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Queen Elizabeth, George Bush, Barack Obama and Xi Jinping all stayed here – what’s the story behind Washington’s White House neighbour Blair House?

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania visit former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura at Blair House in 2018. Photo: White House
The White House may be the most famous building in Washington, but there’s a lesser-known government residence next door that has played an important role in US history and American diplomacy for decades.
The presidential motorcade sits parked outside Blair House in 2018. Photo: Bloomberg

Blair House, sitting just steps from the north lawn of the White House, is the official presidential guest house. Since World War II, it has acted as the “world’s most exclusive hotel”, hosting heads of state, royalty and presidents-elect.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte stayed there for three days during President Donald Trump’s first official state visit, and former President George W. Bush stayed there with his family before his father’s funeral.

While the White House remains the main meeting location for US presidents and their foreign visitors, the guest house carries significance, too. Take a look inside Blair House.

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Blair House is the official presidential guest house

Blair House is just across the street from the White House. Photo: Google Maps

Blair House is just across the street from the White House at 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue.

It was built in the 1820s as a home for Joseph Lovell, the eighth surgeon general of the US Army. In 1836, Francis Blair, a close friend and supporter of President Andrew Jackson, bought the home for US$6,500. The US government then bought it in 1942, while Franklin D. Roosevelt was president.

Then president-elect Barack Obama signs the Blair House guest book in 2009. Photo: White House

It has since served as the official guest house for foreign dignitaries, heads of state and visiting delegations to Washington.

British prime minister Winston Churchill and President Harry S. Truman on the Blair House front steps in 1949. Photo: National Archives and Records Administration

Only those who are officially invited by the president are allowed to stay there, but an exception is made for presidents waiting to be sworn into office during the transition period. President Harry S. Truman stayed in the house for about four years during his presidency while the White House was being renovated.

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It’s technically larger than the White House

The Lincoln Room in Blair House. Photo: Blair House

Today, Blair House makes up a complex of four seamlessly connected town houses with 110 rooms across roughly 70,000 sq ft.

Each of Blair House’s 14 guest rooms has “a full bathroom, three formal dining rooms, two large conference rooms, a hot and cold kitchen overseen by an executive chef and sous chef, a fully equipped beauty salon, an exercise room, and an in-house laundry facility,” according to the property’s website.

There are also conference rooms, a library and many seating areas for more intimate meetings. The finishings are traditional and luxurious.

The Blair House library. Photo: Blair House

“Since Blair House isn’t a hotel, the approach is to make guests feel like they’re staying in a personal residence,” says an article about the property in the November 2001 edition of the US Department of State’s magazine.

The residence is officially managed by the State Department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol. Full-time staff members are responsible for cleaning and preparing the home for visitors.

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President George Bush and his wife Laura escort Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip back to Blair House following the White House arrival ceremony in 2007. Photo: George W. Bush Library

It has star-studded guest book

Since major renovations in the 1980s, Blair House has been a frequent meeting place for bilateral negotiations and high-level talks. When foreign dignitaries stay there, their countries’ flags are flown from the residence. Visitors also typically meet with a wide range of US officials at the home.

A few notable guests include Queen Elizabeth, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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After a meeting at the White House in 2015, US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping walked to Blair House for a private dinner.

A year later, secretary of state John Kerry met with Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader of Myanmar who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.

From April 23 to 25, 2020, the Macrons stayed at Blair House during their official state visit to the US – the first of Trump’s presidency.

American and Chinese officials participate in a CEO round table at Blair House in 2015. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

US officials frequently host dinners, official receptions and parties at the residence, too. And when a former president dies, family members are allowed to stay at the residence before the funeral.

Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush stayed there while they were in Washington for his father, former President George H.W. Bush’s, funeral in December 2018. The Trumps visited them the night before the ceremony.

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This article originally appeared on Business Insider.

US Politics

Known as the ‘world’s most exclusive hotel’, the official presidential guest house boasts a star-studded guest list – Emmanuel Macron stayed there during Donald Trump’s first state visit – but what’s it like inside?