We know that Presidents Day honors Washington and Lincoln, but we thought our current president deserves some face time today, too. And because Barack Obama is not only the leader of the free world but also quite the trendsetter, we thought you may be curious to know where he’s been sleeping lately. After all, he’s pretty much the biggest celeb since Lindsay Lohan — and hotels are, of course, our expertise. If you know of any we’ve left out, please chime in by leaving a comment!
Here’s our timeline:
JULY 2008
Hotel Adlon
Berlin, Germany
While still on the campaign trail, Obama swung through Germany and announced that “America has no better partner than Europe.” And apparently Berlin has no better hotel than the grand, old-world Hotel Adlon Kempinski, because that’s where the future POTUS chose to stay. Everyone from Albert Einstein to Queen Elizabeth II has slept here (and it’s where Michael Jackson famously dangled his baby over a balcony).
SEPTEMBER 2008
Beverly Wilshire Hotel
Los Angeles, California
We know that Obama’s team slept at the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles while on the campaign trail, so we think it’s a safe bet that the future president slept here too (after all, it is one of the best luxury hotels in Los Angeles). The campaign was in town for a $2,500-per-person fundraiser held at the hotel, at which Barbra Streisand performed t0 support the candidate (earlier in the night the team had held a $28,500-per-plate dinner at the Greystone Mansion). See Oyster’s review and photos of this hotel.
JANUARY 2009
The Hay-Adams
Washington, D.C.
After former President George W. Bush rejected his request to stay in Blair House, the White House’s guest residence, Obama moved his family into the Presidential Suite at the historic Hay-Adams hotel three weeks before his inauguration. President Obama wanted to move to Washington early so that his daughters could start at Sidwell Friends School without missing the beginning of the term, but he was told that Blair House was already booked (for former prime minister of Australia John Howard and several receptions, as it later turned out). See Oyster’s review and photos of this hotel.
FEBRUARY 2009
InterContinental Montelucia Resort and Spa
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Obama’s decision to stay at this then brand-new hotel became quite the controversy: Every president since Herbert Hoover has stayed at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa when visiting Phoenix. Although there was no word on why the new president chose the Montelucia, it could be the Biltmore’s strong connection to John McCain: He announced his concession to Obama from the Biltmore’s lawn; he was married there in 1980; and he had planned a fundraiser there for a week after Obama’s visit to Phoenix. Plus it doesn’t hurt that the $325 million Montelucia is a gorgeous getaway at the foot of beautiful Camelback Mountain.
APRIL 2009
Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre
Port of Spain, Trinidad
While most leaders attending the Fifth Summit of the Americas chose to stay at the Hyatt Regency, President Obama — the first U.S. president ever to attend the summit — stayed at the Hilton Trinidad instead. The hotel’s one- and two-bedroom Presidential Suites cover 1,800 square feet and feature a living area, a dining area, and two balconies.
MAY 2009
Caesars Palace
Las Vegas, Nevada
President Obama stayed here for a fundraiser he held in the hotel, during which he joked that his room was much nicer than the one he had during his campaign stay. This time around he had a suite in the Forum Tower that supposedly measured a whopping 22,000 square feet and included a private outdoor pool. This, of course, was before he angered Las Vegas last week by telling bankers not to blow taxpayer dollars on trips to Sin City. See Oyster’s review and photos of this hotel.
JULY 2009
Ritz-Carlton Moscow
Moscow, Russia
Bucking the tradition of the two presidents before him (who both stayed in the Marriott Grand Hotel), President Obama chose to stay at the then two-year-old Ritz-Carlton, Moscow when he traveled to Russia to meet with President Dimitry Medvedev. According to USA Today’s Hotel Check-in, the hotel installed a big chocolate statue of an American eagle and Russian bear for his arrival.
JULY 2009
Holiday Inn
Accra, Ghana
When President Obama was in Ghana last summer he stayed at the Holiday Inn (it’s not every day you hear about a U.S. president staying at a Holiday Inn, but don’t worry — they gave him the Presidential Suite). Hopefully he didn’t offend the owners of nearby Hotel Obama, a budget hotel with 18 themed rooms (Harvard, Chicago, Joe Biden, and so on).
SEPTEMBER 2009
Waldorf-Astoria and Towers
New York City, New York
Every U.S. president since herbert Hoover has stayed here, and Obama is no exception. He appropriately stayed in the four-bedroom Presidential Suite, which costs $7,000 a night (which, believe it or not, isn’t much compared to the cost of these presidential suites). See Oyster’s review and photos of this hotel.
NOVEMBER 2009
Grand Hotel
Oslo, Norway
The Grand Hotel entered the spotlight when President Obama traveled to Oslo to accept his contentious Nobel Peace Prize. The hotel traditionally hosts the laureate in its Nobel Suite, a stately blue and gold room with a bedroom, living room, separate dining nook, and two balconies. From one of those balconies the first couple was seen waving to a huge crowd below, an annual tradition for the Nobel laureate staying in the suite.
NOVEMBER 2009
Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai
Shanghai, China
President Obama was the first U.S. president to visit China within the first year of taking office. He kicked off his four-day visit to the country in Shanghai, where he stayed at the Portman Ritz-Carlton, a luxury high-rise on the Nanjing Xi Lu, the city’s famous pedestrian street. We’re guessing he stayed in the hotel’s largest room, the 5,382-square-foot, four-bedroom Ritz-Carlton Suite, the largest presidential suite in Shaghai.
We know Obama is always on the go. Know of other hotels he’s slept in? Let us know in the comments section!
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