Well, I checked the Astoria’s website. It’s not even rated as an “elite” sort of Hotel. Still, if Palin was there for a few days and got a suite suitable for meeting people and such, bought dinners for her staff or other SNL people (simple manners), etc., yeah, that’s not actually unreasonable.
Stuff is pretty expensive in Lib Heaven / The Big Apple...
I’ve paid $149 a night and $780 a night for the same room in the same hotel in mid-town.
If several people were there the $4500 isn’t really that bad.