Sometimes it’s the small changes that make the biggest difference.
Out of the $140 million renovations taking place at the Hilton Washington — including a new, 30,000-square-foot meeting room, a remodeled and raised outdoor patio area overlooking the city and a new pool deck — the thing that may most excite women at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner is … the bathrooms.
At a media tour Wednesday morning, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing Steve Passanante said in past years, women had to exit the presidential clearance area to go to the facilities, causing them to wait to pass through security to get back in. But thanks to two additional and larger women’s restrooms at next year’s “nerd prom,” women can spend more time at the dinner and less in line.
People familiar with the dinner also will be pleased to know the hotel has added stronger air conditioning vents and a new revolving door to control climate and invested $600,000 into fiber optics to increase Internet accessibility for all those frequent Twitterers.
Those who literally enjoyed rubbing shoulders with celebs may be upset to learn the corridor leading to many of the pre-parties has been widened several feet.
But given the heat and crowds last year — added because of the closed patio that already was undergoing construction — we think it’s a worthy sacrifice.
