It’s a floral smell at the presidential suite on the 10th floor of the D.C. Park Hyatt. It’s also citrusy and with hints of wood. Or the woods. As it turns out, it is a specifically designed scent, Le Labo's Bergamote 22, and it’s actually detectable throughout the hotel. But it’s most noticeable in this gorgeous corner suite with balconies, a baby grand, an office, a walk-in rain shower, a personal butler, and an automated toilet (the seat lifts and lowers itself!). And for four nights during the presidential inauguration, it can be all yours for … $57,000.
You read that right—$57,000. That’s about $6,000 more than a 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Roadster. Or the cost of a basement and bathroom renovation. But before you scoff in disbelief, here’s what you get:
Your bath in a travertine carved stone tub will be personally drawn by a bath butler (which I thought was only available in Thailand). Forget about dinner mints—the turn-down amenity here is Blue Duck Tavern’s award-winning apple pie. A car and driver will take you places, including the Kennedy Center (for your personalized tour plus box-seat tickets to hear the National Symphony Orchestra). “A decadent American breakfast,” according to the press release, either in your suite or at the Blue Duck. A dinner at Blue Duck to consist of five courses plus wine. Your room has its own magnum of a Cabernet Franc blend by Jed Steele along with artisanal cheeses and charcuterie. Prior to inaugural galas, you’ll get an extensive massage treatment. For an additional charge, a Saks Fifth Avenue stylist will provide your suit and gown. And when you leave for home, you can take with you a very nice quilt and rocking chair (the chair will be shipped). Five hundred dollars will be donated to the USO.
Still not convinced? Did I mention the bath butler?
At the last inaugural, Oprah Winfrey stayed at the Four Seasons down the street from the Park Hyatt. Maybe this time she’ll give the Hyatt a try—or possibly some of her Hollywood friends like Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. If Romney wins, billionaires like the Koch Brothers and Foster Friess could afford this luxury, although billionaires tend not to spend on themselves so lavishly (it’s probably how they became billionaires).
Despite the economic downturn, there’s a very good chance someone will reserve that room during the inauguration—perhaps Prince Harry? A recent article on real estate in the Wall Street Journal mentions a London duplex selling for $80 million, so what’s $57,000 for four nights? And as shocking as the pricetag may seem, if the suite normally goes for between $7,000 and $10,000 a day, it’s not a stretch to reach that $57,000 which, by the way, is linked to the 57th inauguration. (Does that mean John Quincy Adams’s inaugural weekend would have run $10,000?)
P.S. The wet bar is extra because no hotel room bar has ever been free in the history of hostelries.
P.P.S. Never use hotel room phones—those charges are killer!