For those who lived through it, the Watergate break-in changed our perception of politics forever.
Timed to mark the 45th anniversary of the notorious break-in, The Watergate Hotel is announcing a new signature guest room to capture the infamy and intrigue of one of the most famous guest rooms in the world. This year not only marks the 45th anniversary of The Watergate break-in, but also 50 years since The Watergate Hotel first opened its doors.
On June 17, 1972, E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, who helmed The Watergate break-in team, stationed themselves in The Watergate Hotel’s room 214. From there, they remained in contact with everyone involved, via radio, while the burglary at the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Complex, adjacent to the hotel, was underway. A Watergate security guard named Frank Wills noticed suspicious activity, which prompted him to call the police and ultimately led to the discovery of the scandal.
The Watergate Scandal Room 214, where scandalous history was made, will be conceptualized, curated, and designed by Lyn Paolo, the costume designer of the ShondaLand hit series SCANDAL and the John Well’s show “Shameless”, and Rakel Cohen, co-owner of The Watergate Hotel, to create a one-of-a-kind accommodation for hotel guests.
“Because of the infamous break-in 45 years ago, The Watergate Hotel has been a household name with a scandalous past that can’t be ignored,” said Rakel Cohen, Senior Vice President of Design & Development, and co-owner of The Watergate Hotel. “We pay homage to the past with small details throughout the property, but everyone kept asking us about room 214, so we needed to do something bold with it. The decision to team up with Lyn Paolo, known for her award-winning work on the hit TV series “SCANDAL” was an easy choice – we couldn’t have a better partner.”
Among the subtle nods to The Watergate break-in throughout the property, guests will find room keys that read “No Need to Break-In,” the main phone number alluding to the break-in date (844-617-1972), Nixon speeches instead of hold music, in-room pencils engraved with “I Stole This from The Watergate Hotel,” and more.
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For more information: TheWatergateHotel.com.
