What the heck is happening in DC next week? Hotel prices sky high
 

I've been trying to book a one night stay in DC for an overnight research trip and all my usual hotels are either full or at least triple the normal room rate. Fortunately I can put off my trip for another week or two, but I'm curious as to what the heck is happening in town next week.

American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has a convention next week.

Starting this weekend? Via WMATA:

It's Tuesday night through Saturday night that are the issue, so I don't the think race is a factor.

Must be a whole of doctors at the convention!

I doubt that an OBGYN convention is going to spike hotel demand. Could be a surge in hotel demand owing to college graduations. Both GW and Georgetown are in the middle of graduation periods next week and a lot of families for these two universities are out-of-town types.

I am sure that the combination of both factors are having their impact.

Also, don't underestimate the impact of these once-a-year nationwide medical conventions - this is not just a local group.

Medical conventions also get a lot of non-doctor attendees such as medical suppliers, big drug companies and the like. The non-physicans often outnumber the doctors.

Interesting, ACOG estimates 5,000 professionals which I take to mean physicians and nurse practitioners and total attendance of 11,000 (vendors, exhibitors, etc.).

A decent surge. So, the graduation surge plus this is probably indeed affecting hotel demand.

Of course, there are 100,000+ rooms in the DC area, but doctors are usually high spenders so the premium rooms in DC proper are probably being gobbled up.

The premium rooms, or at least premium priced rooms, are the only ones I see available.

I'm in the "just need a decent place to sleep and working wifi" category for my one night work trips and the places where I can usually find a room for under $135 are now at least $300, and that's if they even have any rooms left. There's some *** places at $650/night.

I figured there had to be some event on lobbyist level budgets, but maybe doctors spend in the same bracket.

I run into this now and then when I visit DC as well - look for something out by Dulles or hotwire it (ugh).

Curiousity got to me and I did a couple Starwood and Hilton searches. Yeah, there seems to be a major, major run on rooms (just looking at next Thursday).

Many hotels are completely sold out. My normal barometer for if a weekend is busy or not (the Mark Center Hilton) is north of $250.

You have to get out to Tysons before you see any Starwood hotels in the $150 range.

A number of the doctors will be "hosted" by big pharmaceutical and equipment spppliers - so top budgets are not uncommon.

It's also National Police Week.
http://www.policeweek.org/schedule.html

That would explain the prices at the Hilton Mark Center, which hosts Police Week. Of all the things in the world I am thankful for, the top of the list many days is that I no longer work at the Mark Center.

Used to live near there when it was more pleasant. I hear its defense contractor and DOD employee hell on Seminary and Beauregard.

This part of May has lots of rather major events in town and the surrounding areas and so the city hotels fill up the rooms rather extensively. The situation really doesn't improve that much until after the colleges/universities in the area finish up with their graduation ceremonies.