Obummer probably found out that it wasn’t the most expensive stay in town anymore.
I’m probably the only one on FR who will say this, but honestly the money thing doesn’t bother me that much. Ronald Reagan stayed in the Waldorf every time he went to New York, even after he left office. Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower both loved th hotel so much they moved in after they retired from public life.
The President of the United States is our head of state. A Motel 6 isn’t compatible with the dignity of the office. That said, security is an issue. I think they had to move once the Chicoms bought the place.