Inaugural events mean big money for D.C.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration next month is widely expected to be a boon for the District of Columbia's economy.

The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday that hotels are booking inaugural packages ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 for the record crowds expected to pack the National Mall Jan. 20.

The luxury packages include such amenities as chauffeurs, designer clothes and gourmet meals.

At the Mandarin Oriental, for example, a $200,900 package will buy four nights in the presidential suite with clothing from Ralph Lauren, a chauffeured Maserati Quattroporte, daily spa treatments and servings of Veuve Clicquot champagne and caviar.

The crowd for Obama's inauguration is expected to far surpass the record 1.5 million estimated to have turned out for Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 swearing-in ceremony.

To accommodate the crowd, the district's government is lifting regulations that typically bar private homeowners from renting out rooms. The city also will allow bars and nightclubs to stay open 24 hours a day.