Move over, bad Santa—the “scandal igloos” are coming to town. Just when you thought luxury faux-igloo trend couldn’t get more outrageous, the Watergate Hotel glides in with some retrofitted orbs harkening back to the Nixon era and the days of the Watergate scandal.
So what would Nixon think of a bunch of people eating fondue in a $200 plastic dome decorated with faux-newspapers announcing his resignation? Maybe something like: “So this is hell. Weird.” But for the rest of us, scandal igloos look like fun! The vintage orbs are outfitted with cozy blankets and Playboy-esque velvet chairs, working Victrola record players, nonworking typewriters, books about the Watergate, and other scandal-era accents. Food and drink also hearken back to 1972—think Singapore Slings, lamb chops with mint jelly, chocolate cigars, and the aforementioned fondue.
It’s only fitting that the Watergate, which ushered in the luxury faux-igloo craze in 2017, is putting its own weird cherry atop this particular pandemic trend. So if you feel like celebrating…the holidays? Nixon’s downfall? The 50th anniversary of the Watergate Scandal six months early? Call the hotel for reservations.
The Watergate Hotel. 2650 Virginia Ave., NW; 844-617-1972
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
