Adams Morgan Inn Says Good-Bye after 38 Years — by Adam Crain, owner, Adams Inn B&B
“After 38 years, the 27-room Adams Inn on Lanier Place in Washington DC is now closed, another victim of the Covid pandemic. Founded in 1983, Adams Inn’s namesake was its Adams Morgan neighborhood. There were two previous owners before I became owner in 2001. It is sheer coincidence that I share the same name as the Inn.
Adams Inn prided itself on affordability, always offering several rooms for under $90/night. With an average room rate of $128/night, breakfast included, the Inn was flooded with budget-conscious travelers. Our 86% annual occupancy rate was one of the city’s highest year after year. Many guests were repeat visitors, and many stayed for weeks at a time.
The Inn offered an intimacy rarely seen at larger hotels. With a small staff and low turnover, I got to know my staff; and they in-turn got to know our guests. My staff’s work ethic never ceased to amaze me; sick days were a rarity, and the work was fast paced. Most employees lived, at best, paycheck to paycheck, some hovering just beyond poverty. All were consumed with providing for their families, and as a result they yearned for work. I cannot imagine a group of harder working people. Yet because Covid devastated the hospitality industry, many will likely be left behind even as the economy recovers.
Perhaps what most distinguished Adams Inn was its predominant international make-up and appeal. For the past 11 years, the staff consisted entirely of immigrants, many first-generation. Employees represented 15 different countries: The Inn hosted guests from 45 different nations as well as all 50 states. It was not uncommon to hear several languages spoken at breakfast on any given morning.
The Inn essentially ran itself. I never once made a bed, fixed a toilet, or booked a guest reservation. Four employees have been with me since 2001; one of them deserves special recognition. Our jack-of-all-trades maintenance man, Mario, was our leader and the glue that held us together. Adams Inn is eternally grateful to Mario.
There is a popular yard sign around town that reads- “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor”. No matter where you call home, one felt at home at Adams Inn; from its staff to its guests to its neighborhood, the Inn and Adams Morgan epitomize diversity in every sense of the word.
Before 1983, the property served as a halfway house for those struggling to stay afloat. Perhaps there-in lies the true legacy of Adams Inn, one that cannot be measured in statistics or dollars. The Inn served as a type of sanctuary for not only world travelers, but for its own immigrant staff as well.
It is only fitting Adams Inn called Adams Morgan home, a historically progressive community that celebrates its diversity. Our Lanier Place neighbors warmly embraced us from the start; I trust they will now embrace the Inn’s memory as well. Thank you all, we will miss you!”