Kuwaiti embassy is latest to book Trump D.C. hotel, but ambassador says he felt no pressure
By Jonathan O'Connell
@OConnellPostBiz
December 20 at 12:02 PM
Donald Trump, one month from taking the oath of office to become president, continues to draw new business from foreign leaders who book rooms and meeting space at his D.C. hotel. ... The latest example is the Kuwaiti embassy, which plans to hold its National Day celebration for about 600 guests at the hotel Feb. 25.
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Kuwaiti Ambassador Salem Al-Sabah said he felt no pressure to hold his event at the hotel and had not been contacted by the Trump Organization, contradicting aspects of a report Monday from the liberal web site ThinkProgress. In previous years, Al-Sabah and his wife Rima, a power couple on the Washington dinner party circuit, have held the embassy’s National Day celebration at the Four Seasons in Georgetown.
“I do not know President-elect Trump. Or his people. No one has contacted me about moving the event,” said Al-Sabah. “It was solely done with the intention of providing our guests with a new venue. We have been holding the event at the Four Seasons for years. There is a new hotel in town and we thought we would give it a try.” ... Besides, this would not be the first move from the Four Seasons. Last year, Al-Sabah said the event was held at the Newseum. ... The ThinkProgress report said Kuwait “cancelled” a contract at the Four Seasons for the event “under political pressure.” Al-Sabah called the characterization “totally wrong and totally false.” He said he had asked the Four Seasons to reserve that time but hadn’t broken any contract and decided on the Trump hotel after hearing positive reviews from others who held events there, just as he had done with the Newseum last year.
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Trump backer Newt Gingrich suggested instead in an interview with NPR Monday that Congress rewrite ethics laws to accommodate the Trumps. “We’ve never seen this kind of wealth in the White House, and so traditional rules don’t work,” he told talk show host Diane Rehm.
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Drew Harwell and Mary Jordan contributed to this report.
Previously at DU:
Report: Kuwait Relocates Event To Trump's DC Hotel After Trump Org Pitch
Under political pressure, Kuwait cancels major event at Four Seasons, switches to Trumps D.C. hotel
= new reply since forum marked as read
And changed the event at basically the last minute for something that large with "no pressure"; they'd "thought they'd give it a try", when they already had the Four Seasons reserve the time? Oh, of course "no contract was broken" so there was no major fee. What about the people who had already made reservations at the 4 Seasons to attend - probably? Getting a good 5-star or business hotel in DC is horrible most times, but in January/February during a new administration's inaugural year. Forget about that unless you book six months out.
And because of positive reviews from a hotel with a "soft opening" back in September, not due to formally open for booking until January/February?
I tried to book a couple government employees in our work group at a conference at the DC Navy Yard back in 2005 in early February three months in advance, and couldn't even find something near the Airports or Arlington - had to look out near Springfield and Greenbelt to finally get a single room at an "executive" rated hotel near a Metro stop for two official business travelers.
When spouse and I went to DC in October a few years back (new Fiscal Year for the government - lots of meetings), we ended up staying in Baltimore and taking the train down. Nothing near DC within 20 miles, not even at the MWR lodging at the Navy Yard or other military bases nearby (as retired military, I can use MWR lodging or the BEQ/BOQs on base if there's an opening).
Yeah, right...no pressure from the new administration at all to get a bunch of rooms sold out in a new hotel that hasn't opened yet.
Haele