President Obama will break with tradition and will not stay at the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel when the White House delegation visits New York City later this year for the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting, administration officials said Friday, fueling speculation that concerns over Chinese spying drove the change.
“I can confirm the report that the president will stay — and the rest of the U.S. delegation will stay at the New York Palace Hotel,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
Mr. Obama previously had stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria when visiting New York City. The hotel was told the Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group last year, and the sale reportedly has sparked security concerns among administration officials.
Officials wouldn’t give a specific reason, but the State Department confirmed that an internal administration review found that the Waldorf-Astoria no longer was the best option due to “changing circumstances.”
“We constantly reevaluate venues to take into account changing circumstances,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. “In making our decision we considered numerous factors, including space, cost, the needs of the United States government and any possible security concerns.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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