On the times I’ve stayed at a hotel in DC/Arlington....you are talking about a minimum of $240 a night. Would be hard to imagine renting out rooms for 21k National Guardsmen.
The military/gov’t has a set rate they’ve negotiated with many hotel chains. So for any official travel, the hotel only charges a certain rate. Used to be $77 a night, but I think new it’s just over $100 or so.
And while some of us are in hotels, there’s a bunch that aren’t. But yes, this boondoggle is having quite the taxpayer $$$ spent on it!
In many places the hotel industry is in very bad condition. I don't know about DC but in other cities entire hotels sit empty and room rates are under $100 per night.