• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Hotels

The Five Favorite Hotels of Modern U.S. Presidents

By
Cailey Rizzo
Cailey Rizzo
and
Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Cailey Rizzo
Cailey Rizzo
and
Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 2, 2016, 1:13 PM ET
Courtesy of The Beverly Wilshire

When you’re president, you spend a considerable amount of time on the road.

The past five presidents each made between 175 and 400 domestic trips during their first terms.

But no two presidents are alike—not in political matters and certainly not in hotel matters. However there’s one thing every presidential hotel has in common: nothing but the finest will do.

For those interested in traveling like their favorite (modern) president, we’ve put together an itinerary full of their favorite homes away from the White House. To vacation like your favorite Commander in Chief, be sure to book the presidential suite. (Duh.) But remember: Secret service is not included.

Barack Obama: The Beverly Wilshire

While on the campaign trail in 2008, Obama and his staff laid down at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel (pictured above). During their stay, the campaign put on a $2,500-per-person fundraiser, where Barbra Streisand performed.

Besides being fit for a president, the Wilshire Presidential Suite was where Richard Gere’s character in “Pretty Woman” also took up residence.

George W. Bush: The Sea Island Lodge

The Sea Island Lodge in Georgia has a Bush family legacy. It was where the elder Bush and Barbara stayed during their honeymoon.

In 2004, W. Bush selected the lodge as the site of the G8 summit and, along with then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, planted a commemorative oak on the property. Bush selected a patch of land near where his father planted his own oak about 15 years before.

The Bushes stay in the hotel’s Sea Island Suite—a 2,200-square foot suite with bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms, living room (with fireplace), library and private balcony—which starts at $1,100 per night.

Bill Clinton: The Mayflower Hotel

The Mayflower in D.C. is a historic institution, known as the D.C.’s “second best address.”

FDR wrote the famous “The only thing to fear is fear itself” speech at this hotel, and it has played host to several inauguration balls over the year, from Coolidge to Reagan. Truman spent the first three months of his term here and, rumor has it, Bill Clinton would sneak over to enjoy the hotel bar’s Snakebite cocktail.

George Bush: Kahala Hotel & Resort

Every president from Lyndon B. Johnson to George W. Bush stayed at the Kahala Hotel & Resort while in Honolulu during their presidencies.

Apparently, the first Bush arrived via helicopter on a neighboring golf course to avoid causing traffic jams around the hotel.

Other famous guests include Elizabeth Taylor, the Dali Lama and the Rolling Stones. The 1500-square-foot Presidential Suite comes with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and an $8,888 per night price tag.

Ronald Reagan: Arizona Biltmore

Before becoming president, Ronald Reagan spent his honeymoon with Nancy at the Arizona Biltmore.

Over the years, the luxury hotel has hosted every president from Herbert Hoover through George W. Bush, along with some less political faces like Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, and Marilyn Monroe.

This article originally appeared on Travel + Leisure.

About the Authors
By Cailey Rizzo
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Travel + Leisure
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

sam altman
AIOpenAI
Sam Altman tells staff at an all-hands that OpenAI is negotiating a deal with the Pentagon, after Trump orders the end of Anthropic contracts
By Sharon GoldmanFebruary 27, 2026
38 minutes ago
Future of Workthe future of work
Have good taste? It may just get you a job during the AI jobs apocalypse, says Sam Altman
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 27, 2026
41 minutes ago
CybersecurityMeta
Trump’s FTC backs off social media regulation despite finding that nearly 20% of America’s children are online for 4 hours or more
By Catherina GioinoFebruary 27, 2026
1 hour ago
Emil Michael smirks
AIAnthropic
Emil Michael, the Silicon Valley exec turned Trump official leading the war against Anthropic, has deep ties to the tech world
By Lily Mae LazarusFebruary 27, 2026
2 hours ago
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsFebruary 27, 2026
2 hours ago
AIMilitary
Trump orders U.S. government to stop using Anthropic but gives Pentagon six months to phase it out amid standoff over AI use
By Jason MaFebruary 27, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Innovation
An MIT roboticist who cofounded bankrupt robot vacuum maker iRobot says Elon Musk’s vision of humanoid robot assistants is ‘pure fantasy thinking’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Jeff Bezos says being lazy, not working hard, is the root of anxiety: ‘The stress goes away the second I take that first step’
By Sydney LakeFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump claims America is ‘winning so much.’ The IMF agrees, adding that Trump’s trade policies are the only thing holding it back from even more
By Tristan BoveFebruary 26, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
'The Pitt': a masterclass display of DEI in action 
By Robert RabenFebruary 26, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
It’s more than George Clooney moving to France: America is becoming the ‘uncool’ country that people want to move away from
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 27, 2026
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z Olympic champion Eileen Gu says she rewires her brain daily to be more successful—and multimillionaire founder Arianna Huffington says it really does work
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.