By Meghan Keneally
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Paris may be known as the City of Light, but that title certainly doesn’t mean that visitors are light on spending as Vice President Joe Biden’s one day trip cost taxpayers more than half a million dollars.
When Mr Biden and his hefty entourage stayed in Paris for an evening in early February and it cost $585,000.50 for that single night.
The Vice President likely rented out more than 100 rooms in the Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand, though they must not have gotten a group discount rate.
Hot spot: Biden rented out more than 100 rooms in the Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand
Expensive handshake: Biden was in Paris for one night and he met with Prime Minister Francois Hollande while there on February 4
Few details were revealed about the five-star stay, but the Intercontinental reportedly has a promotion where if guests ‘find a lower price elsewhere and your first night is free.’
That must not have applied to Mr Biden and his security detail, however, because it
would have been far less costly for tax payers if their one-night bill was taken care of.
Because the hotel doesn't offer a Vice Presidential suite, Mr Biden likely enjoyed a title bump as he probably stayed in the two-room Presidential Suite which goes for 2,975 euros per night.
The 1,851-square foot suite features an interconnecting entertainment area, marble bathrooms and 'upscale' linens.
The Vice President's wife, Dr Jill Biden, was traveling with him and their first stop was in Germany, before heading to Paris and finishing the tour in London on February 5.
Block reservation: Because of the size of his
security detail, Biden likely rented out somewhere near 130 rooms (one
of which may have been this one) in the luxurious Parisian hotel
Mini Louvre: the hotel is located in the Ritzy Right Bank
Opulent: Because he was only in town for a
night, there was little chance that he was able to enjoy all of the
hotel's beautiful banquet halls
In that vein, Twitter quickly lit up in a fury about the outrageous price tag, with many picking up on the irony that his expensive trip cam just three weeks before the much-reviled sequester budget measure went into effect.
Outrage: Congressman Randy Neugebauer from
Texas, who was ranked 'the most conservative' of the House, took it as
an opportunity to bash Democrat's plans on cutting spending
Taking shots: Conservative political pundit Ann Coulter lashed out on Twitter
The Paros expenditure came immediately before the Vice President spent a night in London where he met with Prime Minister David Cameron.
Big trio: After hitting Paris, Biden and his
entourage stopped in London and met with Prime Minister David Cameron,
spending a night at the Hyatt Regency for $459,388.65
The contract for the London trip specifies that the Vice President’s crew required 136 hotel rooms for the evening, so it is fair to assume that they needed a similar- if not the exact same- number in Paris for the next leg of the trip.
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