NAFUSA is excited to host our 2025 annual conference at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. Regarded as one of the top historic hotels in America, the luxury Beaux-Arts hotel is two blocks east of the White House at 1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW and has a rich history spanning over two centuries. The hotel has been the site of many important events in American history and has housed hundreds of notable guests. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote in the 1860’s that “the Willard Hotel more justly could be called the center of Washington than either the Capitol or the White House or the State Department.”

The current hotel was founded by Henry Willard in 1847 on the site of the first six buildings to be constructed at that location and used as a hotel. He combined and transformed the buildings into a grand four-story hotel.

The present 12 story structure opened in 1901, suffered major damage in a fire in 1922, and by 1968 had fallen into severe decline and closed. After gaining new owners with a 73-million-dollar restoration project and a goal to make the restoration as historically accurate as possible, the 389 room Willard Hotel reopened in 1986, once again an elegant and important hotel.

The Willard has hosted numerous U.S. Presidents and notable guests. Abraham Lincolnstayed there for ten days before his inauguration in 1861. The hotel hosted the 1861 peace conferences aimed at preventing the war. It served as a temporary residence for Vice President Calvin Coolidge. Martin Luther King finished his “I Have a Dream” speech in his hotel room there. Charles Dickens and Buffalo Bill stayed there. Ulysses S. Grant famously held court in the lobby (a beginning of the term “lobbyists.”)

In addition to many fine restaurants and bars, the Willard houses the iconic Round Robin Bar which has been nicknamed the “Oval Office of Bars.” The bar has been a meeting place for D.C.’s political and social elite since 1847 – and is famous for its oak lined walls and its signature drink, the Mint Julip.

NAFUSA conference attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about the Willard’s rich history while enjoying its luxurious amenities. The hotel has a famous History Gallery which guests can visit, and the concierge has pamphlets with more information and a guide to significant areas within the hotel.

Be sure to register for the conference starting next week and use the link to reserve a room at the Willard for your stay.