Your knowledge of history is flawed: there were no “tapes at the Watergate hotel”. The issue was an 18 minute gap in the White House taping system that was believed to be a discussion of a coverup concerning the Watergate breakin.
Actually, there was tape at the Watergate, but not magnetic tape. It was duct tape on certain door latches.
If memory serves me, the Watergate burglars used a strip of tape over the lock to keep the door from locking them inside, and the tape was noticed by a security guard, leading to their arrest.
I thought that might get mixed up.
I had meant the tape the burglars used on one of the doors to keep it from locking, that was seen by a security guard, that then led to them getting caught.