Last Updated: June 20, 2023, 17:15 IST
The Willard InterContinental is a historic hotel in downtown Washington that has been around for three centuries.
(Image: washington.intercontinental.com)
Explained: During his visit, it is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will once again choose to stay at the renowned Willard InterContinental Washington DC
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his visit to the US will be an opportunity to enrich the depth and diversity of the Indo-US partnership and asserted that together the two countries stand stronger in meeting shared global challenges. Modi said this “special invitation” from President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a state visit is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between the democracies.
Modi emplaned for the US in the morning. He will head to Egypt from the US before returning to India.
According to a report by Firstpost, during his visit, it is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will once again choose to stay at the renowned Willard InterContinental Washington DC, which is considered one of the most prominent and historic hotels in the United States.
This choice is not surprising, as PM Modi had previously stayed at the hotel during his visit in September 2021. The Willard InterContinental holds a significant place in American history, being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over its more than 200 years of existence, the hotel has been a preferred accommodation for U.S. presidents, international dignitaries, and numerous celebrities.
About the Hotel
The Willard InterContinental is a historic hotel in downtown Washington that has been around for three centuries.
It started in 1816 when Captain John Tayloe built row-houses that were later turned into a hotel by Joshua Tennyson. Over the years, the hotel changed hands and names until it was purchased by Henry and Edwin Willard in 1850 and became known as Willard’s City Hotel, according to a report by The Historic Hotels of America.
They combined the buildings and renovated the hotel in 1900. After some changes in ownership, the hotel faced a decline and closed in the 1960s but was saved from demolition by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) and restored by the Oliver Carr Company and Golding Associates. It reopened as The Willard InterContinental in 1986.
The Willard InterContinental has been an important part of Washington’s social and political life, the report explains. Notable events and figures include a ball held by British Ambassador Francis Napier, the stay of Japanese envoys during a trade agreement, the founding of the National Press Club, Julia Ward Howe writing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writing his “I Have A Dream” speech.
Many U.S. presidents have visited or stayed at The Willard, such as Abraham Lincoln, who was secretly brought to the hotel before his inauguration, Ulysses S. Grant, who could often be found in the lobby, Woodrow Wilson, who held meetings for the League of Nations, and Calvin Coolidge, who took his oath of office at the hotel.
The hotel offers various upscale amenities, including luxurious guest rooms, multiple restaurants, the well-known Round Robin Bar, a series of luxury shops called Peacock Alley, and spacious function rooms. It is also conveniently located two blocks east of the White House and two blocks west of the Washington Metro’s Metro Center station.
