Photo of Diplomat Living Room, The Watergate Hotel

Gladiators, the hit ABC television show Scandal may be coming to an end soon, as the series’ final season premiered last night, but The Watergate Scandal Room 214 is nearing its opening later this month on October 19.

The Washington, D.C., hotel is transforming its infamous room 214 into a one-of-a-kind guest room that pays tribute to its scandalous history. And, who is behind the concept and curation? None other than Emmy winning costume designer Lyn Paolo who dresses the fashionable Olivia Pope (played by actress Kerry Washington)! She is working with the hotel’s co-owner, Rakel Cohen, on this exciting project.

“I love interior design, politics and of course I am inspired to help design a room with such a scandalous history,” Paolo says in a press release.

On June 17, 1972, E. Howard Hunt and F. Gordon Liddy checked in to room 214, where they orchestrated the burglary at the Democratic National Convention. This led to the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon.

“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,” Cohen says. “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.”

After undergoing a $200-million renovation, The Watergate Hotel re-opened in June 2016. The hotel recently launched a brand-new Spy Package specifically for meetings to give attendees a sleuthing experience. Guests are given a top secret confidential file that contains their special two-day itinerary. Activities include a tour of the historic property, martini class and visit to the International Spy Museum.

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