The Willard InterContinental hosts pardoned Thanksgiving turkeys before their White House visit
One of the glitziest hotels in the IHG Hotels & Resorts orbit hosted VIP — very important poultry — guests over the weekend prior to their high-profile pardon from U.S. President Joe Biden.
Peach and Blossom, the turkeys Biden pardoned Monday ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, enjoyed a luxe stay at the Willard InterContinental, one of TPG's top picks for a hotel in Washington, D.C. The gobbling pair hail from Minnesota and were plucked for presidential pardoning via the National Turkey Federation, which has celebrated the annual tradition for 77 years.
The first presidential turkey pardon took place in 1947 with President Harry Truman.
"Preparing these presidential birds has taken a lot of special care," NTF chairman John Zimmerman said Sunday during a press conference, per ABC News. "We've been getting them used to lights, camera and even introducing them to a wide variety of music — everything from polka to classic rock."
There are reports some presidents like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson actually ate the turkeys presented to them for pardoning, but we'll try to gloss past that foul bit of fowl history from the West Wing.
The respect, honor and delightful turkey puns of the modern Thanksgiving pardon era picked up steam during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush White House years.
The Willard InterContinental has been the longtime host of the pardoned turkeys each year on the eve of their trek to the White House for hobnobbing with the president. Oh, and just how are they as guests?
"We had those two wonderful guests staying with us last night after a long travel from beautiful Minnesota," the Willard InterContinental's general manager, Markus Platzer, said in a statement to TPG. "I have been told that they had a long sleep, that they had some nibbles out of the minibar. Don't worry, we won't charge them."
It's unclear if the gobbling guests also procured IHG One Rewards Diamond status as part of their pardon package or if being spared from the Thanksgiving serving platter was benefit enough in the eyes of IHG and the White House. We suppose anything beyond that is just gravy.
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