The Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC opened its doors in September of 2016, shortly before Trump became president. Before that, it had been the Old Post Office and is located at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, just a few hundred numbers away from the White House. Now, it is set to be purchased and be rebranded.
The Trump International Hotel in DC to Become a Waldorf Astoria
According to the WSJ, the CGI Merchant Group out of Miami (an investment fund) is going to purchase the lease for the Trump International Hotel. The cost for the deal will be $375 million.
The hotel had been the subject of controversies when President Trump was in office as various influential people had stayed there, reportedly in efforts to gain favor with the Trump Administration. One such situation was during the T-Mobile/Sprint merger when T-Mobile CEO and other executives spent $195,000 at the hotel for expenses during visits to Washington. Democrat lawmakers suggested that this was to curry favor from the Trump Administration as the $26 billion merger was being decided.
Now, it appears that this hotel will no longer bear the Trump name as the CGI Group is partnering with Hilton and will brand it a Waldorf Astoria hotel, according to sources speaking to news outlets. Since the federal government owns the actual property, it is under delay while a 60 day review is run on the deal.
This will likely be a sought after hotel in a city filled with luxury hotel options and guests who often visit with fat expense accounts. As to the cost in points, the Conrad is currently the highest points hotel in DC and is at a regular rate of 80,000 points per night. That would likely be the lowest the new Waldorf Astoria would go for, because of its location, its history, and the WA name.
The hotel also has some of the largest suites in the city, including the largest suite – the Trump Townhouse – with 6,300 square feet and a price tag over $20,000 per night. It has two bedrooms, a fitness room, upper and lower level living rooms, a dining room that can seat 16 and a separate pantry/kitchen area with a butler entrance. Here are some photos of this bi-level suite.
The Trump Townhouse suite | Courtesy of the Trump International Hotel
The fitness room in the Trump Townhouse | Courtesy of the Trump International Hotel
The dining room in the Trump Townhouse | Courtesy of the Trump International Hotel
The deal is expected to go through in the first quarter of 2022.
