It’s not every day that someone gets to reinvent a place with as much history—and infamy—as DC’s Watergate Hotel. It would be a lot of pressure for any developer, let alone a first time hotelier like Rakel Cohen. A Montreal native, Cohen moved to Washington, DC to study finance and marketing at the University of Maryland before making her way to New York. There, after a few entry-level finance positions, she met her now-husband, Jacques, and went to work with him as senior vice president of design and development at his newly formed firm, Euro Capital Properties (ECP), which he started in 2008. With the purchase of the Watergate Hotel in 2010—the first property owned and managed by ECP—Cohen took on the challenge of overseeing the restoration of the historic property, enlisting local firm BBGM as architect of record and famed Israeli designer Ron Arad to help execute her vision (Arad designed the public spaces; she handled the rooms). Here, she talks challenges, sweating the details, and embracing curves.
What was the allure of rehabbing such a historic structure as the Watergate?
Its name certainly caught our attention, but we immediately saw the potential to return the hotel to a state worthy of ‘Washington’s finest address.’ The design and location are what made me want to buy it. The hotel has been renovated time and again, but we were the first to really embrace its original architecture. It’s historically landmarked and surrounded by residents and business owners who care deeply about the future of the complex—we worked closely with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the National Park Service, among others. The art scene has always been in DC, the food scene is there, the fashion scene is getting there, and it’s time for the hotel scene to catch up.
How did you choose Ron Arad?
I got my hands on as many design and photography books from the [1960s] as I could. I pored through old photos, researched online, and have spent significant time with some of the longtime residents. Hiring Ron Arad Architects was a huge part of this. Ron studied [Italian architect Luigi Moretti, who designed the original structure in 1965], and he understood that organic, flowing, avant-garde language that was needed to bring this hotel back to life. We also chose renowned architecture firm BBGM to help us maintain the architecture and bold curves. I told Ron we wanted to pay homage to the building, playing up the curvy nature and the 1960s. [But] I didn’t need to brief him so much—I picked him because he understood Moretti’s original concept.
How involved were you in the details?
I was extremely involved, from the purchase of the hotel, to the design, to the branding and marketing. I remember when we first went to visit the hotel before we purchased it. We stood on the roof and watched the sunset with my family. That’s when I knew this property could be the most incredible urban resort in DC, and we’d definitely need to add a rooftop bar [Top of the Gate]. The views were too good.
What were some of the challenges?
Everyone looked at the building and walked away from it. Renovating a historic building is extremely challenging, and we spent a lot of money making sure we did it right. We partnered with the right people, and preserved as much as we could from the original structure but also made the most out of the views—adding the outdoor space, blowing out the ceiling in the restaurant, raising the ground for the ballroom.
Any design standouts?
We embraced its original architecture to bring its signature undulating curves inside. Next Whisky Bar is a $2 million piece of art [with] 2,500 custom made whiskey bottles individually illuminated to form a curved wall that glows. Kingbird restaurant features postcard views, double-ceiling height, amazing terraces, Ron Arad’s exclusive Watergate chair, pops of red, and eight amazing chandeliers.
