George Washington really did sleep here. As did Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Their fight that led to a duel and Hamilton’s death started in the tavern. Other famous guests include Hugh Grant, Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra, Walter Cronkite and frequent visitor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
A small inn, the Traphagen Tavern, was established here in 1704 in an area colonized by the Dutch in 1680s. For much of its history, the inn was the center or social and civic life for the area and has continued operating through renovations, additions and ownership changes.
What and where is this historic hotel?
The oldest continuously operating hotel in Beekham Arms in Rhinebeck, New York.
Founded in 1704 as Traphagen Tavern at a crossroads in Rhinebeck, New York, the Beekman Arms grew from a Dutch colonial settlement into America’s oldest continuously operating inn. Expanded in 1766, it played a key role during the Revolutionary War, sheltering residents and hosting figures like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benedict Arnold, and Philip Schuyler.
In the 1800s, the inn became a civic and political hub, welcoming leaders including Aaron Burr, Benjamin Harrison, and William Jennings Bryan. As Rhinebeck prospered through rail travel and Hudson Valley estates, the inn remained central to community life. Renovated in 1918, it later hosted Franklin D. Roosevelt and inspired writer Thomas Wolfe. Today, the Beekman Arms preserves its colonial character while continuing its centuries-long tradition of hospitality.
–The Travel 100 staff