Perfect Hotels for the Presidential Candidates

Why It’s Obama-Friendly: When visiting his birthplace of Hawaii, gay-friendly Obama, who has vowed to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, might head to one of the 12 liberal-minded Starwood properties scattered over the islands, like the W Honolulu Diamond Head, which has a “Pride 365” package that runs all year round.

The McCain Factor: The bar at the Royal Hawaiian, Starwood’s pink palace on Waikiki, is the site of John and Cindy’s first date. But McCain will have to wait until after the election to revisit: presently being transformed into a Luxury Collection property, the hotel is closed for renovations until January 2009.

Why It’s McCain-Friendly: Well, there’s the name. And the fact that this luxurious resort is removed from the sinful shows along the Strip. And then there’s John’s hidden hobby: hiking. (Who knew?) It’s also just down the street from the most beautiful canyon in the Las Vegas region, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

The Obama Factor: Rande Gerber, Democratic supporter and friend of super-blue George Clooney, runs the hotel’s surprisingly cool hot spot, Cherry Nightclub.

Why It’s Obama-Friendly: Eco-savvy Obama might steer himself to this Nob Hill landmark’s Lexus Hybrid Living Suite, which comes with the use of a Lexus Hybrid car and a bottle of California-grown organic wine.

The McCain Factor: McCain’s pal, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, once dropped $5,370 at this hotel on a suite with views of Alcatraz, according to the Washington Post.

Why It’s McCain-Friendly: Cindy McCain is worth millions, thanks to her family’s beer distributor company, so she and her husband may well feel at home in this chain, which shares the McCains’ appreciation of suds. The hotel features a Best Brews program (the in-hotel beer “happy hours“ showcase a huge hoppy selection from local breweries) and even employs a CBO, or Chief Beer Officer.

The Obama Factor: The McCains may find that the guests sitting on nearby bar stools aren’t quite as worked up about Obama’s threat to repeal Bush’s tax cuts for high earners.

Why It’s Obama-Friendly: As host of the Democratic National Convention, the Mile High City’s Hyatt Regency is a no-brainer for Obama. And in fact, he has an in with the Hyatt brand, which is owned by the Pritzker family: Penny Pritzker, who still runs part of the Hyatt Group, is Obama’s national finance chair.

The McCain Factor: During the Republican Convention in Minneapolis, John McCain will be staying in St. Paul, but the Vermont Republican Delegation (left-leaning, let’s face it) chose the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis for its headquarters.

Why It’s McCain-Friendly: Managed by Marriott, which is helmed by longtime Republican supporter Bill Marriott, the Ritz-Carlton is a perfect base for McCain in the Big Apple. He’s never going to carry Hillary’s home state, but anyone running an expensive national campaign needs to do some hobnobbing with the billionaire Republicans and Independents in town, like Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose manse is just a few blocks away.

The Obama Factor: The hotel has lefty-sounding “Give Back Getaways,” where guests volunteer under Community Footprints, the company’s social and environmental responsibility program. It also sponsors “Day in the Dirt” special events with the Central Park Conservancy.

Why It’s Obama-Friendly: A favorite of the young (and just young-acting) musicians and actors who love them some Obama, André Balazs’s Chateau

is where Barack’s number one fan, Scarlett Johansson, stays when she’s
in Los Angeles.

The McCain Factor: None. Not a scintilla.

Why It’s McCain-Friendly: The part-owner of this hotel group is the “Arabian Warren Buffett,” billionaire Prince Al-Walid, who once donated $500,000 to the George Herbert Walker Bush Scholarship Fund at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. So when Cindy swung through London in June 2008, after her humanitarian visit to Vietnam, she should have felt at home.

The Obama Factor: Former smoker Barack might appreciate this Four Seasons for its four nonsmoking floors, a rarity in Europe.