Many hotels offer a room with a view, but none quite like The Hay-Adams in Washington DC, from which you can see one of the world’s most iconic buildings, the White House. From the rooftop of The Hay-Adams, you can get such a good view of the US president’s residence that you can actually see Secret Service counter-assault snipers changing shifts on its roof. The five-star Italian Renaissance-style hotel is often described as Washington’s second finest address, with Barack Obama and his family choosing to stay there for a fortnight while they waited for George W Bush to leave the White House.
It’s also where I began a four-day visit to the US capital, sandwiched between an assassination attempt on Donald Trump and Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. The political turmoil was the main topic of conversation in the hotel’s basement bar, , a popular late-night spot for politicians, White House staff and journalists as well as hotel guests. Political caricatures adorn the walls and drink coasters (one of a smiling Kamala Harris that I took home has become very prescient), and its speciality cocktails have names like Lincoln’s Ghost and Blue Wave.
But while US politics may seem particularly contentious right now, a visit to the US Capitol helps put things into perspective by showing it has always been full of drama. The Capitol building, stormed by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021, offers fascinating guided tours, which are free though should be boo.