Capital Hilton
A historic Hilton hotel on 16th Street in downtown Washington, D.C., immediately north of the White House.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
2requests
1companies- Anthropic2
- Profile
- 2
- Controversies
- 0
- JSON · MD
- 0
- First read
- Nov 4, 2026
- Latest read
- Nov 4, 2026
From this site's server log
Overview
Capital Hilton is a historic full-service hotel on 16th Street in central Washington, D.C., immediately north of the White House. The property opened on January 18, 1943, as the Hotel Statler, during the Second World War. It was developed by Statler Hotels and designed in an early modern style by Holabird & Root with A.R. Clas Associates. At completion, the building stood 150 feet tall and contained 13 floors, making it a prominent addition to the capital's hotel landscape. The hotel became part of Hilton's growing lodging network after Hilton Hotels acquired the Statler Hotels chain in 1954. The property adopted the name The Statler Hilton in 1958 and retained that identity for almost two decades. On January 15, 1977, it was renamed The Capital Hilton, a name intended to connect the property more directly with Washington's political and institutional setting. Its location has made the hotel particularly suited to government, diplomatic, political, corporate, and association travel. The property offers guest accommodation, meeting and event facilities, and food-and-beverage services. Its clientele and setting have also given it a place in Washington's cultural history. In 1947, Larry Doby, the first Black player to integrate the American League, became the hotel's first Black guest while the Cleveland Indians were visiting Washington to play the Senators. The hotel was also associated with the 1950 film Born Yesterday: exterior and lobby scenes were filmed at the property, while the story used a luxury suite as one of its settings; the suite was recreated on a studio soundstage for the production. The real estate ownership history has differed from the Hilton operating identity. CNL Financial Group began co-owning the property with Hilton in 2003. In 2007, CNL sold the Capital Hilton to Ashford Hospitality Trust. Ashford Hospitality Trust later separated the hotel, together with seven other properties, into Ashford Hospitality Prime in 2013. That company changed its name to Braemar Hotels & Resorts in 2018. Hilton remains the customer-facing hotel brand and operating affiliation, while the property is associated with Braemar's hotel portfolio. The National Trust for Historic Preservation admitted the property to Historic Hotels of America in 2014. Capital Hilton therefore combines a historic Washington location, a long operating relationship with Hilton, and a business model centered on lodging, meetings, events, and hospitality services. It is a single hotel property rather than a separately traded hotel company, and its ticker should not be conflated with Hilton Worldwide Holdings' public-market listing.
History
Capital Hilton began as a Statler Hotels project on 16th Street in Washington, D.C. Construction started in 1940, and the hotel opened on January 18, 1943, under the name Hotel Statler. Its opening took place during the Second World War, when Washington was expanding as a center of government, military administration, diplomacy, and wartime decision-making. The early modern building was designed by Holabird & Root with A.R. Clas Associates. At 150 feet and 13 floors, it became a substantial hotel structure in the area immediately north of the White House. The property developed a public identity extending beyond ordinary lodging. In 1947, Larry Doby became the hotel's first Black guest. Doby was the first Black baseball player to integrate the American League, and he was staying at the hotel while the Cleveland Indians were in Washington to play the Senators. This episode places the hotel within the history of racial integration in professional American sport and reflects the segregated conditions that still shaped American public life in the period after the Second World War. The hotel's next major corporate transition came in 1954, when Hilton Hotels purchased the Statler Hotels chain. The Washington property continued operating within the acquired portfolio and was renamed The Statler Hilton in 1958. The Statler name remained visible until January 15, 1977, when the hotel was renamed The Capital Hilton. The new name emphasized the property's Washington location and its relationship to the capital's political and institutional environment. Capital Hilton also entered American popular culture through the 1950 film Born Yesterday. Scenes were shot outside the hotel and in its lobby, and much of the film's story is set in a luxury suite associated with the property. For production purposes, the suite was reproduced on a soundstage. The film connection helped preserve the hotel's place in the visual and cultural record of mid-century Washington. Ownership and operating affiliation subsequently became distinct. In 2003, CNL Financial Group began co-owning the property with Hilton. CNL sold the hotel in 2007 to Ashford Hospitality Trust. In 2013, Ashford Hospitality Trust spun off Capital Hilton and seven other hotels into a separate company called Ashford Hospitality Prime. That parent company adopted the name Braemar Hotels & Resorts in 2018. These transactions concern the ownership and investment structure around the property; the hotel continues to operate under the Capital Hilton identity within the Hilton system. The National Trust for Historic Preservation added Capital Hilton to Historic Hotels of America in 2014. Today, the property is characterized by its historic architecture and location, its association with Hilton, and its role as an upscale full-service hotel serving accommodation, business travel, meetings, events, and dining needs. It is a hotel property rather than an independently traded public company, so Hilton Worldwide Holdings' stock-market identity should not be treated as Capital Hilton's own listing.
