The Watergate Hotel Celebrates Its History With 1970s-Themed 'Scandal Room'

Ever since the Nixon administration helped orchestrate and cover up a break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate Complex, the neighboring Washington D.C. hotel has become synonymous with scandal. (And the suffix “-gate” has been used to signify all kinds of scandals, from “donut" to “ponytail”). Despite the unsavory connotations, the Watergate Hotel still has the same name decades later. Now, Travel + Leisure reports that it's embracing its scandalous history with a special themed room.

Room 214, the site where the criminal plot was planned, has been reimagined as the “Scandal Room” in honor of the event’s 45th anniversary. The interior reflects an early 1970s motif, down to the retro turntable and typewriter. Around the room, guests will find newspaper clippings reporting the story as it broke.

The room’s new name isn't just a reference to the theme: It’s a nod to its designer Lyn Paolo who also designs the costumes for the TV political drama Scandal. "I am beyond thrilled to work with Rakel Cohen to design our own interpretation of the Watergate scandal room," Paolo said in a press release. "I love interior design politics, and, of course, I am inspired to help design a room with such a scandalous history.”

Guests interested in reliving one of the most infamous episodes in American politics can pay $800 a night to have the room to themselves when it opens in late fall. Visitors checked into other parts of the hotel will also find homages to its controversial history: The phone’s hold music is replaced with Nixon speeches, the robes are branded with the words “cover up,” and the room keys read “no need to break in.”