Originally Posted by pinniped
Government rates sometimes have wierd rules. That's another topic altogether. Showing up in DC to do a pitch for a government contract probably doesn't entitle you to use government rates.
Nope, and the rules really aren't that weird. If you work for the federal government (active duty military or civil service), you can use them. These are typically tied to the GSA's world-wide per diem list. Some locations have state or local government rates as well. And some properties offer explicit government contractor rates that are usually higher than federal per diem but much lower than standard corporate rates.