There are multiple reports claiming former President Donald Trump's Washington, D.C., hotel had jacked up its room rates for March 4 – the date some conspiracy theorists believe he will be sworn in as the president for a second term.
On Feb. 6,multiple outlets including Forbes and Business Insider reported that room rates at the Trump International Hotel, which is only a few blocks away from the White House, more than doubled on March 3 and 4. The outlets tried to establish a link between the hike in tariff and the belief among QAnon followers that Trump will replace Biden as the President at his second inauguration on March 4.
Trump Hotel's Room Rates Increased From $476-$596 to $1,331
These reports are accurate about room rates at the Trump hotel being driven up for March 3 and March 4 as the same spike was not observed at other five-star hotels in the nation's capital nor at other Trump hotels. However, the reason behind the two-day price hike cannot be confirmed.
Fact-checking website Snopes carried out a search for the most basic accommodation in February and March for one room (two adults) and compared it to similar rooms at other five-star hotels nearby using the hotel's official website.
The search revealed that a guest room at the Trump International Hotel ranged from $476 to $596 a night on other dates but on March 3 and March 4, the same room was priced at $1,331, a 180% jump, as Forbes correctly pointed out.
The rate of a higher category room at Trump's hotel also surged on the dates of the fictional "second inauguration" from an average cost of $1,207 to $1,976. The price hike was exclusive to Trump's Washington, D.C. establishment as other hotels under the brand experienced little to no change in their tariffs on the said dates.
Room Rates at Other Five-Star Hotels in DC
At Sofitel, the average cost of a superior room in the city was $249. On March 3 and 4, the accommodation was priced at $258 ( a3.8% increase). Similarly, at the Four Seasons, the typical night costs $1,020 and on March 3 and 4, the room is available for anywhere between $1,255 and $1,170. The Conrad Washington's "deluxe room," which costs $213 on a normal night, also followed a similar pattern, increasing 31% and 22% above the rate on March 3 and 4, respectively.
The sudden, drastic two-day increase in room rates at Trump's Washington, D.C., hotel, did, in fact, happen, but was not followed by other similar five-star hotels in the city or other Trump hotels across the country. However, speculation that it was motivated by a desire to take advantage of a possible influx of Trump supporters in Washington, D.C., who are holding on to the unfounded conspiracy theory that Trump will be inaugurated again on March 4 cannot be confirmed.
