The first day of the 2024 Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention is in the can. And unfortunately, the Fifth Circuit could not stay this change of venue. After nearly four decades at the Mayflower, FedSoc moved about a mile down Connecticut Avenue to the Washington Hilton. Yes, the hotel where President Reagan was shot. Not exactly the best vibes. But I will still try to be objective. The verdict, from my perspective, is mostly negative, but there are some upsides.
I'll start with the downsides. The Mayflower is a classic hotel. Every ballroom was finely crafted with accents on the walls, and a welcoming ambiance. So much history was made in those rooms. The Washington Hilton feels like a hospital. It is cold, sterile, and soulless. The smaller conference rooms have low ceilings and obstructive columns in the middle. The cavernous ballroom has dreadful acoustics. It is nearly impossible to hear anything close to the stage (thankfully there were closed captions). I felt like I was attending someone else's conference. Moreover, the hotel rooms are dark and drab, and desperately in need of renovation. The wireless in the room is also painfully slow–I am on my hotspot at the moment. On a personal note, I have lifetime platinum status with Marriott Bonvoy, but am a mere plebeian with Hilton Honors.
But there are some plusses. FedSoc long ago outgrew the Mayflower. The hotel room blocks quickly sold out, which forced people to stay at nearby hotels. The conference rooms were not nearly big enough. It was difficult to find a seat for most panels, and the overflow rooms were packed. It could take nearly 20 minutes just to get lunch at the buffet. The Hilton has more than enough space to fit four concurrent panels. That simply cannot be done at the Mayflower.
