Photo Courtesy of Laticrete
[Washington] After countless renovations and an ownership battle as tricky as the Watergate investigation itself, the infamous Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., recently reopened after being shuttered for nearly a decade. The $200 million renovation, which capitalized on the hotel’s vintage aesthetic, restored many of the building’s original features, including its mosaic-tiled 50-foot saltwater indoor pool that’s located below the lobby in the 12,500 square foot spa — Argentta. Named after the Italian word for silver due to the genuine silver flecks in the tile, the Argentta design pays homage to the hotel’s original architect, Luigi Moretti. The project’s contractor, ProFast Commercial Flooring, had previous experience using Laticrete products for large pool projects, and decided to use a range of Laticrete products again to ensure a long-lasting, quality installation.
Knowing the spa would double as a leisure area and point of exploration for curious everyday travelers visiting the historic site, the space needed to “wow” visitors while withstanding heavy everyday use. Additionally, instead of demolishing the pool, the developer decided to restore the space using the original pool shell. This required ProFast Commercial Flooring, the contractor chosen for the project, be especially careful when removing the original tile so that no damage would occur.
Laticrete’s Hydro Ban, a thin waterproofing and anti-fracture membrane, was installed to offer protection over shrinkage and other non-structural cracks in the shell.
To thin set the glass tile in the pool and surrounding areas, ProFast Commercial Flooring used Laticrete’s Glass Tile Adhesive, a non-sag, polymer-fortified adhesive mortar that is specifically formulated for use in glass tile applications. Glass Tile Adhesive made the installation of the project’s silver-flecked mosaic tile easy to execute.
To screed and slope the Watergate pool deck to various drains throughout the Argentta, Laticrete’s 3701 Fortified Mortar was chosen and Spectralock Pro Premium Grout was used to re-grout.
While the Watergate Hotel is best known as the site of one of the biggest scandals in American history, the newly renovated spa area plays up the retro luxury that embodied the swank hotel pre-scandal, while providing a year-round oasis to guests and members.
Commercial Case Study
Project: The Watergate Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Contractor: ProFast Commercial Flooring, Monrovia, Md.
Manufacturer: Laticrete International, Inc., Bethany, Conn.
Installation Materials Used: Hydro Ban, Glass Tile Adhesive, 3701 Fortified Mortar and Spectralock Pro Premium Grout