The Hotel Commodore, reborn as the Phoenix Park
Early postcard rendering of the hotel (author's collection). The Phoenix Park—originally the Commodore—is one of the few hotels around Union Station that survive from the days when almost everyone who visited Washington arrived by train. That magnificent railroad terminal, opened in 1907, once served as the primary transportation gateway to the nation’s capital, welcoming visitors from far and wide. In the decades after it was built, countless thousands of newcomers disembarked from their trains and wandered outside in search of a place to stay. Strategically located a short block away at North Capitol and F Streets NW, the Commodore was an easy choice.
