5 Presidential Suites With Fascinating Histories At U.S. Hotels

When searching for a luxury stay, presidential suites often offer the best (if not the most exceptional) accommodations in any given hotel. But beyond Oval Office opulence, some of these suites also have interesting backstories from eras when they played host to past presidents.

Here’s five presidential suites at hotels across the United States that are named in honor of the presidents who are in their guest books.

The Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, Illinois

The Blackstone Hotel in Chicago earned its nickname “Presidents’ Hotel,” because of the numerous commanders-in-chief who have stayed here. Guests can book the Suite of Presidents, which has played host to momentous occasions over the decades.

President Harry Truman entertained staff members with a private performance of the Missouri Waltz in the suite. The space is also where Dwight D. Eisenhower watched his 1952 nomination for president on TV and where President John F. Kennedy was eating clam chowder in October 1962 when he was urgently called back to the White House amid the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Suite views come with views of Lake Michigan and Grant Park. The Suite of Presidents’ main bedroom was inspired by the Kennedy’s bedroom at the white house and there’s also a formal foyer and powder room, parlor, and a dining area with seating for eight.

Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

At the historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, guests can experience the same accommodations once enjoyed by President Theodore Roosevelt during his western excursions. The hotel in this hot springs resort town earned the nickname “White House of the West” when Roosevelt brought his staff for a three-week hunting trip.

Legend has it that the Teddy Bear came about during Roosevelt’s 1905 visit. After a disappointing hunting day, the hotel’s housekeeping staff presented the president with a handmade stuffed bear that they made from scraps and materials. Roosevelt’s daughter Alice affectionately named it “Teddy” in honor of her father.

The National Park Service has a different account: Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that had been cornered while on a hunting trip in Mississippi, and after a candy shop owner saw a political cartoon in the Washington Post about the outing, he created a stuffed toy bear and dedicated it to the President who refused to shoot a bear.

Still, the Colorado hotel’s grand lobby displays photos of the Roosevelt visit, and the on-site gift shop sells Teddy Bears, including those dressed in military uniforms inspired by Roosevelt’s attire from the Spanish-American War.

The Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C.

This Beaux-Arts hotel in Washington, D.C. has made a name for itself as the “Resident of Presidents” because it’s played hosts to so many U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries over the past 200 years.

The Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C.’s

is packed with presidential history. Facing assassination threats, a detective brought Abraham Lincoln to the Willard on Feb. 23, 1861 where he stayed until his inauguration on March 4, according to Stanley Turkel, the late hotelier and historian whose historical accounts are featured on Historic Hotels of America. Ulysses S. Grant was also a regular in the lobby, where he enjoyed a cigar paired with whiskey. Since he was often approached by those looking for favors, folklore has it that this is how the term “lobbying” was born.

Guests staying at the hotel today have their pick of presidential suites, which include the sixth-floor Thomas Jefferson Suite, the largest suite at the hotel, and eight Oval Suites, which are inspired by the baroque architecture in The White House’s Oval Office and come with views of the Washington Monument.

The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in Denver, Colorado

The Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver welcomed Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 and has hosted nearly every president since then.

Presidential history buffs will appreciate the Brown Palace’s Eisenhower Suite that tribute to Dwight “Ike” D. Eisenhower, a frequent guest of the hotel. His wife Mamie Eisenhower grew up in Denver, and the Eisenhower’s were such frequent guests at the hotel that it became nicknamed the “Western White House.” The Brown Palace even served as the headquarters for Eisenhower’s 1952 presidential campaign.

The hotel’s historian, Debra Faulkner, shares that Eisenhower was an avid golfer who often practiced his swing in the Presidential Suite’s spacious living room. Once, a misjudged swing sent his golf ball into the fireplace mantel, leaving a lasting impression. When the hotel renovated the suite in 2000, crews replaced the damaged mantel, but the legend of Eisenhower’s mishap was so beloved that they preserved the golf ball-scarred piece of the mantle in a shadowbox. The suite also has a tribute wall that showcases letters, photographs, and mementos from the 34th president’s legacy

JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley, Arizona

During World War II, then Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, Jr. and 12 crew members were patrolling the South Pacific Ocean when a Japanese destroyer split their PT-109 boat in half. The survivors clung the boat and the future president worked to get them to safety. According to one account recorded by the JFK library, he took the belt of a man’s life vest in his teeth and towed him to the island.

When JFK, Jr. was recuperating from the PT-109 accident, he retreated to what’s now the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Arizona for some R&R. The hotel has a historical photo of him play checkers by the pool in the early 1940s.

President George HW Bush and Barbara Bush also frequented the resort for vacation, typically in March.

The presidential suite, known as the Manor House, features three-bedrooms, four bathrooms, a private pool and patio, as well as a beautiful bar and inviting fireplace.