Concierge.com's insider take:

This venerable hotel, just across Lafayette Square from the White House, has such a good bird's-eye view of the First Mansion that network news divisions often book a room here just for the camera angles. Even the site has history: John Hay, Abraham Lincoln's private secretary (who later served as secretary of state to Teddy Roosevelt), and Henry Adams, an author and descendant of presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, were friends who lived next door to each other at this address, giving the hotel its name. Their houses were razed to build this Italian Renaissance–style property in 1927; with the exception of a closure in 2001 for renovations, it's been receiving guests ever since. The 145 rooms and suites are furnished with lush draperies, Oriental rugs, and Federal-esque furniture. The best? The one-bedroom, two-bathroom Federal Suite. It's 1,400 square feet, with French doors and a balcony overlooking the White House; it's particularly popular with guests who have appointments across the way.