Washington Hilton was featured thousands of times over the weekend following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner held on Saturday night. In his final speech at the annual Capitol Hill roast, President Barack Obama landed jab after jab on 2016 presidential candidates, national media members and even himself, joking about how much he’s aged during his two-term run.
For those of us in the meetings and events industry, the coverage begs for a few answers to questions most of us asked ourselves:
Where is Washington Hilton located?
How much meeting space does it boast?
How many guest rooms does it have?
What other prominent events have been hosted at this property?
The 12-story property opened in 1965, establishing itself as an entertainment center with performances by The Doors in 1967 and Jimi Hendrix in 1968. Washington Hilton has also been a key meetings and events venue. For example, in 1972, it hosted the International Conference on Computer Communications, where Department of Defense technology was introduced and helped established the foundation for the Internet. Besides the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the Hilton annually hosts the National Prayer Breakfast.
Located four blocks from the Dupont Circle Metro station, the Hilton straddles Washington, DC’s trendiest neighbors. Besides Dupont Circle, the Hilton is near Adams Morgan, U Street and 14th Street. The fact that you can walk or cab it to and from the Metro station is huge, especially for attendees.
Washington Hilton offers 110,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including the 36,000-square-foot International Ballroom that regularly hosts black-tie galas for up to 2,670.
White House Correspondents’ Dinner
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is limited to 2,600 seats, with news organizations grabbing tables and seats with aggressive strategies. It’s one of the top tickets every year, but even more so during the Obama presidency due to his humor and popularity. (There are 260 tables with 10 seats each; the cost of the dinner is $300 per seat, with proceeds benefiting scholarships.)
The Hilton offers more than 1,000 guest rooms and four restaurants. Amenities include a car rental desk, gift shop, multilingual staff and tour desk. Of course, the tour desk is key for attendees hoping to do a little sightseeing while in town.
On Saturday night, all eyes were on President Barack Obama during his final speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
