The Grand Hotels of the Eric Adams Indictment

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Eric Adams’s indictment was unsealed on Thursday and included charges of bribery, conspiracy, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. The federal investigation, which focuses on his interactions with the Turkish government, outlines many alleged bribes, which include but are not limited to the mayor’s apparent penchant for luxury hotels.

A photo of the bedroom at the Bentley Suite that Eric Adams allegedly stayed at is included in the indictment in all its grainy glory. Photo: Eric Adams Indictment/Southern District of New York

The suite, which would have run Adams $7,000 for two nights, cost him less than $600, according to the indictment. Photo: Eric Adams Indictment/Southern District of New York

According to the indictment, in 2017, Adams accepted a “heavily discounted” stay in the Bentley Suite of the St. Regis Istanbul — a collaboration between the hotel and Bentley motors — paying “less than” $600 for a room that would have cost $7,000 for a two-night stay. (The trip was arranged by a “promoter” who was “hoping to leverage Adams’ considerable fame in Turkey to benefit the Promoter’s clients,” per prosecutors.) Adams did not disclose these trips, as legally required. It’s among the fancier accommodations in an already fancy hotel: 1,345 square feet with a balcony and a garish, in my opinion, black marble bathroom. It is, per the Bentley executives involved in the project, a room for a “discerning audience of travellers” who prefer “an environment of exceptional materials and finishes.”

Two years later, Adams also allegedly solicited and accepted a free two-night stay in the Cosmopolitan Suite of the St. Regis Istanbul, a similar-size room with a white marble bathroom and bidet in addition to a poshly furnished living room and king bed. The suite also comes with complimentary ironing services — limited to two garments. (Apparently he got downgraded — the room would have cost $3,000 for two nights.) The room is also depicted in the indictment in all its grainy glory:

The bedroom of the Cosmopolitan Suite, which is just a tad cheaper — $3,000 for a two-night stay. Photo: Eric Adams Indictment/Southern District of New York

The indictment includes a photo of the Cosmopolitan Suite’s living room. Photo: Eric Adams Indictment/Southern District of New York

In 2021, Adams also allegedly sought to get a free stay at the Four Seasons from a Turkish official. The itinerary was supposed to include a three-day stay at a luxury beach resort and a car and driver. The trip was eventually canceled, but the indictment outlines a text exchange between an “Adams Staffer” and “Airline Manager” that basically sums up the whole vibe. “It’s too expensive,” the staffer says, when the manager suggests Adams stay at the Four Seasons. The manager replies: “Why does he care? He is not going to pay. His name will not be on anything either.” The staffer responded, “Super.”