This “Activist Hotel” In D.C. Is The Perfect Place To Refresh Your Resistance

Politics in America can cause a lot of stress; this stress can become particularly pronounced if you’re traveling, and feel like you have to tiptoe around political conversations with fellow hotel guests or airline passengers. Well, a new hotel is making sure people who identify as progressive can travel with ease, and stay with likeminded company. A hotel from Eaton Workshop will be opening in Washington, D.C., this coming spring, and it'll be the polar opposite of the Trump International Hotel right around the corner. So you may want to start planning a trip to the nation’s capital.

Eaton D.C., slated to open in early Spring 2018, will be a satellite property of Eaton Workshop — a global hospitality group looking to revolutionize the hotel business by incorporating community, politics, health, and art into their visitors’ stays. In a press release, Eaton Workshop says the Eaton D.C. "will provide amenities for residing guests, locals and house members to congregate over a shared mission to foster creativity and consciousness-building." The hotel will boast 209 rooms, as well as a theater, radio station, “wellness center” with yoga and meditation classes, restaurants, a rooftop bar, art exhibits, event spaces, and much more. Basically, you could pretty much never leave the hotel, and still have fun.

“[Eaton Workshop] properties foster a conscious atmosphere to promote this vision. We believe that we’re a step toward a more humane business that provides space for community building and learning in a world that needs it, and we think hospitality can be a tremendous catalyst for social and environmental impact,” said Katherine Lo, Founder and President of Eaton Workshop, in a press statement. “We are happy to open our doors to anyone and everyone who is curious about learning more about how we can work towards a world that is more inclusive and welcoming to all, and we can’t wait to welcome our first guests this spring.”

The brand will also be opening a hotel in Hong Kong, San Francisco, and Seattle by 2019. Despite being owned by the same brand, each hotel is designed to uniquely embrace the culture of the location it’s in. So, it only makes sense to build what some people are calling an "activist hotel" smack dab in the epicenter of American politics. It’s clear that Eaton D.C. will cause some controversy, but Lo told Bloomberg, “Self-selection is definitely one of our strategies. We wanted to emphasize that it’s a place for people who are thinking outside the box and want to effect a change in the world.” She adds that “the goal isn’t to bring together left and right,” but rather, Eaton Workshop wants to create hotel that hosts diverse people with progressive opinions.

While many advocates espouse the need to balance self-care and activism, there is a concern Eaton Hotel will capitalize off social justice issues, and could be less accessible to marginalized people. Eaton Workshop said in a press release the company is committed to uplifting the local community in diverse ways, from “providing job opportunities for local youth to hosting artists-in-residences for refugees and activists, conferences for change-makers, and public art, music and film festivals exploring topics of social change.” Additionally, Eaton Workshop promises the Washington D.C. hotel and other properties “will be equipped with public spaces as a resource for the community and incubator for emerging talent.” Currently, information about the hotel's pricing is not available.

All-in-all, Eaton D.C. seems like it will be a relaxing retreat for activists, and a positive addition to the Washington D.C. community. If you need to get away from the Twitter rants and endless political debates for a few days, but still refresh your activism, Eaton D.C. may be your answer.