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WILLARD HOTEL
The Willard InterContinental is located on Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of the nation's capital. It's the second closest hotel to the White House, which is just three blocks away. The hotel is basically an American institution and is full of history. The old Willard opened in 1850 and President Lincoln stayed there the night of his inauguration. It was also the scene of the peace convention, the last major effort to restore the union and prevent civil war in 1861. Walking through the revolving door felt like I'd spun myself both into the past and into Paris. I was taken aback by the marble lobby, its decor and especially all of the fresh flowers. The bloomed cherry tree branches were breathtaking. My mom would have loved it so much, she would have painted it.



MY ROOM
I later learned that the GM is from France so no wonder the hotel has a French feel. It also explains why one of the two restaurants is a French bistro called Cafe Du Parc (Tel: 202-942-7000). Behind the front desk were a couple of young, friendly (one was from Holland) staffers who were either just out of college or interning while going to a nearby hotel management school. The 12-storey hotel has 332 well-appointed large guestrooms. I loved the hotel and the room. First of all, they are one of the leaders in D.C for being environmentally friendly. The bed was super comfortable and there was a large flat screen. Internet was a reasonable $9.95 a day. Every time you call the front desk or room service, they address you by your surname and they are one of the few hotels that I found to actually obey the "do not disturb" sign even when they're bringing a gift from the management or conference organizers. Usually when it's the latter and they know you're at a dinner, they still come in.

WHITE HOUSE
I was on the fifth floor and the biggest bummer was the fact that I could hear the whistles of bellmen hailing taxis and buses driving by. They also have one of those evil mini bars that charge guests instantly and a bottle of Fiji water set me back $7. TIP: Buy water during the day from the nearby street vendors for $2). I was so excited to be in Washington that I quickly dropped my bags off, grabbed an umbrella and cruised around the block. I quickly learned there's not a lot open around here at night so I walked by the Treasury Department, which was less than a block away. Then I strolled by the White House to see if I could get some food from the President.

TOURING THE WHITE HOUSE
The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It was originally constructed 1792-1800 and reconstructed in 1815 after being burned by British soldiers. Tours are available and free but requests must be submitted through your Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30am to 10am, Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays). Here's more information.

ROOM SERVICE
The guard didn't think it was funny that I was there because I was hungry so I went back to my room and ordered room service. I was on hold for three minutes, which feels like an eternity when you haven't eaten since L.A. but fortunately it took less than 10 minutes to bring up my melted cheddar and tomato Panini with side salad ($13 but with fees it was $22). Other notables: The hotel is popular with conventions and for its afternoon tea. Willard InterContinental Washington, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC, Tel: 202-628-9100.

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