Hotel Zena Celebrates Influential Women in History in the Heart of Washington, D.C.
Located on D.C.’s vibrant 14 Street, Hotel Zena, which serves as a multi-use cultural hub, welcomes visitors to the nation’s capital with a celebration of empowered women. From Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Shirley Chisholm, the hotel, with interiors by Dawson Design Associates, offers an interactive exploration of American history through female change-makers. Believing strongly in the power of art to bring people together, Andrea Sheehan, DDA’s founding principle and art director, notes that the hotel tells “a simple story, long overdue.”
“Hotel Zena was created primarily by women,” says Bill Walshe, CEO of Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, adding that the space, “offers a haven for all genders, races, and sexualities.” To create a harmonious atmosphere, DDA and Hotel Zena’s management meticulously selected each material and art installation throughout the 12-story building. And to offer visitors a constant source of strength, a translucent portrait of Greek goddess Artemis, quiver in hand, appears in all 191 guest rooms, protecting those within.
Hotel Zena also boasts over 3,500 square feet of flexible meeting and event spaces, indoors and out. Open to the stars, Hedy’s Rooftop offers breathtaking views of the District and and pays homage to yet another influential woman in American history, actor and inventor Hedy Lamarr. The hotel’s central restaurant and bar, Figleaf, also is designed to inspire creativity and ignite conversation, featuring a 20-foot-long installation of 12,000 protest buttons spanning generations. With a corridor of portraits and a photobooth wall of images from the 2017 Women’s March, guests are bound to leave their stay inspired—and well rested.
