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History

Discover The Churchill Hotel, which has been a destination for many of Washington D.C.'s diplomats and dignitaries since 1906.

The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row was constructed at the dawn of the 20th century, in which the United States had started to emerge as a global superpower. Located in Washington D.C., on fashionable Connecticut Avenue near Dupont Circle, The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row has been a destination for many of history’s household names since its inception in 1906. But its historic legacy isn’t the only reason The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row stands out amongst literally hundreds of hotel options. Over the years, this historic Washington, D.C. hotel has always preserved the ambiance of a luxury pre-war apartment on one of Washington’s most exclusive addresses: Connecticut Avenue.

The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row has recently undergone a round of restorations to rejuvenate its antique charm while keeping up-to-date with modern society’s continuously advancing technologies. With the hotel’s combined historic and modern feel, guests are able to stay comfortably while experiencing a touch of the past.

When this Beaux-Arts building opened as luxury apartments in 1906, it boasted “every convenience of a high-grade, modern hotel, in conjunction with the restful quietude and exclusiveness of a private residence.” Over 100 years have passed, and time has proven this claim to be accurate. The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row quickly became one of Washington’s most distinguished addresses and was home to a long list of diplomats, dignitaries, and politicians.

Hotel Timeline

The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row was established, and the Beaux-Arts building opened as luxury apartments.

Time had proven the hotel's original claim of offering the conveniences of a modern hotel while maintaining the exclusiveness of a private residence.

1906
100+ Years Later

Guest Historian Series

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Nobody Asked Me, But... Hotel History: The Churchill (1906), Washington, District of Columbia*
Stanley Turkel, CMHS

Originally built as a luxury apartment building in 1906, the developers promised "every convenience of a modern hotel with the restful quietude and exclusiveness of a private residence." When it opened it was known as the "Highlands" at its exclusive Connecticut Avenue address. Construction costs totaled more than $200,000, an incredible sum for the time. Its proximity to Embassy Row and the capitol attracted many diplomats, dignitaries and politicians when it was an apartment house.

The Churchill apartment building was designed by the architect Arthur B. Heaton (1875-1951). Heaton designed more than 1,000 structures that included lavish apartment buildings, theaters and private mansions in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. When he opened his own office in 1898, Heaton designed four important apartment houses in the first two years of his practice, an impressive accomplishment for any aspiring architect. They included the Augusta (1900), the Marlborough (1901), the Montgomery (1901), and the Highlands (1902).

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