The Hay Adams Hotel

Posted: 11.09.2019 | Updated: 04.04.2025

The Hay-Adams Hotel, nestled in the heart of Washington, D.C., has played host to countless clandestine meetings that shaped the nation’s history. From powerful lobbyists to ambitious politicians and influential business leaders, this iconic hotel has seen it all—dinners, deals, and even deaths in its elegant rooms.

The energy of these power-brokers still seems to hum within the walls, a mix of ambition, secrets, and untold stories. Step inside The Hay-Adams in Washington D.C., where the past never truly leaves, and feel the weight of its haunted, historic legacy.

Dare to take a DC ghost tour and delve into its dark and haunting past at The Hay-Adams Hotel.

Who Haunts The Hay-Adams Hotel?

The Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, D.C. is famously haunted by the spirit of a former resident, former First Lady Grace Coolidge. Guests have reported eerie encounters, including the scent of flowers and sightings of her ghostly figure.

The hotel’s haunted reputation is also tied to other lingering spirits, adding to its mysterious allure. Whether it’s Grace’s lingering presence or the unexplained happenings, the Hay Adams offers a chilling glimpse into history’s restless past.

Where is the Hay Adams hotel?

Only 1000 feet from the White House and known as the closest you can get to the White House without an invite, the hotel is located on the site where the 1885 homes of John Hay and Henry Adams once stood.

With its proximity to the seat of power of the United States the hotel has always been popular, but the fortunes of its many owners over the years has been anything other than consistent.

In 1927, Washington developer Harry Wardman purchased the property, violently razed the homes, and built a 138-room residential hotel. Designed by architect Mihran Mesrobian in the Italian Renaissance style, the hotel opened in 1928 and was named The Hay-Adams House.

Unfortunately, Wardman’s fortunes declined precipitously with the Great Depression and he was forced to relinquish most of his hotel and apartment empire in August 1930; the only exception was The Hay–Adams House. By 1932, Wardman failed to restore his fortunes and had defaulted on the hotel’s loans. It was sold at a public auction to the Washington Loan and Trust Company.

Who owns the Hay Adams Hotel?

Hotel magnate Julius Manger purchased the property in 1932 and changed the name to the Manger Hay Adams Hotel. He converted it to a hotel for travelers, remodeling the guest rooms and adding the luxury of central air-conditioning.

By that time Manger owned over a dozen hotels in New York City, Chicago, and the legendary Manger Hotel in Boston, a place with more than its fair share of hauntings and unfortunate endings. During the Great Depression Manger sought shelter for his money in Washington, D.C., properties, a sheltered investment environment due to proximity to the government.  

He too owned the Annapolis and Hamilton hotels. At the time of his death, Manger was the largest independent hotel operator in the United States.

Julius Manger breathed his last breath in his residential suite at the Hay Adams. The ornate ceiling was the last thing he saw.  He was buried in an ornate family Mausoleum in the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, NY.

Washington developer Sheldon Magazine bought the Hay Adams from the remaining members of the Manger family in 1973, and took the radical step of adding a dash to the name. Now named The Hay-Adams Hotel, Magazine sold the hotel to a duo of investors for a large profit.

French hotelier Georges F. Mosse and Businessman Jeffrey I. Friedman paid around $15 million in 1979. Friedman and Mosse cashed in their investment and sold to Los Angeles businessman David Murdock in 1983 for over $30 million.

Murdock improved the hotel and sold the hotel a few years later to the Lue family, founders of Sanyo for $54 million. The Lue family sold the hotel to a Washington real estate company, B.F. Saul, for $100 million in 2006.

Who were Messers Hay and Adams?

Both John Hay and Henry Adams were active statesmen in Washington, D.C. in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Hay was known for being the private secretary to Abraham Lincoln and then he later served as the US Ambassador to the UK and Secretary of State under two US Presidents.

Henry Adams was the grandson of John Quincy Adams and a notable writer and connoisseur of the arts. The two men were intellectuals and part of the Washington DC cultural scene. They hosted grand parties at their houses that attracted artists and other society figures, particularly authors, including Dolly Madison, Mark Twain, Henry James, and Edith Warton.

Both men were writers. In fact, Hay and Adams were both so prominent in the social scene of the day, that the corner they lived on became forever associated with their names, even after their deaths when their houses stood vacant and falling into disrepair.

Who haunts the Hay-Adams Hotel now?

Marion ‘Clover’ Hooper Adams, wife of Henry Adams and resident of one of the original houses on the site fell into a depression and was no longer interested in her hobby of taking and developing photographs. She had become despondent after the death of her father.

Clover Adams, wife of historian Henry Adams, was found dead under mysterious circumstances after complaining of a toothache. Some believe she died from poisoning, possibly linked to her depression over her husband’s rumored affairs.

Her death remains a mystery, and Henry, in his grief, destroyed all of her personal belongings. Today, staff at The Hay-Adams Hotel report strange happenings, especially on the anniversary of her death.

Unseen presences, doors opening on their own, and the smell of almonds—reminiscent of potassium cyanide—are often experienced on the fourth floor, where Clover’s ghost is said to linger. The hotel has long been a backdrop for secretive meetings and scandals, with its underground bar hosting pivotal moments in history, including key figures in the Iran-Contra affair.

A hub of power in a town in charge.

Washington, D.C. is a city where politics, power, and history collide, with the Hay-Adams Hotel and countless museums offering a glimpse into the lives of those who shaped the nation. From its humble beginnings as a swamp to a cosmopolitan center, D.C. offers rich culture, thriving arts, and historic colleges.

The city’s diverse neighborhoods contrast sharply with its political power, and the changing seasons bring out the moods of locals and travelers alike. Explore iconic landmarks like the Capitol Rotunda, the Smithsonian, and the Lincoln Memorial, or dive into haunted tours revealing the dark stories of scandals, tragic deaths, and restless spirits that still haunt the streets.

Whether you start from the Potomac River, oozing its way to the sea or Lafayette Square, haunted by its own ghosts, under the great trees, next to the dozens of statues of the men and women throughout history who have sought to mold this great nation.

The Hay-Adams hotel, a hotel at the center of things

The Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, D.C. is more than just a grand establishment celebrating the friendship of two prominent statesmen. it holds historical significance due to its connection to power and the influential meetings and events that have taken place there throughout history, and continue to this day.

As well as guests that come to see the many attractions of Washington, the ‘Off the Record’ bar, the upscale restaurant are a place to be seen and to see, who’s in town, who is talking to who and what that means along the corridors of power in the town where everyone wants something from someone. A motto of the bartenders there is that in this Hotel, nothing is overlooked but the White House.

Hauntings in Washington, D.C.

If you’re drawn to the eerie charm of The Hay-Adams Hotel, Washington, D.C. offers plenty of other haunted locations, each brimming with rich history and supernatural intrigue. Discover spine-chilling stories from the haunted halls of the Capitol Building or feel the ghostly presence of President Lincoln at the White House.

These captivating ghost tours will immerse you in tales of love, betrayal, and scandal that have left a lasting mark on the city’s haunting past.

Craving even more otherworldly experiences? Dive into our blog for more chilling tales and secure your spot on a DC ghost tour today. Stay connected with all things spooky by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for your regular dose of eerie updates!

Sources:

• https://wtop.com/dc/2023/02/what-to-know-about-harry-wardman-one-of-dcs-most-prolific-developers/
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marian-Adams
• https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/nations-haunted-capital