Omni Shoreham Hotel

The Omni Shoreham Hotel is a hotel in Northwest Washington, D.C., owned by Omni Hotels. It is located at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Calvert Street. It is located two blocks from another major hotel, the Marriott Wardman Park, the largest hotel in the city. Built in 1930 by local construction company owner Harry Bralove. The hotel has also been an entertainment venue, having been a regular venue for Mark Russell and the Capitol Steps. Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington DC is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

On 4 March 1933, the first inaugural ball of President Franklin D. Roosevelt was held at the hotel. The hotel was outfitted with a special ramp and elevator to accommodate the needs of the new president. Subsequently, the Shoreham has hosted inaugural balls for every subsequent president of the 20th Century. President Bill Clinton played the saxophone at his inaugural ball held at the hotel on 21 January 1993.

Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon had his official residence in the Shoreham Hotel, during the period the government-in-exile of the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established in Washington, D.C. from May, 1942 until his death in August, 1944. The third-floor suite (the Franklin D. Roosevelt suite) he and his family stayed in was fully enclosed, and the glassed-in balcony can still be seen to this day. During that time, the Philippine and American flags flew outside the hotel.

Dr. Chris Lambertsen demonstrated his Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit (LARU) MK II, an oxygen rebreather, to individuals who were in the process of forming a maritime unit for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in November 1942 at the Shoreham Hotel.

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