Queen Elizabeth, George Bush, Barack Obama and Xi Jinping all stayed here – what’s the story behind Washington’s White House neighbour Blair House?
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?
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.
Blair House is the official presidential guest house
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.
It has since served as the official guest house for foreign dignitaries, heads of state and visiting delegations to Washington.