When I was a kid – eight or nine years old – my family and I traveled from Cincinnati to St. Louis during that wonderful week between Christmas and New Year's. We didn't travel alone; my grandparents piled into the minivan, too, and in St. Louis, we met up with my uncle, aunt, and three cousins, who drove in from Tulsa.

Meet me in St. Louis, we did... several years in a row, in fact.

The 12 of us visited the Gateway Arch (of course), and the town's many tourist attractions, but for me, what stands out most was the hotel at which we stayed: the Embassy Suites. I'd never been anywhere like it: the mezzanine had fountains and koi ponds; there were dazzling glass elevators that provided endless entertainment for us kids; the hotel had a doorman, concierge, and in-house pianist; room service came on silver platters, and the hotel bar offered bottomless Shirley Temples with extra cherries (charged to my grandparents' room, of course).

For me, this hotel was the gold standard by which all subsequent hotels would be measured – and none ever measured up.

Until 30 years later, when I checked into the Mayflower Hotel with my 13-year-old. I'd booked us a standard suite for a fun-filled weekend in Washington D.C.; I knew the Mayflower was historic, and the pictures were certainly alluring, but what sold me was the hotel's proximity to the White House and National Mall.

I've stayed in "historic" hotels before, and oftentimes, it's a euphemism for, well, the kind of place that's a little rough around the edges, with unreliable heating and skeleton keys and paper-thin walls. You sacrifice certain comforts for location; I wasn't prepared for how much of an impact the Mayflower would have on me, how the Mayflower Hotel would become an inextricable part of my Washington D.C. experience. How, in giving Embassy Suites vibes but with the remarkable history and undeniable glamour of its own presence, the Mayflower Hotel would emerge as the best place I've ever stayed.

My kiddo and I arrived at the Mayflower bright and early on a beautiful fall morning. We'd successfully navigated the Metro from Ronald Reagan International Airport; the Blue Line took us from the terminal to a stop just a couple blocks from the hotel.

It was early, and I knew our room wouldn't be ready, but wanted to check in so we could stash our bags at the front desk (a travel tip I learned from my favorite travel guru).

As Julian and I approached the Mayflower, we were both gobsmacked by its striking appearance. The gilded details and well-dressed doorman made for quite a first impression, and as we entered the lobby, we were amazed at the beauty of this historic hotel.

Having been up since 3 a.m., we were both a bit worse for wear, and I was a little worried at the first impression we were making. My worries were quickly laid to rest, though, as a front desk clerk gave us a warm smile and ushered us over to check-in. We were handed complimentary waters while she checked us in, and, to my astonishment, she said our room was ready and began going through the perks available to us as hotel guests.

The perks? We had a $25 restaurant/room service voucher, $10 Uber credit, and one complementary D.C. trolley pass per day. I wasn't expecting these perks and was delighted by these amenities. With keys in hand, we wandered over to the elevator and rode up to our third-floor suite.

Our room was luxurious but not gaudy, with the kind of pristine touches you'd expect from an Autograph Collection hotel (the Mayflower is managed by Autograph Collection Hotels, a division of Marriott International – super helpful if you're a Marriott rewards member!): crisp white linens, impossibly fluffy towels, tasteful decor, etc. Small touches and embellishments in the rooms and hallways – glittering chandeliers, beautiful artworks, rich color palates – make the Mayflower feel simultaneously accessible and awe-inspiring. The bespoke wallpaper with signatures of the hotel's famous guests was a fun conversation point in our room!

The Mayflower opened in 1925, and in its nearly 100-year tenure, it's hosted many an American icon, celebrities, and politicians: Charles Lindbergh, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Ronald Reagan, to name a few. The hotel's Edgar Bar & Kitchen is named for the former director of the FBI who reportedly dined there every day for 20 years.

Today, Edgar Bar continues to draw D.C. politicos and powerful figures, as well as casual diners and hotel guests. It's fancy but not fussy; Julian and I felt right at home in the restaurant, though we did make an effort to dress up when we went – it felt wrong not to!)

In addition to the hotel's acclaimed restaurant, the Mayflower has 27 event rooms that have been used for a variety of noteworthy events over the years. Outside one of the ballrooms, a plaque describes an infamous tale involving Winston Churchill, a state dinner, unpredictable acoustics, and a whispered joke that... carried.

These guests and their stories are part of the bones of the Mayflower; something in the air that just makes it feel important.  

Of course, in a town like Washington D.C., pretty much every building is important. On the roughly half-mile (2,625 foot) walk from the Mayflower to the White House, you'll pass noteworthy places such as Farragut Square, the Renwick Gallery, the American Red Cross Headquarters, and the Daughters of the American Revolution National Headquarters, each nestled along cobblestone sidewalks separated by impeccably landscaped patches of lawn and mature trees. The history and importance of D.C. is palpable, an electric current through the air.

As the longest-operating hotel in Washington D.C., the Mayflower is an inextricable part of this extraordinary town. When you stay here, you're not only getting elegant, easy luxury and extraordinary hospitality, you're becoming part of the Mayflower's story, too.