The Channel | 2004 | September

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Off Air
There comes a point in your life when, as a regular
business traveller, you become absolutely fed up
arriving at another hotel that is identical to the one
you stayed in last week, and the week before that, and
the week before that – even if each of them was in a
different country, perhaps even on a different continent.
It’s refreshing to find somewhere out of the ordinary to stay,
somewhere that’s friendly, eclectic, immensely comfortable and,
well, wonderfully different. If you plan to visit Washington DC
any time soon, let me reveal a secret about somewhere to stay
that you’ll be amazed at – somewhere that might even make you
want to stay longer than your business in the city demands.
In a quiet, normal-looking street close to Dupont Circle is a place
to stay that’s quite unlike anywhere you’ll have been before. It’s
so discreet, that unless you let the staff know you’re expecting a
visitor, they’ll suggest that they’ve never heard of you. There’s so
much to explore, that you might not take the most direct route to
your room. Indeed, you might get lost, particularly if you stumble
across one of the secret doors that lead to…
The Mansion on O Street is made up of three unremarkable looking
town houses that have been knocked through to form, well, a
mansion that doubles as a thoroughly unusual bed and breakfast
operation that will put many five star hotels to shame. The Mansion
is stuffed full of collectables – antiques, art of many distinct genres,
musical instruments, statues. Every corner you turn brings you a
new perspective and a host of new visual experiences. As one
guest has remarked, “who needs Alice’s Wonderland”. It’s true.
My introduction to the Mansion was several years ago when a
Washington DC law firm hosted a dinner in the Penthouse on the
top floor of the property and I have to say that it’s an event I’ve
never forgotten. So when
the AIB planned to hold a
Member networking dinner
in the US capital, there was
only one place to go.
Arriving in the February
snow just before the Super
Bowl final was due to start,
we were welcomed by
General Manager Carlos
Zadunaisky who insisted
that we should join a Super
Bowl party the Mansion
was holding for guests and
members (yes, it’s a
members’ club, too). First, though, we needed to choose our rooms.
This is where life becomes interestingly complicated, but for all
the right reasons. No two rooms – bedroom or living space – in the
Mansion are the same. Look into one room and you’re in the middle
of corporate America, with a bedroom that opens on to a
remarkable, full size executive office, enabling the occupant to
run his or her business empire from the wonderfully private and
secluded environment that the Mansion provides. Walk a few paces
and you’ll be in the Midshipman Room (right), decked out with an
incredible variety of
nautical art and
k n i c k - k n a c k s
together with a water
bed (that’s far less
sleazy than you
might imagine). Or do
you fancy heading for
the mountains and a
complete two-storey
log cabin (below)?
Then there are the
bathrooms…
The choice of where to lay your head is truly fabulous and it is
extraordinarily difficult to put into words the ambiance that H H
Leonards, the Mansion’s founder, has created in her Washington
townhouses. The story of H (as she’s known by guests, members
and staff) is as remarkable as the Mansion. In 1980, H bought the
first townhouse, picking up the others as they fell vacant over the
following few years. But she had no training in hotel management
and no funds – indeed, she borrowed up
to the limit on a number of credit cards to
fund the start-up. Then she had a stroke
of luck. Sitting on a domestic plane
journey, she met a man to whom she
explained her project. So convinced was
he of H’s determination and likelihood of
success, that he invested in the fledgling
business. H has never looked back.
Today the Mansion enjoys the patronage of presidents and
politicians, rock musicians and film stars. Occasionally, a guest
seeking complete privacy will take over the entire Mansion, and
can be certain that nobody will find out that he or she is staying
there. At other times, you might find yourself picking up a genuine
Fender electric guitar and playing a set with a world famous
musician. And if you’ve got young children, bring them along to
sample the delights of the Mansion and its fairytale suite of rooms
hidden away behind one of the secret doors.
The Mansion has never been advertised commercially, relying
instead on word of mouth to spread the news of what must
be one of Washington DC’s most comfortable places to stay
for business or pleasure – and did I mention the pool table
that Teddy Roosevelt played on and that today guests can
use?
So the next time you travel to Washington DC, make a beeline
for the Mansion on O Street, but don’t forget to tell Carlos and
his colleagues you’re expecting guests…otherwise you simply won’t
exist.
If your business has to do with the “on air” side of things, chances are that you come
across some amazing people, places and things off air. In this new regular feature in
The Channel, we will report on just these slightly out of the ordinary phenomena.
Simon Spanswick kicks off the series by revealing a well-kept secret in Washington DC.
Dinner at the Mansion
Mansion on O Street, 2020 O Street, Washington DC 20036
T+1 202 496 2000, F+1 202 659 0547
Please mention The Channel when you contact the Mansion!
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