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.