Culture, Legacy & Storytelling in the Heart of DC
The Jefferson, DC occupies a 1923 Beaux-Arts building a few blocks from the White House, and its history is part of what a guest is staying inside rather than a line in a brochure. Now an independent, 99-room hotel, the property has spent a century as an address for the capital’s residents, diplomats, and eventually its most discerning travelers.
A Beaux-Arts Landmark Since 1923
Architect Jules Henri de Sibour designed the building in 1923 as a luxury apartment block for Capitol Hill workers and embassy staff, one of more than thirty DC buildings he had a hand in. By 1955, the apartments had been converted into a hotel, and the property has hosted thirteen U.S. presidents and numerous heads of state in the decades since.
A two-year restoration, completed in 2009, modernized the hotel’s guest rooms, dining venues, and infrastructure while preserving its original character. After the renovation, a detail that had been hidden since World War II was uncovered. Workers found the building’s original lobby skylight, covered decades earlier so it couldn’t be used to identify the building from the air, and restored it as the centerpiece of what is now The Greenhouse restaurant.
Stay Surrounded by Stories
Rooms & Suites With Character
- • The First Lady Suite is the hotel’s only accommodation with a working gas fireplace, along with a canopied king bed, three Juliette balconies, and its own dining room.
- • Guests wanting more space can also choose the Presidential Suite, which is the largest room in the hotel, has five Juliette balconies, a private kitchen and study, and views toward the Washington Monument.
- • The Executive Suite and Deluxe Suites offer a separate parlor and pull-out sofa at a more compact scale, and the Deluxe Room and Premier Room allow for myriad options when choosing where to stay.
Dining Beneath a Rediscovered Skylight
The Greenhouse serves seasonal American dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner beneath the building’s restored 1923 skylight, with brunch on weekends and holidays. Quill, the hotel’s cocktail lounge, offers classic cocktails, live piano, and a cigar-friendly patio in a more intimate, historic setting, and All Day Dining brings the same kitchen to guest rooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
The building dates to 1923, designed by architect Jules Henri de Sibour in the Beaux-Arts style as a luxury apartment block before its 1955 conversion into a hotel. Its 2009 restoration uncovered the original lobby skylight, hidden since World War II, which now sits above The Greenhouse restaurant.
Yes, the hotel has welcomed thirteen U.S. presidents and numerous heads of state over the decades since its 1955 conversion to a hotel.
Yes, The Jefferson, DC keeps an on-site historian who leads private tours for guests, drawing on the building’s own history as well as the surrounding capital.
Yes, the hotel’s location a few blocks from the White House puts the National Mall and its monuments within an easy walk.