Trump's Washington hotel has fallen behind competitors, with rooms running nearly half empty, market

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Trump’s Washington hotel has fallen behind competitors, with rooms running nearly half empty, marketing materials show

By Jonathan O'Connell and David A. Fahrenthold
11/14/2019, 8:45:56 p.m

President Trump’s Washington hotel has fallen well behind competing properties despite continuing to charge among the highest rates in the city, according to financial information provided to potential bidders as his company tries to sell the hotel’s lease.

The hotel has become a center of Republican politics and a frequent stopping point for members of Trump’s cabinet and inner circle. But its guest rooms are running nearly half empty this year, according to the information, causing the 263-room luxury property — which opened on Pennsylvania Avenue weeks before Trump arrived in the White House — to fall short of the company’s own expectations.

Marketing materials distributed by a real estate firm hired by Trump’s company say that a new owner, operating “unencumbered” by Trump’s name or his management company, could dramatically increase profits, particularly through a massive increase in business with foreign governments.

The hotel “is organically positioned to market and solicit foreign government business” given its “unbelievable proximity to the White House, U.S. Capitol, Internal Revenue Service, Treasury, Department of Justice” and other offices, according to the marketing materials given to potential buyers by the firm, JLL, which was obtained by The Washington Post.

The marketing materials cite 77 official state visits to Washington that have occurred since Trump entered office and say that the hotel “turned away” an estimated 17,100 guest stays in 2019 alone, forgoing as much as $9.2 million in revenue, according to the materials.

The Trump Organization did not respond to questions about how it calculated those figures and whether the hotel was actively turning away foreign governments that call and ask for bookings. JLL did not provide comment.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trumps-washington-hotel-has-fallen-behind-competitors-with-rooms-running-nearly-half-empty-marketing-materials-show/2019/11/14/c1a9fc40-070f-11ea-b17d-8b867891d39d_story.html

[mia]

1. That's because the only people who who have wanted to stay there are

sycophants. Thankfully, their numbers are diminishing.

[safeinOhio]

2. You paid too much.

Should have gone to Hotel Guru.

[machoneman]

3. Shitty rooms, poor ventilation, crappy food...hey, it's Republican heaven!

LOL