Washington (CNN) In the hours before President Donald Trump was impeached Wednesday night, the atmosphere at the Trump International Hotel in Washington was nearly, but not quite, joyous.

People snapped selfies and laughed over cocktails in the hotel's multi-story lobby lounge. Tourists trickled in from the cold, some wearing "Make American Great Again' hats and shirts, hoping perhaps to capture a glimpse of someone in Trump's inner circle. Their best chance came around lunch when Education Secretary Betsy DeVos stopped by the hotel's restaurant, BLT Prime.

Out in the lounge, discussions ranged from Christmas plans to the media's unfair treatment of the President. One table ordered the Trump Tower, a soaring pile of seafood stacked high with lobster, oysters, clams, and shrimp ($120). All the while impeachment loomed uncomfortably in the background. At the bar, two of the four televisions hanging above the bar were tuned to ESPN. Another was tuned to Fox News and the last to CNN.

As the House of Representatives made its way toward a final vote, the lounge filled out with guests -- and a more professional set, in sportscoats and dresses, replaced the tourists from earlier in the day. But few paid much mind to the debate on TV. Some marveled at the towering Christmas tree in the middle of the lobby. Others greeted friends for dinner, exchanging gifts and enjoying appetizers. The most popular was the candied bacon, presented as four slices hanging from individual clothespins on twine with a sprig of burning herbs ($22).

Among those at the bar was Heather Zabel, a 35-year-old nursing student in northern Virginia who considers herself a big fan of Trump's.

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