Trump Inauguration Day Sends Washington, D.C. Hotel Rates Skyrocketing

Dec 20, 2016

Watching Donald Trump be sworn in as President of the United States in person in Washington, D.C. is going to be expensive for attendees who need a hotel room. The latest survey from CheapHotels.org has found that rates for accommodations in the nation’s capital are soaring to never before seen levels on Inauguration Day.

As of press time, approximately 15% of hotels in central Washington are still listing vacancies on January 20, 2017, the day Trump will take the oath as 44th president of the USA. To stay in one of these rooms, however, a guest can expect to pay an average of 367% more than usual.

And that’s just for starters. Other establishments in the city are raising their rates significantly more. One case in point is the Kimpton Hotel Palomar. With a prime location less than 5 minutes’ walking time from Dupont Circle, the Kimpton’s rate for Inauguration Day is $1419. Comparatively speaking, that’s over 800% more than the same room would cost on a normal day. It’s not the biggest price gouging going on either. That honor goes to the Liaison Hotel Capitol Hill. Situated a mere 0.31 miles from the United States Capitol Building, the Liaison is charging guests $1499 for a room on swear-in day, or almost 1000% more than the establishment typically charges.

For the cheapest available room in the center of Washington on January 20, inauguration goers will have to spend around $500. If they arrive on January 19 and are willing to stay two nights, they will spend at least $900 in total. Slightly more affordable hotels are available only on the outskirts of the city, around Ronald Reagan Airport and in the suburbs.

According to Barbara Adams from CheapHotels.org, “Never have hotel rates been pricier in the history of Washington, D.C. So attendees will have to spend even slightly more than for Obama's inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.”

The table that follows lists the hotels in Washington, D.C. with the highest price hikes for the Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2017. Regular prices reflect rates for the same room one week later. The hotel rates shown were established on December 15, 2016 via the hotel comparison site Kayak.