Washington, July 22 (DPA) Washington's Watergate Hotel, site of the 1972 burglary that led to the downfall of a president, was sold Tuesday to a subsidiary of Deutsche Postbank after an auction failed to attract much interest.

The subsidiary, PB Capital, bought the Watergate from Monument Realty for $25 million with the only bid for the hotel, David Astrove, an attorney for PB Capital, confirmed.

The Watergate complex opened in 1967 at a prestigious address overlooking the Potomac River and was frequented by dozens of big names but is best known for the break-in that brought down former president Richard Nixon.

Seeking to plant listening bugs ahead of the 1972 presidential election, a team of burglars attempted to break into Democratic Party headquarters, which were housed in the Watergate complex.