library of Congress. Renovation work led to the discovery of a 25-foot skylight that had been blacked out at the beginning of World War II; also uncovered were two large murals by artist Edward Lanning. For more information and to make a reservation, please visit HistoricHotels.org.