We've always been proud of our little hotel. Both for its hospitality and its history. And no one person encompasses that more than Rita Paul, who, along with her late husband Daniel, purchased the property--known then as the Earle--in 1973.

The hotel at that time was aptly described by Joan Baez in her song Diamonds and Rust, as "crummy", a former residential joint that had seen better days. (Baez lived with her then-paramour Bob Dylan for a time in room 305.)

The Pauls took on their project with gusto, and renovated the Washington Square Hotel several times over, making it into what it is today. The Pauls' daughter and son-in-law take on the bulk of the day-to-day operations now, but Mrs. Paul, at 95, still remains a strong presence as the artistic director, overseeing details in the room designs along with the restaurant. In fact, you can view Mrs. Paul's own artwork throughout our space, as she has created a series of paintings on tiles that still hang throughout the hotel and restaurant. (Check out the featured image for an example of her work.)
So you can just imagined how excited we were when the New York Times wrote a profile on her a few years ago!

Please take a minute to read it....we're sure you'll come away feeling inspired, just as we did.