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For one night in August 2017, President Donald Trump broke his streak of staying exclusively at hotels he owns, and stayed at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia.
The AAA Four Diamond Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona was one of only two non-Trump properties he has stayed at in the United States while in office, according to Politico. The other was The Ritz-Carlton in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii.
Perhaps part of the reason was because no Trump properties are nearby. Trump tried to build a high-rise hotel and condo tower in the early 2000s, but Phoenix residents petitioned against the proposed 190-foot tower and the City Council killed the plan.
See inside the lavish Omni resort, which has not one but two presidential suites:
Trump travelled to Phoenix for a “Make America Great Again” campaign rally on August 22. It was a raucous event at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Source: Business Insider
It was his first rally since he faced enormous backlash for his comments following the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia. The city braced for demonstrations, and pro- and anti-Trump protesters clashed in a violent showdown.
Sources: Associated Press, Business Insider
It was also the first time Trump visited Arizona since the election. He left the crowds, and headed for the hotel around 9 p.m.
Source: White House pool report
Past presidents, from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush, had all stayed at the Arizona Biltmore when visiting Phoenix. Former President Barack Obama broke the trend when he chose Omni in 2009.
Sources: Arizona Biltmore, The Republic, NBC 12 News
The Omni resort has 293 rooms, three pools, five restaurants, and a 31,000-square-foot spa.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
It also has two presidential suites: the Andalusian suite and the Camelback suite, named for the mountain the resort overlooks.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
The 2,800-square-foot Camelback Presidential Suite is the cheaper of the two. Its expansive patio areas can host parties for up to 300 guests.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
The villa has two bedrooms, a dining room, and a private gym. It averages $US3,500 a night, but with taxes comes to $US4,000.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
One of the suite’s two-and-a-half bathrooms looks huge. Omni calls it the “ultimate suite for entertaining.”
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
Omni wouldn’t reveal to Business Insider which suite Trump stayed in, but it was probably the Andalusian Presidential Suite.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
The 2,800-square-foot suite was where Obama stayed in 2009.
Sources: The Republic, NBC 12 News, Omni Hotels & Resorts
The room averages $US5,000 a night, but it’s more expensive if you have more than two people saying in the massive suite. With taxes, the rate is closer to $US6,000.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
It has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, large living areas, and an office.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
The Andalusian also has its own private pool and patio areas.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
It looks absolutely massive. Omni says the suite offers “Old-World luxury, privacy and seclusion to our highest profile guests” — which probably means Trump.
Source: Omni Hotels & Resorts
Since the president was only there one night, he probably didn’t have time to explore Omni’s patios, restaurants, meeting spaces, or pools.
By 9 a.m. the next day, Trump was gone.
Source: White House Daily Guidance and Press Schedule
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