No shock here that Donald Trump is stiffing the electrical workers who put in overtime to make sure his Washington DC hotel could open on time. Maybe it’s a little more surprising that the cost of cocktails has skyrocketed as much as 61% since the joint opened.
It’s safe to say the Trump hotel’s Benjamin Bar & Lounge is now the most expensive overall bar in all of Washington, and its price hikes are the hugest I’ve ever seen, especially in such a short period.
Winning the election may have solved the earlier booking problems that caused him to lower rates in October. But I’m not sure. The breakeven rate is supposed to be $750 a night, but I had no problem getting quotes for February 1st in the $403-$438 range. He’ll need to sell a lot of his higher end rooms to make it average out. For example, his Trump Townhouse goes for $25,000 a night. If he can book that out to enough Arab emirs and Russian petrochemical billionaires, his project may survive.
Of course, he’s supposed to divest from the hotel or find himself in violation of his lease with the government.
A provision in the lease forbids elected officials from being party to the lease: “No…elected official of the Government of the United States or the Government of the District of Columbia, shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom.”
I’m sure he’ll find a way out of that one.
What’s the enforcement mechanism? They’re what we have now instead of laws.
I dunno. Since it is commercially marginal, seems the smart thing to do would be to sell it at an inflated price to someone who likes the idea of the President owing him a favor and then loudly trumpet the fact that he divested and treat all other divestment matters as the cries of those who never get enough.
I work a few blocks from the Old Post Office Bldg (will not call it by its gross Trump name). The original building is listed so Trump can’t fuck it up, which limits the number of rooms. But Pennsylvania Ave. has a number of very famous, historic hotels within a few blocks (Willard and Hotel Washington) and, in any event, people coming to DC are here mainly for work (govt. lodging/per diem rates) or tourists. Trump is never going to make serious money on this hotel and, as we know, he has to divest it before 1/20 or he’s liable for prosecution. (And if the GSA is afraid of being terrorized by Trump’s thugs, there are lots of civil suit opportunities.)