A Governors Big Night Out

I know this isn’t about fine dining, but I just can’t help myself. The Mayflower in Washington DC is the hotel where Eliot Spitzer, Governor of New York, allegedly had the dalliance that links him to the prostitution ring, the Emperor’s Club VIP.

The Mayflower is one of the largest, oldest, and priciest hotels in DC. Although it’s not as famous as the nearby Willard InterContinental, it’s still well-known as a place that’s popular with politicians and those they attract. Fodor’s calls it a “hallmark of luxury hotels,” it was once the go-to spot for another man with secrets: FBI director and cross-dresser J. Edgar Hoover.

The New York Times ties Governor Spitzer to Mayflower Room 871, like the one shown in the photo, where he reportedly spent the night before Valentine’s Day with “an American, petite, very pretty brunette, 5 feet 5 inches, and 105 pounds” named “Kristin.” He reportedly paid Kristin $4,300 for “train tickets, cab fare from the hotel and back, mini bar or room service, travel time, and hotel” and we’d think a portion of that fee would be for the pleasure of her company. 

In the course of the investigation, Fox News reported that he sent his date back to New York on the slow Amtrak train no less.  Now don’t you think he could have spent a few extra bucks for the Acela?  He also put money down in advance for future visits.

When it came to his choice of room, the Governor wasn’t too extravagant–that’s the “standard room” he chose at the Mayflower. At $400 a night, Spitzer’s digs were among the cheapest the hotel has to offer. None the less, he and “Kristin” would have enjoyed some high thread count sheets and stunning city views.  Governor Spitzer sure knows how to keep it classy! RIGHT. I wonder what they had for dinner?