AMERICAN DESIGN / THE PRESIDENTIAL SUITE AT WALTER REED HOSPITAL

One of several bedrooms in the Walter Reed Medical Center Presidential Suite

Remember this is a government hospital and not Maralago. It’s basic to put it nicely. The Presidential suite at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland is known as Ward 71.  Decor-wise if the President doesn't want to spend another ten minutes here who can blame him.

Again, it isn't chic.  Historically, it is the suite, where the president and other high ranking administration officials receive medical care. President Donald Trump will work here for several days after he tested positive for COVID-19 and came down with symptoms of the virus. The suite has offices and conference rooms to receive visitors and hold meetings. It even has a dining room to make high profile guests feel more at home. 

Presidential suite dining room

Built during the first term of President Franklin Roosevelt, Walter Reed has served as the main medical care facility outside The White House for America's presidents. The space is controlled by the White House, not the Department of Defense, and it includes a sitting room, kitchen, conference room, and hospital bedroom, as well as an office for the White House Chief of Staff.

Ronald Reagan stayed there for surgery. Richard Nixon fought pneumonia there. John F. Kennedy's body was taken there on that fateful day in 1963 after arriving from Dallas. 

Bedroom

Inside, there are bedrooms for the president and first lady and guests and while much is kept private about the facility, archival descriptions show there are nine rooms that cover a full floor of the old building. It's where Trump will call home for the next several days and where he will continue to keep up with his official duties. 

What is a Bethesda? The name is derived from the Biblical "Pool of Bethesda” in Jerusalem, which in Hebrew means "House of Kindness." 

Who is Walter Reed? The center was named after Major Walter Reed (1851–1902), an Army physician who led the team that confirmed that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes rather than direct contact. 

Living/Conference Room