Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Grandma in Moscow: Ritz-Carleton Official Business

Michelle, Malia, Sasha and Grandma are arriving in Moscow and will do their official business at the Ritz-Carleton in a five bedroom suite. Lynn Sweet, writing for Politics Daily says it is official business, so I suppose it must be, but not all official business is equal.

Ritz-Carleton, Moscow

I don't have a problem with the First Lady accompanying President Obama to Moscow. I agree this is official business, but then we learn that the children and Mrs. Robinson, Michelle's mother, will be hanging with Prez on this trip...or not. Of course not. They will have tour guides and official minders and...

View on Red Square

The President, his wife and children and mother-in-law will spend two nights in the Presidential Suite with bullet-proof windows looking out onto the Kremlin, Red Square, Saint Basil's Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The suite has five rooms, including a music room with a piano, an office, a dining room, a wardrobe room and a "panic room" with it's own generator. From looking at the floor plan, I see one bedroom, so maybe they are bringing in roll-aways? Or maybe additional and separate rooms are needed for the children and Mrs. Robinson, or maybe this isn't the room at all - maybe there is an unadvertised suite for someone more regal than a president...an emperor or king? The rate for the Presidential Suite is said be about $13,754.00 a night plus tax. Maybe...maybe the Obama's are paying for the girl's and the babysitter expenses out of their own pockets? Some of this information is taken from the 100% Unofficial Blog of the Russian President, which says that Obama will be driving a Lada while in the country (test driving???). Here's some pics of Ladas:

Lada

Here's some of the views out the Presidential Suite window:

Saint Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow

Kremlin, Red Square

From Left to Right: The domed Senate building behind the high walls of the Kremlin, with the Senate tower built into the wall directly behind the tomb of Lenin. The next structure to the right is the St. Nicholas Tower. The State History Museum is to the far-right. See a larger photo here.