Hotel rooms are getting more difficult to find in D.C. ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday, particularly for those trying to avoid sky-high prices.
A quick search through Expedia on Tuesday afternoon for a hotel from Sunday through Monday turned up a room at the Marriott Marquis near the Washington Convention Center, listed at more than $1,500 per night, with only two rooms remaining.
At the Windsor Inn Hotel, located near 16th and U streets in Northwest, rates were listed around $900 per night.
Similarly, The Poppy Georgetown at P and 27th streets in Northwest also had nightly rates in the $900 range.
“People are still interested in coming, and we’re seeing more and more momentum from hotels,” said Elliott Ferguson, president of Destination D.C., a nonprofit organization that supports the city’s travel and tourism sector.
According to the analytics firm STR, D.C. hotels are about 70% booked for the inauguration.
“We’re waiting to see exactly what will happen in terms of short-term bookings,” Ferguson said. “As we look at what’s important to Washington, it’s all about economic impact, creating jobs and the stimulus associated with the number of people coming into the city.”
Hotel bookings were at 94% in January of 2017 for Trump’s first inauguration.
First-term presidents tend to draw larger crowds.
For former President Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, bookings were at 97%. They went down to 78% for Obama’s second inauguration in 2013.
Around a quarter-million ticketed guests are expected to attend the presidential inauguration next week, and D.C.’s economy is eager to return to traditional inauguration festivities after a subdued ceremony four years ago.
President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021 was significantly scaled back.
There were strict limits on crowds and gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened security following the Jan. 6 riot that broke out at the Capitol Building.
“The hotels, the restaurants — all those who actually work in hospitality are banking on people showing up,” Ferguson said. “We’re really, really optimistic.”
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