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DC Hotels Have Lost All Sense of Reality

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  Site Where: 2500 Calvert St Nw [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20008

November 18, 2008 at 9:30 AM | 9 Comments

You heard it here first, folks: D.C. hotels have officially gone, well, coco bananas. Apparently their zeal for inauguration events can’t be contained by normal, or even wacky, price tags, and the top hotel package for Jan. 20th has surged to an unthinkable $440,000 for four nights at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.

Leading the loonies, the Omni Shoreham has crafted two package offerings billed to make you "Live Like a President" for the inauguration: the “44th Commander-in-Chief” ($440,000) and the “58th Inauguration” (at a “more reasonable” $58,000). With the presidential package, you might be getting your money's worth as it involves everything from private jet arrival to a jewelry shopping spree to presidential perfume and even a puppy of your choice on departure. Seriously, it's that cracked out.

Now, other than, say, John McCain and maybe Ralph Nader, is there anyone out there who can honestly say they want to live like the president? With all due respect to Mr. Obama, the country is a pretty screwed up place these days, and the idea of having to fix it? Forget about it. We’ll stick to writing about hotels, thankyouverymuch.

Of course, the Omni Shoreham’s idea of living like a president has nothing to do with economic bailout plans or the war in Iraq. To them, executive power is all private jets and makeovers. Behold the awe-inspiring deets:

· Private jet for arrival and departure
· Private in-room dinner for four, prepared by a personal chef with entertainment by political satirist Mark Russell
· Private breakfast served daily
· Personal concierge and chauffeur available 24 hours a day
· Entry for four to "A New Birth of Freedom" inaugural events on January 20
· $44,000 shopping spree from the Lambros Jewelry Inauguration Collection
· Pre-inauguration makeover by Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Salon & Spa
· Commemorative inaugural photo album with a personal inaugural photographer
· Personalized President and First Lady cologne and perfume
· Presidential puppy of guests' choice upon departure

And to complete the experience, guests get a “Foreign Policy Trip” five-night gift certificate to the Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 in St. Petersburg, Russia, with first-class roundtrip airfare for four also included. A portion of the package price will be donated to a charity of choice.

Alternately, the $58,000 package includes a four-night stay in a one-bedroom Presidential Suite, two first-class roundtrip airline tickets to and from D.C., private breakfast, personal chauffeur, in-room dinner, a $5,800 shopping spree, entry for two to "A New Birth of Freedom" inaugural events on January 20, and a commemorative inaugural photo album.

Available Jan. 17-23, 2009, the packages must be prepaid and are (duh) non-refundable. We don’t even want to think about how much taxes will be.

[Photo: Omni Shoreham Hotel]

9 Comments

  1. KatieK

    HotelChatter Contributing Editor
    November 18, 2008 at 9:34 AM




    a puppy?!?

    It's a cute idea and all, but a free puppy with purchase? I can't wait for PETA to descend...

  1. CourtneyMay

    HotelChatter Member
    November 18, 2008 at 10:05 AM




    440,000

    If I had 440,000 to spend on that trip, it would not be to an Omni.

  1. juliana

    HotelChatter
    November 18, 2008 at 10:34 AM




    a house

    i would use that money to buy a house, not a fricking four-night stay at an omni in DC, of all places! it's not like Bora Bora or Richard Branson's Necker Island.  however, the "puppy of my choice" bit is tempting. does omni know how much french bulldogs cost? hehe.

  1. JetSetCD

    HotelChatter Contributing Editor
    November 18, 2008 at 11:24 AM




    so

    So if you removed the jewelry shopping spree, then the package is only 400K. OK so my favorite part of the deal actually has nothing to do with the inauguration, but I love the Kempinski Moscow with first class air inclusion. Still, no way would I do this package even if I had a gazillion billion dollars.

  1. KatieK

    HotelChatter Contributing Editor
    November 18, 2008 at 12:02 PM




    but...

    ...if you remove the jewelry shopping spree, what sort of DC insider/presidential wannabe would you be?

  1. abigailmschilling

    HotelChatter Member
    November 18, 2008 at 3:04 PM




    awesome

    just... awesome. no one actually does this, right? it's just a marketing gimmick?

  1. Chelsea

    HotelChatter Member
    November 19, 2008 at 1:36 PM




    cash value?

    so what's the actual cash value of all that stuff? does it equal out? they make it sound like as soon as you fork over 440,000 all this extra stuff is freeeeeeeee.

  1. shannon127

    HotelChatter Member
    December 28, 2008 at 11:11 AM




    4 stars downtown Reasonable price

    The Pennsylvania Democratic Party Still has a few rooms available, at the Washington Plaza Hotel, just 5 blocks from the White House.  Their package is for 2 nights with tickets to their ball/gala.  For more information visit http://www.padems.com/node/1703

  1. beachgoer5

    HotelChatter Member
    January 6, 2009 at 6:07 PM




    Outrageous!

    Unbelievable!
    The Omni is one of the best Hotels Washington DC has to offer!  I couldn't see spending that much but if you have it, why not?
    I would love to take one of the DC Tours through the Omni Shorehan Hotel just to see it with my own eyes.

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