The nation’s capital was bracing for a massive influx of visitors this week ahead of the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration, leading some Washington, D.C., hoteliers to hike their lodging rates to jaw-dropping heights.
According to MarketWatch, hotel room prices in D.C. are 927 percent higher than usual for inauguration week. A standard double room — which typically runs about $200 a night in January — is going for a whopping $2,071 per night.
High rollers also have the option of selecting a $75,000 four-night inauguration package at the Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C., NBC News reports.
Although Washington, D.C., is used to dealing with a surge in lodging demand during inauguration week, this year is different. More than 200,000 people are expected to participate the day after the inauguration in the “Women’s March on Washington,” an effort to “promote women’s equality and defend other marginalized groups,” The Washington Post reports.
According to a new report from Airbnb, the number of people who have booked housing between Jan. 20 and Jan. 22 far exceeds the company’s initial estimates of 10,000 guests. Airbnb says:
Today, more than 15,100 guest arrivals are booked for this three-day period, with 13,000-plus guests booked for the evening of January 20, 2017 — representing the biggest night ever for Airbnb arrivals in the District of Columbia.
When President Barack Obama took the oath of office in 2009, hotels in the Washington, D.C., area had an occupancy rate of 96.8 percent, says MarketWatch. Numbers for Trump’s inauguration aren’t yet available.
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