Ultra-luxe Trump inauguration hotel packages include choppers and caviar
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The Watergate's inauguration package includes helicopter transportation from NYC to D.C. Photo: Courtesy of The Watergate
Helicopter rides. Shopping sprees. Vats of caviar. Inauguration packages at D.C. hotels are uber-extravagant this year, with eye-popping price tags to match.
Why it matters: Inaugural pomp isn't new — visitors always want to feel important while rubbing elbows with the incoming power party — but keeping up with the Trumps and their billionaire buddies has some hotels hawking next-level excess to those hoping for access.
State of play: Over a dozen D.C. hotels offer inauguration packages in the tens of thousands of dollars, advertising lavish suites and over-the-top amenities. The hot seller so far: The Watergate, whose "nonpartisan" Head of State Package has been booked "multiple times," according to reps.
- The $73,500 experience includes roundtrip Blade helicopter transportation from NYC to Reagan National, and a daily armored Maybach chauffeur.
Plus, guests get a tour of the "Scandal Suite" — the site of 1972's infamous break-in that led to former President Nixon's resignation.
Zoom in: The Fairmont near Georgetown offered one of the most luxurious, a $350,000 package that included:
- Roundtrip airfare for four people and their pet from anywhere in the U.S., plus four nights in a new suite.
- Two butlers, a Saks 5th Avenue shopping spree for $25,000 worth of goods and a special cocktail named after the guest for the weekend.
Meanwhile, the nearby Park Hyatt offers a $100,000 "Presidential Package" with opulent welcome perks (vintage Champagne, a boatload of Petrossian caviar), a private chef's table dinner and afternoon tea, personalized presidential robes and slippers, and "daily flourishes" such as fresh flower bouquets and "bespoke desserts."
What they're saying: "Compared to prior years, the packages we've offered were more historical or destination-related," Park Hyatt director of sales Ilemona Salifu tells Axios. "This year we wanted to lean into the luxury experience."
The intrigue: Neither of the above packages has sold, though the Park Hyatt notes an overall "uptick in demand." According to industry insiders, selling comes second to advertising.
- "The name of the game is publicity," a former Ritz-Carlton executive told the Washington Post for Trump's 2017 inauguration. Some of those offerings were more lavish than today's, like the JW Marriott's $2.5 million hotel takeover, rooftop included for parade viewing.
It didn't sell, and neither did many others, according to the Post.
- "There's a whole new administration in town, with all-new players," the Ritz-Carlton executive told the Post. "You're trying to position your hotel as the new power place to be."
- That's especially important now, as luxury properties clamor to fill the gold-hued vacuum left by the Trump Hotel.
Between the lines: Inaugural packages often take on the vibe of the president-elect. For former President Obama's first inauguration, for example, over-the-top offerings took on a centrist tone.
- Fairmont's $40,000 "Eco-Inaugural" package boasted a Lexus hybrid chauffeur, organic spa treatments and an "eco-friendly" gown for inaugural balls.
Now, hotels are creating experiences "to meet the moment," Riggs DC's marketing director tells Axios. "We focused on creating an experience that feels both exclusive and celebratory."
- Cue their $50,000 package, which that includes four nights in a First Lady Suite, a private gathering at the speakeasy-style Dishonesty Bar, and an exclusive Silver Lyan soiree for up to 30 guests with free-flowing Champagne and oysters.
- It hasn't sold either, though Riggs DC reps say "interest has been strong."
The big picture: D.C. hotel occupancy is up overall for inauguration weekend. Analytics firm Smith Travel Research (STR) tracks hotel occupancy at three times more than in January 2024, with around 64% of rooms booked on Inauguration Day (compared with 31% last non-inaugural year).
- According to STR, first-term presidents have larger inaugurations. In January 2009 (Obama's first term) and January 2017 (Trump and the Women's March), occupancy was 97.2% and 94.5%, respectively.
- For Obama's second inauguration, occupancy was 78%.