FOLLOWING IN OUR TRADITION of upscale, historic venues worthy of a city of monuments, we have selected the Historic Lobby of the National Postal Museum as the site of this year's event.

Situated at the west side of Union Station on Capitol Hill and bounded by Massachusetts Avenue and North Capitol Street, this 14,000SF marble wonder is part of an 850,000SF complex that now houses the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum.

Finished in 1914 during the Wilson Administration the facility served as the City's Central Post Office until 1986. An exhaustive 22-month renovation of the building—including plumbing, heating, and cooling—was completed in 1993.

Inside the white granite façade, massive marble columns at each entrance give way to the 3-story high ceiling and chandeliers of the Grand Hall. Marble floors, gilded ceiling patterns, and two rows of alabaster torchieres on spiral bronze stems complete this fine example of Washington architecture.

To afford our guests even more space and variety, we will also utilize the almost-never-used balconies inside the Lobby, the paneled back rooms, and the huge parquet studio overlooking Massachusetts Avenue and the Phoenix Park Hotel.

When in Washington, surrounded by amazing structures and vibrant history, why party in a hotel chain ballroom?