Isn’t that a bit high end for federal agents? Or is Hilton not as expensive as I think?
They have to stay within set limits on hotels. During off seasons, some premium hotels are happy to book in Feds at that rate- they get people who will pay and not "tear out the walls’.
Also, large organizations will often have negotiated a rate for employee travel that’s lower than what the general public would pay.
Even if their unofficial motto is “Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”?
The boring FQ answer is that Hilton, the company, owns a ton of hotel brands (like DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Homewood, and others).
In this case it was a Hampton Inn, which has subsequently been removed from Hilton’s portfolio: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hilton-removes-minneapolis-hotel-that-cancelled-reservation-immigration-agents-2026-01-06/
The prices there were $100-$200: HAMPTON INN® LAKEVILLE MINNEAPOLIS - Lakeville MN 20851 Keokuk 55044
It was just a small local hotel franchisee whose own staff made a judgment call. Corporate Hilton heard of it and brought down the hammer. No way they were going to risk their federal (and MAGA) business over a single location choosing to stand up for its values.