American-Made Suggestions for Donald Trump’s New D.C. Hotel

By Elizabeth Brotherton-Bunch
A rendering of a guest room at the new Trump International Hotel in Washington. | Photo courtesy The Trump Organization

Looks like it’s stocked with a whole lot of foreign-made stuff.

The swanky new Trump International Hotel officially opened in Washington last week. Located in the Old Post Office Pavilion on Pennsylvania Avenue, the hotel is billed by the Trump Organization as “the luxury hotel D.C. has been waiting for.”

Ivanka Trump says it “exemplifies iconic American grandeur.” When a Washington Post chronicled her stay at the hotel, she noted “the high thread counts, fancy in-room coffee maker, friendly staff who say ‘My pleasure’ instead of ‘You’re welcome.’”

Here’s what got our attention: It doesn’t appear much of the stuff in Trump’s new hotel is Made in America.

American Bridge sent a team to the hotel to check things out, and they found that much of the stuff stocked in the guest room they visited was made overseas. The bedding? Made in China. A bathrobe? Made in China. The lamp? Made in China. The king sized bed? Made in the Phillippines. The ice bucket? Made in England. And the list goes on.

Now, it’s worth noting American Bridge is a liberal Super PAC that supports Democratic candidates and opposes Republicans. And we’ll state for the record that AAM is a nonpartisan organization, and we aren’t backing any candidate. But it’s not just American Bridge; the Post’s Dana Milbank also found a lot of foreign-made goods in the new hotel.

We are disappointed to see that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has stocked his new hotel, located right on America’s Main Street in the nation’s capital, with foreign-made materials. Especially since he’s made things like trade and manufacturing jobs such a key component of his campaign.

Trump still can turn things around, though, and put more Made in America products in the hotel. Here are some suggestions.

Bedding: Husband and wife team Jimmy and Steph MacDonald launched Authenticity 50 “on the belief that we can make the finest home goods in the world, right here in America.” The company uses California-grown cotton for its luxe bedding products, then spins the yarn in Georgia and weaves it in the Carolinas. Its products are cut and sewn by hand.

Bedroom Furniture: Vaughan-Bassett produces bedroom furniture at factories in Virginia and North Carolina and employs around 700 people. The company is owned and operated by the Factory Man himself, John Bassett III, who is one of the biggest Made in America advocates around.

Ice Bucket: New Jersey-based Mr. Ice Bucket produces a number of drinkware products, but it is most famous for its namesake. And as CNBC recently chronicled, the company’s ice buckets can be found in many well-known hotels — including Trump properties!

Lighting: This is one area where there are plenty of options to choose from, so there is no excuse for procuring foreign-made lamps and other lighting. The team at USA Love List has put together a pretty extensive list, ranging from simple to rustic to the kind of over-the-top gaudy we think Trump would love.

Mattress: New York-based startup Casper is beloved by hipsters and Kardashian family members alike. The company makes its line of mattresses in the United States, sourcing fabric from South Carolina and Illinois, and its memory-foam components from Pennsylvania and Georgia. But Casper isn’t alone in keeping it Made in America; several companies produce mattresses in the United States.

Pillows: Malpaca pillows are Made in USA certified and made from 100 percent all natural products. The pillows are made from Alpaca wool, which is naturally fire retardant and free from chemicals.

Robe: San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill manufactures luxury bathrobes for “the most exclusive hotels, resorts and spas.” Martha Stewart named it a “Must Have for the Indulgence Seeker.”

Towels: Earlier this year, Marriott announced that its nearly 3,000 hotels in the United States will be stocked with towels and bathmats that are Made in America. Standard Textile is making the towels in its factories in Georgia and South Carolina, and the Marriott contract helped create 150 new jobs.

READER UPDATE: Sara Dahmen of Housekeeper Crockery says she'd love to have her American-made copper cookware used in Trump's new hotel. It's truly American-made: The cooper is sourced from Texas, spun in Ohio and the patterns for the cast pieces are made in Wisconsin. The ductile iron handles are poured in California, the copper rivets are made in Wisconsin, and the interior tinning is hand done in Ohio. "I think all the chefs in Trump's new hotel should totally be cooking on my 100% American-made energy efficient copper cookware," she tells us via email.

Did we miss a American-made product or company you think would be perfect for the new Trump hotel? Send me a line at [email protected] and I'll add it to the list.