The Hotel Washington was a building in Madison, Wisconsin, built at the end of the 19th century.
It was an important cultural center in south central Wisconsin and served as a destination and important venue for members of the LGBT community from Wisconsin and northern Illinois, until its destruction by fire on February 18, 1996.
The Hotel Washington organization, through owner Rodney Scheel, was important in establishing gay pride events in the Madison area, including Madison's seminal MAGIC Picnic.
[5] At the time, it also contained a "greasy spoon" restaurant called the HOT L Cafe.
Rodney and his brother and business partner Greg converted the cafe into the Café Palms, a higher-end eating establishment.