ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Hilton Celebrates 50 Years of Lennon-Ono Bed-In with Video Series

cultural-heritage · 2026-05-04

In 1969, 15-year-old Govert De Roos sneaked into the Amsterdam Hilton's Room 702 by forging a press pass and captured iconic photos of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's first bed-in, a week-long pacifist protest from March 25 to 31. Fifty years later, the Hilton hotel chain commemorates the anniversary with a video series on peace and solidarity, featuring touching stories from employees worldwide. De Roos recalls the magical moment of entering the room and seeing the couple, whose unconventional protest aimed to get people talking about peace.

Key facts

  • Govert De Roos was 15 in 1969 when he photographed the bed-in.
  • He forged a press pass to enter the Amsterdam Hilton.
  • The bed-in took place in Room 702 from March 25 to 31, 1969.
  • Lennon and Ono met the press from 9 am to 9 pm daily.
  • The Hilton hotel chain produced a video series for the 50th anniversary.
  • The series focuses on peace and solidarity stories from employees.
  • De Roos described the moment as magical.
  • The bed-in was a pacifist protest.

Entities

Artists

  • John Lennon
  • Yoko Ono
  • Govert De Roos

Institutions

  • Hilton Hotels
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Amsterdam
  • Netherlands
  • Hilton Hotel Amsterdam

Sources