Why you might see President Obama the next time you stay at a Hampton Inn
Former presidents! They're just like us.
These days, former President Barack Obama is "just" another resident of Washington, D.C. — at least when he isn't on the road for either work or leisure. But when he is traveling, the career politician has a decided preference for a surprisingly modest hotel chain: the humble Hampton Inn, according to The Washington Post.
Obama's logic may be as eye-raising as the Hilton-owned brand, but it also makes sense. He appreciates simplicity, especially when he's tired.
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"Before I go to bed, [I] go from room to room to turn off all the lights, and there are a bunch of different lamps," Obama said Wednesday at a conference in Atlanta, according to a transcript from his office and distributed to The Washington Post. "And sometimes the [hotel room designers] hide where the light switches are because they want to make them look really cool," Obama continued. "And it might take me 15 minutes to shut down, where if I was just in the Hampton Inn, there's like one light switch, one bathroom door, and the bed and the TV remote; I'm good."
And while most of us might be drooling and dreaming for the day we get upgraded to the biggest suite in the hotel, Obama's over it all. "These presidential suites," Obama continued. "Some of them are very nice and beautiful; they do typically have the best views because they are very high up — they are wonderfully appointed."
But for travelers like Obama who simply need sleep? It can all be a bit much. "There are so many rooms and I get lost," he said.
All those fancy extras and sprawling suites can be great under certain circumstances. But do most of us — or any of us, really — need a baby grand piano and exclusive art collection? "No," Obama said at the conference. "I want to get to bed."
Obama's penchant for the humble Hampton Inn chain isn't new: The Washington Post reported that Obama has frequented the Hampton Inn near Des Moines, Iowa, and has been a patron at the Hampton Inn in Littleton, New Hampshire.
We just hope the former president has a Hilton Honors loyalty account — and that he's added the latest Hampton and Hilton Garden Inn Amex offer — so he can rack up points and put them toward, well, another night at the Hampton Inn.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month

