Willard InterContinental Hotel (historic Pennsylvania Avenue hotel)

Founded in 1816, the Willard InterContinental has long occupied a prominent site on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House and played a recurring role in the city’s political and social life. The present hotel building dates largely to the early 20th century and exhibits Beaux-Arts and classical-revival design influences after several major rebuildings and renovations. The hotel’s lobby has been a noted meeting place for politicians and dignitaries; folklore links the term 'lobbyist' to advocates waiting there to meet lawmakers, an attribution that historians debate.