Alex Salmond spent £3,000 for four nights in a five-star 1,000 sq ft hotel room normally used by Hollywood stars, it has been reported.
The First Minister intially dismissed demands that he account for the cost of his September 2012 stay at the Peninsula Hotel as “ridiculous frippery” and the Scottish Government has argued that disclosing the information two years after he stayed there would jeopardise his safety.
For almost six months a Freedom of Information request by the Telegraph about the cost has been mothballed by ministers but the paper yesterday revealed fresh information.
It said the Peninsula Hotel confirmed the First Minister was charged $1,195 per night for his “grand deluxe suite” suite the equivalent of £740 using the exchange rate at the time. This meant his total bill amounted to nearly $5,000, or £2,956, for the four-night stay.
The suite included a guest powder room, a lounge and dressing area.
The bulk of the Team Scotland delegation to the Ryder Cup stayed in a more modest hotel near the Medinah course, where the tournament was being staged, which charges around £60 for a room.
