{"id":11255,"date":"2016-09-13T08:16:43","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T08:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=11255"},"modified":"2016-09-13T08:17:38","modified_gmt":"2016-09-13T08:17:38","slug":"trump-luxury-hotel-opens-just-blocks-white-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/politics\/trump-luxury-hotel-opens-just-blocks-white-house.html","title":{"rendered":"Trump luxury hotel opens just blocks from the White House"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trump luxury hotel opens just blocks from the White House<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Trump luxury hotel opens just blocks from the White House<\/strong> : Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump opened the latest outpost in his real estate empire on Monday, a luxury hotel in a historic building five blocks from the White House that underwent a two-year, $200 million renovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

While staff members at the 263-room Trump International Hotel planned little hoopla for what they described as a “soft opening,” about 40 protesters opposed to the New York real estate developer’s presidential run gathered outside. The opening came eight weeks before the Nov. 8 election.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It kind of fits his personality that he finds a way to be on Pennsylvania Avenue, one way or another,” said protester Judy Byron, 70, a Washington artist.<\/span><\/p>\n

The hotel, which includes a $20,000-a-night suite, is less than a mile (km) down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. The hotel is housed in Washington’s third-tallest building, the 1899 Old Post Office, built in the Romanesque Revival architectural style.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump said on Twitter he had stopped by the property “to thank all of the tremendous men & women for their hard work!”<\/span><\/p>\n

The protesters criticized some of Trump’s positions, including a promise to build a wall along the Mexican border to block illegal immigrants. Protest organizer Andrew Castro of Baltimore said: “We’re out here building a wall against racism.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Dozens of people filtered in and out on Monday afternoon, some to gawk and others pausing for a drink at the hotel’s bar.<\/span><\/p>\n

On his way in, Ric Hedlund, who works in port development, said he had been impressed by the renovations of a building that he said was previously “a dump.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“I’m going in to drink Trump wine,” said Hedlund, who added he also supported Trump as a candidate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump’s daughter Ivanka, who helped negotiate the 60-year lease with the U.S. government and oversaw the building’s revamp and design, said the project had come in a year ahead of schedule and under budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We have really positioned this hotel to not only be the finest hotel in D.C. but in the country,” she said in a telephone interview.<\/span><\/p>\n

A grand-opening ceremony is planned for next month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump attended the 2014 groundbreaking for the renovations alongside local Democratic officials before launching his presidential campaign last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Trump’s name is hard to escape in his native New York, where it adorns structures including the Trump Tower as well as a Bronx golf course, the hotel marks his most visible presence in Washington.<\/span><\/p>\n

His comments describing some Mexican immigrants as criminals prompted celebrity chefs Jose Andres and Geoffrey Zakarian to pull out of the project. Trump has sued them.<\/span><\/p>\n

(Additional reporting by Kouichi Shirayanagi in Washington; Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Andrew Hay and Peter Cooney)<\/span><\/p>\n

Source :<\/strong> http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-usa-trump-hotel-idUSKCN11I25L<\/span><\/p>\n

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