National Mall

The Hay-Adams Hotel Washington D.C.

The Hay-Adams has, hands down, the best White House views of any Washington, D.C. property (in fact, its rooftop is a local favorite for private events). Housed in an Italian Renaissance-style mansion that was built in 1928, the hotel is genteel and dignified in the best sense. It’s grand enough for political bigwigs, yet welcoming and down-to-earth for travelers seeking an impeccably elegant base for their visit.

The seat of American government Washington District of Columbia

The seat of American government is also a beautiful city, a celebration in marble and stone of the ideals on which democracy was founded. Though laid out roughly according to the original 1791 plan by French military engineer Pierre-Charles L’Enfant, the city has changed considerably over the years. Even its centrepiece National Mall—a majestic two-mile greensward running west from the Capitol Building, lined with some of the nation’s most important monuments and civic and cultural institutions—didn’t assume its current form until the early 20th century