The New Watergate Hotel Is a Nod to Its Past
The keycards read "No need to break in"
After a $125 million, nine-year renovation, Washington, D.C.'s Watergate Hotel reopened today.
"No need to break in," its room keycards read—a nod to the infamous scandal of the Nixon administration that led to the president's resignation. Originally designed by Italian architect Luigi Moretti in 1961 to look like a sail on the Potomac, the hotel has been vacant since 2007. Its current owners tapped Israeli designer Ron Arad and Italian designer Moroso to update the architecture and restore some of hotel's original structures, like the staircase and indoor pool. Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant designed the employee uniforms.
It now features 336 guest rooms, a restaurant, 12,000-square-foot spa, swimming pool, whiskey bar, a new 7,000-square-foot grand ballroom, and a soon-to-open rooftop lounge. Scroll down for a look around the new property.
The lobby bar's walls are literally made of whiskey bottles.
2,500 bottles make up the walls of the Next Whiskey Bar.
The design maintains the midcentury curves.
There are 336 guest rooms.
Half the rooms have balconies.
The bathrooms have floor-to-ceiling Zebrano marble and solid granite vanities.
A grayscale soaking tub.
The rooftop bar is slated to open later this summer.
Here's a rendering of what it'll look like.
Sam Dangremond is a Contributing Digital Editor at Town & Country, where he covers men's style, cocktails, travel, and the social scene.
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