Selling Trump's hotel to end conflicts of interest may mean loss

Seattle

US PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump might face a financial loss should he opt to sell his Washington hotel now, complicating the possibility of a clean break from the property, which has become a flash point for his conflicts of interest around the globe.

As president, Mr Trump would be on both sides of the lease for the 263-room Trump International Hotel Washington DC, which opened in September in a renovated post office building rented from the federal government. For the Trump Organization to recoup its US$212 million investment in the makeover, a buyer would have to pay about US$806,100 per room. It's unclear whether the property could attract a bid that high.