It’s the oldest continuously-operating hotel in the District, full of history, elegance and even a few scandals. News4’s Mark Segraves reports.
Walking into the Mayflower – D.C.'s oldest continuously operating hotel – is a step back into history.
"When we walk through the lobby or we see important guests arriving to the Mayflower in awe of the beauty, of the gold gilt and the lobby, we never forget how special this building really is," said Shelly DiMeglio, the hotel's general manager.
And as of 2025, the grand entrance and hallway have been greeting guests for 100 years.
Just about every president since Calvin Coolidge has celebrated at the Mayflower. Former President Harry Truman spent many nights in the building, calling it "the second-best address in D.C."
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The hotel's restaurant is named for famed FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who, along with companion Clyde Tolson, ate lunch in the building every day for almost 20 years.
"Guests wander in the hotel just to see the beautiful Mayflower, to see what the history is all about," said DiMeglio. "We have a mezzanine level that has a showcase with history items, which is very interesting. And we have historians on property who give history tours also."
That much history means the hotel has also hosted its share of scandals over the years. They range from Judith Exner, who claimed to have had an affair with President John F. Kennedy at the Mayflower, to former New York Gov. Elliott Spitzer, who resigned after it was reported he met with a prostitute at the hotel.
There's also former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, who was convicted of using cocaine in a hotel room at the Mayflower.
"We don't really highlight the scandals and put them into print as part of the history," DiMeglio said. "But we all know they happened at the Mayflower."
There's one other distinction that sets the Mayflower apart from just about every other building in the District: the use of gilding throughout the hotel.
"Well, the amount of gold gilt that we have in the building is spectacular," DiMeglio said. "It's actually the second-most gold gilt in any building in Washington, D.C., next to the Library of Congress. Absolutely stunning."
The Mayflower celebrated its 100th birthday on Tuesday by honoring some longtime employees, including five staff members who have each worked at the hotel for 41 years.
For any local history buffs paying close attention, while the Mayflower is the oldest continuously-operating hotel in D.C., the Willard is the oldest, full-stop, dating back to 1916. However, the Willard closed for nearly 20 years in the late 1960s.
