Kerry was indeed at LeMeridien last year, but it was to meet Indian officials over a range of topics. I don't recall him staying there on trips as the Secretary, although perhaps he may have at some point.
Originally Posted by
schley
The secret service is only concerned with POTUS stays, the US State Department has to approve hotels around the world, particularly in countries with active travel warnings. Many countries simply copy the US State Departments travel warnings for they don't have the resources or infrastructure to compile the data that US State Department does. It is a service the US State Dept. offers our allies (do we have many anymore??).
So Trump for example stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh when he traveled, however that isn't the only state department approved hotel. POTUS stays I know are a whole other level, which requires sweeps a week or more ahead of time, quarantining off floors, staff and security personnel, etc. All heads of state and even my company's CEO have fairly robust security details, but pales in comparison to POTUS. You aren't just a secure hotel, you allow the SS to basically take over your property or a wing of the property for POTUS.
The USSS is concerned with more than just POTUS stays, but if you want to discuss a topic on government employee travel and the nature and applicability of security measures for different government employee travel that don't even have to do with Starwood, go ahead with a thread for that (wherever it would be).
Starwood gets POTUS stays in Delhi, but it's never been a LeMeridien in Delhi for any POTUS; and it's almost certainly not going to be the LeMeridien in Delhi for the current POTUS either as the USSS concerns remain what they are. LeMeridien in Delhi just doesn't work for POTUS stays; Starwood's Maurya has and still would work for POTUS stays.
I use LeMeridien in Delhi at times, and I also use the Maurya in Delhi at times. There are times when I would prefer LeMeridien over the Maurya due to location, but there are times when due to location, I would choose the other. Perhaps the front desk check-in rep should seek a transfer to the Maurya if wanting to say that the hotel has had a POTUS staying there.