Plenty of important issues were discussed (and fought over) at the U.N. General Assembly last month, and surely one among them was government spending. Which may seem ironic considering the lavish digs some delegates called home during their visits to New York City. Sure, their average countryman may get by on $1.25 a day, but that doesn't stop some politicians from booking some of the priciest hotel suites in the world for themselves and their entourage -- all in the name of a good night's sleep! [Ed. note: If their consciences don't keep them awake...] Check out the plush spots where U.N. diplomats laid their heads:
Country: Nigeria
Average Annual Income: $640
The Hotel: The Pierre – A Taj Hotel
Average Cost of a One-Night Stay in a Standard Room: $700
Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, booked not one hotel room during her four-day stay in NYC, but two: one at the Four Seasons and one at the iconic Pierre, where multiple limousines could be spotted waiting by the entrance to shuttle her entourage around the city. A hotel where just a one-night stay in a standard room costs more than the country’s average annual income, the Pierre hosted the delegate in a suite that goes for about $3,000 a night.
Country: Iran
Average Annual Income: $6,000
The Hotel: Warwick New York Hotel
Average Cost of a One-Night Stay in a Standard Room: $400
Though the comparison between the average annual income and the cost of a standard room in this case isn’t as staggering, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad caused quite a stir during his stay at the luxurious Warwick Hotel in Midtown. Constantly surrounded by security (as protestors lined the blocks around the hotel), Ahmadinejad booked two whole floors at the Warwick, where he and his staff dined on gourmet meals prepared by three personal chefs.
The Country: Swaziland
Average Annual Income: $2,600
The Hotel: Mandarin Oriental, New York
Average Cost of a One-Night Stay in a Standard Room: $800
Along with members from the delegation of Togo, diplomats from Swaziland — a country with one of the highest AIDS rates in the world — stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, a gorgeous, 5-pearl hotel complete with a luxe spa, 75-foot pool, and numerous fine-dining options. Members of the entourage were also spotted shopping at luxury department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman.
The Country: Mali
Average Annual Income: $270
The Hotel: The Waldorf Astoria
Average Cost of a One-Night Stay in a Standard Room: $500
With a standard room costing nearly double the average annual income, the Waldorf Astoria seems a surprising pick for U.N. delegates from the poverty-stricken country of Mali. But the historic Midtown hotel is just where they chose to stay during the General Assembly.
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