- 2018
Ashford Hospitality Prime becomes Braemar Hotels & Resorts
[1]The property's parent real-estate company changed its name to Braemar Hotels & Resorts.
- 2014
Joins Historic Hotels of America
[1]The National Trust for Historic Preservation accepted Capital Hilton into Historic Hotels of America.
- 2013
Property is spun off into Ashford Hospitality Prime
[1]Capital Hilton and seven other hotels were separated from Ashford Hospitality Trust into Ashford Hospitality Prime.
- 2007
Ashford Hospitality Trust acquires the property
[1]CNL sold Capital Hilton among the properties transferred to Ashford Hospitality Trust.
- 2003
CNL begins co-ownership
[1]CNL Financial Group began co-owning the property with Hilton.
- 1977
Property is renamed Capital Hilton
[1]On January 15, 1977, the hotel received its current Capital Hilton name.
- 1958
Property becomes The Statler Hilton
[1]The former Hotel Statler adopted the name The Statler Hilton.
- 1954
Statler Hotels is acquired by Hilton
[1]Hilton Hotels purchased the Statler Hotels chain, bringing the Washington property into the Hilton portfolio.
- 1950
Hotel appears in Born Yesterday
[1]The hotel's exterior and lobby were used for scenes in the film Born Yesterday, whose story also featured a suite recreated for the production.
- 1947
Larry Doby becomes the hotel's first Black guest
[1]Larry Doby stayed at the hotel while the Cleveland Indians played the Washington Senators, marking an episode connected with the integration of the American League.
Products and positioning
Historic upscale full-service business and events hotel in central Washington, D.C.
Hotel accommodation · 1943
Guest rooms and suites
The property's core offering is overnight accommodation in a historic central Washington hotel. Its inventory includes standard guest rooms and larger suites, including the luxury suite associated with the hotel's Born Yesterday history. The accommodation proposition is built around access to downtown Washington, D.C., rather than a standalone consumer product.
Hospitality and events
Meetings and events
Capital Hilton provides meeting, conference, banquet, and event services for business, government, association, social, and other group functions. These facilities support the hotel's role as a full-service property in a city with substantial political, diplomatic, institutional, and corporate demand.
Hotel dining · 1943
Food and beverage services
The hotel provides on-property food and beverage services as part of its full-service hospitality model. These services support overnight guests, meeting groups, banquets, and other events held at the property.
Brand decisions
2018
Parent company renamed Braemar Hotels & ResortsStrategyBackground
Ashford Hospitality Prime remained the ownership vehicle associated with the property after the 2013 spin-off.
Action taken
The parent company changed its corporate name to Braemar Hotels & Resorts.
Aftermath
Capital Hilton continued operating under its established hotel name and Hilton brand affiliation.
2013
Spun off into Ashford Hospitality PrimeM&ABackground
Ashford Hospitality Trust reorganized the ownership structure of Capital Hilton and seven other hotels.
Action taken
The properties were separated into a new company named Ashford Hospitality Prime.
Aftermath
The hotel became part of a separately structured hotel real-estate portfolio while retaining its Hilton operating affiliation.
1977
Adopted the Capital Hilton nameStrategyBackground
The property had operated as Hotel Statler and later The Statler Hilton following Hilton's acquisition of the Statler Hotels chain.
Action taken
On January 15, 1977, the hotel changed its name to Capital Hilton, foregrounding its Washington, D.C., location.
Aftermath
The Capital Hilton name became the property's continuing customer-facing identity.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/capital-hilton · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled