Now You Can Stay in the Watergate’s Most SCANDAL-ous Room 214

While the famed Watergate Hotel celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year, the Watergate scandal itself turns an impressive 45.  To commemorate it’s Golden Anniversary — and because the building was recently purchased by Euro Capital Properties and reopened in June 2016 — the hotel completed a glamorous $200 million transformation last year.  And now, timed to fete the notorious break-in, the infamy and intrigue of one of the most famous guest rooms in the world is on unique display.

The Watergate Scandal Room 214, a new signature guest room, was recently unveiled.  A collaboration between Emmy® Winning Hollywood Costume Designer Lyn Paolo (costume designer of the ShondaLand hit series SCANDAL), along with Rakel Cohen (co-owner of The Watergate Hotel and Senior Vice President of Design & Development), the room embraces its historic legacy.  It’s a fun collab especially because the room debuts on the heels of the return of the popular show’s (SCANDAL) final season.

At $800 per night, the room features a wall of news clippings from the time of the break-in, furniture reminiscent of the 1970’s, binoculars, a typewriter, a record player… and a cassette tape player. Because — the tapes!

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.

*Images provided courtesy.