Opinion: Hotels aren’t really full for the Obama inauguration, but they are pricey

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Less than a week before the inauguration, Tom Botts scored a hotel room at a Hilton hotel in the D.C. area without shelling out a dime. ‘I used my Hilton Honors Points,’ said Botts, a member of the hotel chain’s frequent-guest program and partner in a New York-based travel strategic advisory firm called Hudson Crossing.

He chalks up his reservation not to luck but to the loosening of ‘length of stay controls’ that hotels use to beef up profits. Basically, when it comes to high-demand one-day events like the Super Bowl and certainly the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration, hotels will charge something like $900 per night with a five-night minimum stay and then drop that requirement as the big day nears.

So for those looking for last-minute digs, Botts says there are still rooms to be had in D.C.--and today they might start dropping the minimum stays and maybe even their rates. Some may even allow you to use member rewards, as Botts did.

So what’s out there? He notes that on Thursday, a Four Points by Sheraton started selling single-night stays for the 20th (they’ve since sold out). And the Park Hyatt Washington and Grand Hyatt Washington still had rooms with a minimum stay ‘if you are willing to spend a fair amount of money.’

I called the Destination DC toll-free number (800) 422-8644 on Thursday and was offered a three-day minimum at Hotel Washington at 515 15th St. NW for $729 a night--pricey, but proof that there’s still room at the inn. Other hotels in the downtown area that I called were all in the $750-plus range, and at least one had only a two-night minimum.

If you want to go the home rental route, you might try Viscape, which doesn’t vet properties but does allow residents to post their homes and apartments for a price. The site puts you directly in e-touch with the homeowner, but don’t expect prices to be cheap.

Rentalo.com mixes it up, showing listings of rental homes, hotels and B&Bs. Good luck -- and don’t spend too much.

-- Mary Forgione

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