Eaton DC
Hotel · Downtown ·
Retro-chic rooms with record players; French-American restaurant, rooftop bar
Retro-chic rooms with record players; French-American restaurant, rooftop bar
"Billed as an activist hotel, this downtown property merges Eaton Workshop’s creative hub for innovators and grassroots projects with new-age wellness and destination restaurants. Slide past the black-brick exterior into a naturally lit lobby reportedly modeled on 1960s Swiss bus terminals, all earthy tones, swirling floor patterns, and low-slung leather and velour seating; a working radio station broadcasts discussions on social issues, and crystals adorn the check-in desk. It’s a short stroll to the National Museum of Women in the Arts and Franklin Square Park, and about 15 minutes from the White House." - Laura Ratliff
"This One-Key hotel is one of America's most impressive boutique properties, driven by founder Katharine Lo's uncompromising vision; Hong Kong–born and Yale-educated and the daughter of the Langham group's chairman, she brings high-end hospitality fundamentals to a hotel defined by unapologetically bohemian interiors and an outspoken social-justice ethos that lets the property wear its politics on its sleeve." - The MICHELIN Guide
"Hotel Eaton is noted for prioritizing activism over traditional hotel niceties like pillow mints, reflecting a newer, more socially engaged hospitality trend in Washington, D.C." - CNT Editors
"Built as a socially conscious hub for like-minded travelers and locals, this property blends private and communal workspaces, regular programming (from Tibetan sound healing to Afrosoul yoga), and an on-site community radio station that features underground music and talk shows. Guest rooms range from compact cabins to suites, are pet friendly, and carry a ‘global nomad’ aesthetic with colorful textiles, Himalayan salt lamps, Grown Alchemist bath products, health-focused minibars, Bluetooth speakers, and record players. Food-and-drink highlights include Michele’s by chef Matt Baker, a rooftop bar, and a speakeasy adorned with a mural of Ruby Bridges." - Laura Dannen Redman, Nicholas DeRenzo
"Defiantly progressive and art-driven, this LEED Gold, eco-friendly, energy-efficient hotel goes beyond rhetoric to actively support movements for equity and progress. Elevator doors open on photographs of protesters under attack by firehose and a “whites only” sign; socially conscious art exhibitions rotate through the lobby; a radical library shares a wall with the cocktail bar; and a version of Kahlil Joseph’s BLK NEWS flashes across a screen as the concierge hands you a room key. Inspired by historic political movements, the team—many DC natives with backgrounds in the arts, music, or activism—has hosted the Women’s March planning committee and campaigners from the Indigenous Environmental Network, provided sanctuary for social justice protesters, and watched members of the co-working space collaborate on progressive projects. Set a fifteen-minute walk from the White House or the National Mall, the first floor feels like a village square, with a radio station, rotating art exhibits, a screening room, co-working space, an exclusive cocktail lounge, a café, and an upscale New American restaurant. Nightlife coalesces upstairs at Wild Days, while downstairs the first-floor Allegory bar is where you’ll find Erik Thor-Sandberg’s Ruby Bridges mural slaying the Jabberwock. Wellness runs alongside the politics: guests can book yoga, reiki, or an infrared sauna, and the décor dabbles in crystals, Himalayan salt lamps, and incense bowls. Rooms are comfortable and stylish, with beautiful bathrooms, organic bedding, and record players beside stacks of progressive books—mine included works by Susan Sontag and Cory Booker. Overall, it feels like the heart of something: bold, uncompromising, and anything but stuffy." - Mitchell Friedman