Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his family will be in the nation's capital Wednesday to celebrate the grand opening of his new 263-room Trump International Hotel with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
However, he won't be joined by the city's top official, Mayor Muriel Bowser, whose staff told NBCWashington.com that the opening "may be too political this close to the election."
A Democrat who supports Hillary Clinton, Bowser has been critical of Trump's campaign over the course of the past year-plus, calling him out on Twitter as recently as last month.
Although Bowser's absence doesn't come as a huge shock given that Election Day is less than two weeks away, it does highlight an emerging trend of people distancing themselves from the Trump brand, which has clearly become more toxic in wake of its namesake owner's recent comments and scandals.
Since opening to guests last month, the hotel has been the site of several protests and acts of vandalism and local event planners and travel agencies appear to be shying away from the property when it comes to making recommendations to their clients.
[READMORE] READ MORE: Is Donald Trump's Campaign Turning Travelers Off to His New Hotel? [/READMORE]
Another troubling sign for the new property is that room rates have plummeted since the hotel opened, with some deluxe rooms coming available for as little as half their normal rate.
And despite Wednesday's ribbon cutting ceremony, some of the hotel's amenities have yet to open, with a Trump reservations specialist telling FoxNews.com that the spa and fitness center "should be open by the beginning of November."
While it's likely not the grand opening the Trump Organization had in mind, its namesake owner won't have time to dwell on it with Election Day looming.
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