Inauguration Inflation Underway at Washington Hotels

The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

By Shailagh Murray
Thinking about heading to Washington for Inauguration Day? Get out your wallet ... or bring a tent. Rates are stratospheric for the week of Jan. 20 for the few hotels that aren't yet booked.

At the Mayflower Hotel, the cheapest "inauguration special deluxe room" goes for $700 per night, prepaid, according to the hotel website. A week later, the same room costs $379 per night. The Ritz-Carlton near Georgetown starts at $899 per night and tops out at $7,000 for a "presidential" suite. Among the few D.C. hotels with rates under $500 per night: the Fairfield Inn on New York Ave. NE ($399 per night).

A bargain by comparison: The Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City -- a short Metro ride to the Capitol -- where rooms run $499 per night, prepaid, with a two-night minimum.

Beyond D.C.'s borders, the rates aren't much cheaper. Rooms at the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria, Va., go for $549 per night, with a three-night minimum, according to the hotel website. The Hilton Alexandria Old Town starts at $469 per night. The Marriott Courtyard at Tyson's Corner, a 30-minute drive from the Capitol, runs $299 per night.

For those who want to walk, the Best Western Capitol Skyline still has space. The aging concrete structure near the Anacostia River is asking $631 per night, with a four-night minimum.