Guests can now book a room in the Waldorf Astoria Washington D.C., the new hotel brand that’s taken over the Old Post Office Building that once bore the name of former president Donald Trump.

The Washington Business Journal first reported the news.

The sale of Trump International Hotel closed in May when CGI Merchant Group, a global investment firm, paid $375 million to take over the lease of the 9-story downtown building with the intention of rebranding the space as a Waldorf Astoria hotel, a brand under the Hilton Hotels family. But by the looks of things (and the relatively quick turnaround after closing) the biggest departure from the building’s Trump-era might be the removal of its gold-plated signage. (According to the New York Times, Waldorf Astoria crews went out the night the deal was finalized, removing the signature lettering in the dark.) Hilton did not return DCist/WAMU’s request for an interview on Friday.

In a press release announcing the opening, Waldorf Astoria described the hotel as “the new home for the most consequential events, groundbreaking meetings, and unforgettable experiences in the nation’s capital,” but even that’s a descriptor that could’ve fit the hotel under its former namesake, which was home its fair share of consequential events, groundbreaking meetings, and unforgettable experiences.

It’s not just the name placard that’s changed. The lobby and cocktail lounge is now rebranded as “Peacock Alley” — a staple of Waldorf hotels. The Trump Townhouse is now the “Waldorf Townhouse,” and the old Ivanka Trump Suite is now the “bi-level loft with library,” according to the hotel’s website. New amenities will include a 10,000-square-foot spa.

At least one piece of the Trump era is staying on: Ground-level restaurant Sushi Nakazawa will remain in the building

In November 2021, the Washington Business Journal reported Trump Organization had reached an agreement to sell the rights to the hotel, which is owned by the federal government. In 2012, (long before Everything) the General Services Administration awarded Trump a 100-year lease on the Old Post Office Building, although it didn’t open for guests until 2016.

In the following years, the Trump Hotel would go on to serve a locus for Republicans, a canvas for local protest artists, a symbol of corruption, and more recently, the subject of federal investigations.  The House Oversight Committee has released documents alleging that the hotel received millions of dollars from foreign governments during Trump’s term, but did not disclose the payments to the federal government. D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine also took legal action against Trump in 2020, accusing the former president’s inaugural committee of breaking the law when it illegally overpaid for a ballroom to celebrate his 2017 inauguration. (The Trump family business and the inaugural committee paid the city $750,000 to settle the suit, but did not admit any wrongdoing.)

The sale of the Trump hotel marked one of the priciest hotel sales D.C. has ever seen, according to WBJ, at around $1.43 million per room — and the cost of a night’s stay reflects that. While it’s not in the millions, rooms for this weekend start at around $1,200 per night. According to Forbes, rooms at the Trump hotel were going for as little as $446 per night earlier this year.

Previously:
It’s The End For DC’s Trump International Hotel
Goodbye Trump Hotel, Hello Waldorf Astoria D.C.