Below The Beltway

Barely a week has passed since the election, and its looking like Inauguration Day will be pretty big:

(CNN) — It may be freezing in Washington in January, but the city is a red-hot destination for people around the country and the world eager to see President-elect Barack Obama sworn into office.

The nation’s capital is preparing for a massive influx of visitors on Inauguration Day — January 20, 2009 — and the surrounding period of festivities, galas and celebrations.

“We’ve had a tremendous amount of interest from travelers who want to be here for the big historic moment,” said Rebecca Pawlowski, director of communications for Destination DC, Washington’s official convention and tourism corporation.

“It’s certainly safe to say [crowds will be bigger compared to] the last inauguration, just because whenever there’s a change in administration and whenever there’s a change of party, it always fuels a little more interest.”

This time around, though, it seems rather apparent that the historic nature of Barack Obama’s swearing in is drawing more people than usual to the D.C. area:

President-elect Barack Obama hadn’t left the stage at Chicago’s Grant Park on Tuesday night when telephones started jingling across the Washington area.

America, apparently, is looking for a place to crash.

“People who haven’t called me in months, years, are suddenly calling and saying, ‘Hey, I was just thinking about you,’ ” said Eric Tyson, 29, a pharmaceutical salesman who lives in Anacostia. “And then, as the conversation continues, they say they might be up for the inauguration and then they ask how many people are staying at my house.”

The same kind of conversation is happening across the region, as the inauguration of the first African American president — whose diverse, fervent following filled arenas on the campaign trail — has people from across the country and around the world planning to be in Washington on Jan. 20.

In Mitchellville, Elease Houston’s nephew called from Atlanta. In Georgetown, Kyle Gibson received an e-mail from a buddy looking for a bunk. And in Northwest Washington, Astrid Trinh fielded calls from loved ones in four different European countries.

“My house has turned into a bed-and-breakfast for the inauguration,” said Trinh, 46, an administrative legal assistant at a Virginia law firm. “I’ve got people coming from Belgium, France, Switzerland and Spain. I think there will be about 15. . . . I told people they could come and I’ll figure out the beds later.”

Trinh said she has tried to explain to these guests that they need tickets to attend the inaugural.

“They want to be . . . with the Americans to watch the reaction,” Trinh said.

Every inauguration is a massive event, of course, but Obama’s already seems different, bigger, even 72 days ahead of time. Hotels are filling up. For residents, that has meant calls from friends, relatives and even exes, looking for a spare bedroom or a spot on the floor.

It’s no wonder people are starting to call relatives looking for places to sleep, even before the election it was clear that hotel space in Washington during Inauguration week would be at a premium:

At the Mayflower Hotel, the cheapest “inauguration special deluxe room” goes for $700 per night, prepaid, according to the hotel website. A week later, the same room costs $379 per night. The Ritz-Carlton near Georgetown starts at $899 per night and tops out at $7,000 for a “presidential” suite. Among the few D.C. hotels with rates under $500 per night: the Fairfield Inn on New York Ave. NE ($399 per night).

A bargain by comparison: The Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City — a short Metro ride to the Capitol — where rooms run $499 per night, prepaid, with a two-night minimum.

Beyond D.C.’s borders, the rates aren’t much cheaper. Rooms at the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria, Va., go for $549 per night, with a three-night minimum, according to the hotel website. The Hilton Alexandria Old Town starts at $469 per night. The Marriott Courtyard at Tyson’s Corner, a 30-minute drive from the Capitol, runs $299 per night.

For those who want to walk, the Best Western Capitol Skyline still has space. The aging concrete structure near the Anacostia River is asking $631 per night, with a four-night minimum.

Those rates are reasonable compared to some of the packages being offered at the District’s luxury hotels, and they don’t even take into account what you might have to pay to get your hands on tickets that are supposed to be free:

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Interest in President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration is running so high that one ticket broker is asking $20,095 for a single ticket.

Entry to the biggest event in Washington is free if your congressman or senator grants your request, but with demand outpacing supply a traditional giveaway has turned into a thriving online marketplace.

Legitimate ticket brokers — the same companies that peddle tickets to rock concerts and NASCAR races — are selling tickets to the swearing-in of Barack Obama for thousands of dollars, even for standing-room areas on the National Mall.

Organizers of the inauguration say it violates the spirit of the event and could spell disappointment for people who buy tickets for the January 20 ceremony.

“We think it’s absolutely insane to be selling those tickets. We understand some people want to make a buck, but for those people thinking of buying tickets, it’s buyer beware,” warned Howard Gantman, staff director of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

Supply and demand, my friend, supply and demand.

Of course, if you really are interested in coming into town, you should also be aware of the scams that have already started popping up.

If you are planning on coming, you should probably keep in mind that it can get pretty cold here in January.

And, for the record, no my house isn’t available.