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The Fairmont Washington Has 105,000 Bees (On Purpose)

Where: 2401 M St Nw [map], Washington, D.C., United States, 20037

Bees at the Fairmont Royal York, 2008.

Last summer, we kind of got the heebies when we learned that the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto had purposely put 40,000 honeybees up on their rooftop to harvest their own honey in an effort to "enhance the hotel's culinary program." And now the Fairmont Washington D.C. has stuck three honey beehives up on its roof with the same goal, boasting a bee population totaling about 105,000 bees.

Each hive has a queen and 33,000 worker bees:

They travel up to three miles away from their rooftop home foraging for food, and always return to their respective hives. Nearby Rock Creek Park offers trees and plants with the essential nectar they must gather for their work.

Apparently, the Executive Sous Chef and Executive Pastry Chef will each take turns acting as Chief Bee Keeper, with a goal of retrieving somewhere around 300 pounds of honey within the year (um, betchya didn't sign up for this when you scored this job after culinary school, huh?) Even bee-haters can enjoy something, though: the honey harvested will be used in in recipes served in the hotel's restaurant Juniper.

[Photo: Norm Betts / Reuters]

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Which 'Ultra High-End' Boutique Hotel is Coming to D.C.?

We've got some hot goss out of our nation's capital today: according to the Washington Business Journal, an "ultra high-end" 50-room hotel is on its way to Georgetown. Castleton Holdings Inc. and ICG Properties have "attracted an undisclosed high-end, boutique operator" to put its name on the hotel, which will be at the site of the former headquarters of the American Trial Lawyers Association (yes, the building pictured above that resembles your college dorm).

From the article:

Although the partners will not identify the hotel operator they have selected, [a rep] said, "The hotel concept we're looking at is unlike anything currently in D.C."

The freestanding five-story brick building on 4,400 square feet along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal path is vacant. The developers plan to begin the rehab at the end of this year and open the hotel in 2011, but still need financing.

Ah, the ol' "still in need of financing." We won't get our hopes up — but we're dying to know who's interested. It's a bit small to be a Denizen, but maybe something from Kor? An Ace? A fashion hotel? Maybe a newbie from Desires?

We're not sure what to expect here, but feel free to give us your ideas.

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Should Politicians Pay Their Own Inauguration Hotel Bills?

Yikes. An article this morning reported that New York Governor David Paterson and three of his aides allegedly racked up almost $20K in charges for their four-night stay at the AKA White House District hotel in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration — and it's on taxpayers to cover it.

According to the revelatory blog post on LoHud, each of the rooms Paterson's party occupied cost an average of $1,280 a night ("according to records of state-issued credit-card expenses"). This isn't hard to believe at all, considering most inauguration attendees spent an average of $600 per night — we know a room charge of twelve-hundo is not so unbelievable.

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Obama Can See His New Digs From His Hotel Room

Where: 800 16th Street [map], Washington, D.C., United States, 20006

As we reported last week, Barack Obama and his family has moved out of their Chicago home and the gang has headed to D.C. For the time being, they're living in the historic Hay-Adams Hotel; word on the street is that the girls started school today.

No doubt the fam is up in the Presidential Suite (duh), where the views are probably even better than this one from a Junior Suite at the same hotel: imagine waking up every morning and gazing out the window to see the White House — your new home for at least the next four years.

Big thanks to CourtneyMay for dropping this into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool.

Tags: Inauguration Hotels / Celebrity Scoop / Oprah Winfrey / Four Seasons Hotels / → All Tags

Oprah Will Check Into Four Seasons D.C. for Inauguration

Where: 2800 Pennslyvania NW [map], Washington, D.C., United States, 20007

Oprah Winfrey has been perhaps Obama's loudest and proudest celeb supporter this year, and the rumor mill has been churning out all sorts of Oprah/Obama rumors since Barack was elected in November. We've heard that she's been planning to tape a couple of special shows in the nation's capitol from the Kennedy Center Opera House, and, thanks to a NY Post story last week, people have been buzzing about the Winfrey possibly purchasing a mansion of her own in Washington to ensure she'd be close to Obama (false).

We're not so sure about that househunting thing now that we've heard (again from the NY Post) that Winfrey is planning to shack up at the Four Seasons during Obama's inauguration week. According to Page Six, she all booked for the $15,000-a-night Royal Suite for five nights around inauguration.

Still not sure whether you're ready to join Oprah and millions of your closest friends at inauguration in January? Check out our brother site Jaunted's Inauguration 2009 complete coverage — and once you've made up your mind to go, drop in and take a look at their tips on how to get there.

[Photo: Sun Times]

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Party With Luda for Inauguration at Marriott Wardman Park

Where: 2660 Woodley Rd Nw [map], Washington, D.C., United States, 20008

If you're gonna roll out to D.C. for Obama's inauguration in January, consider checking out the Urban Ball at Marriott Wardman Park on January 20th (part of the American Music Inaugural Balls) co-hosted by Ludacris and Big Boi from Outkast. According to MTV (yeah, we didn't just hear this by word of mouf):

Luda and Big Boi will co-host the Urban Ball, which is reportedly slated to include appearances from David Banner, Bobby Valentino, Lil Jon, T-Pain, Cedric the Entertainer, the Cheetah Girls, Fantasia and Monica. A number of former NBA players will also reportedly be on hand, including Jalen Rose, Kenny Smith and Alonzo Mourning.

Um, Monica? As in the other half of "That Boy is Mine"? Are both she and Brandy now performing at hotels as part of a grand buildup leading to a reunion performance of "That Boy is Mine" sometime soon? And can Ludacris referee the fight between the two of them? We'd gladly pay the $350 ticket for the Urban Ball to see it.

Or, for $450 at the same hotel, you can hit up Dionne Warwick and Yolanda Adams' Legends Ball, featuring appearances by Chaka Khan, George Clinton, and Reggie Miller.

[Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images via MTV]

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You'd Better Find a Couch to Sleep on for Inauguration

Well, it's official: the situation with hotels in D.C. for inauguration has gotten out of control. Nevermind the absurd packages and the rush of bookings and concern about availability — according to the Washington Post, hotels in the D.C. area have almost no room left for the January 20th festivities by now, and the ones that do have some beds available are selling them for a fortune to the tune of $800 - $1,000 per night. Yes, it would be appropriate to abandon all hope now.

But it gets worse: apparently, some hotels are screwing over guests who already have reservations in place (and have held those reservations for many, many weeks now), surprising them by jacking up prices or demanding full payments in advance.

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Tags: Political Hotels / Barack Obama / Washington D.C. Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

D.C. Hotels Already Filling Up For Obama's Inauguration

The nation's 44th President was elected just last night, but hotels in D.C. are already filling up for Barack Obama's Inauguration on January 20, 2009.

According to Washington Business Journal, rooms for Inauguration Day were becoming scarce long before last night's election. So far, the Ritz-Carlton D.C. has sold 50% of its rooms, while the Four Seasons is half full as well and has also sold its $15,000-a-night presidential suite (which is also bulletproof). Oh, and that Four Seasons has managed to sell those rooms even with its life-savings-draining Inauguration rules: a minimum stay of five nights, and full payment when reservations are made; no cancellations, no refunds.

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