Obama's family arrive in Washington

WASHINGTON: Incoming US president Barack Obama and his family arrive in Washington this weekend, in time for him to work on an urgent economic recovery plan and his daughters to start classes at their new school.

After less that 48 hours in their south Chicago home following their luxury Hawaii Christmas vacation, the president-elect's wife Michelle and their daughters Sasha, 10, and Malia, 7, flew to Washington late Saturday, a transition aide confirmed.

Obama, two weeks before the 44th American president will be sworn in on January 20, is to join his family on Sunday. They are moving temporarily into the historic Hay-Adams hotel in downtown Washington, which overlooks their new home at the White House on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

It was unclear why the family was traveling separately. Sasha and Malia are set to begin classes on Monday at the exclusive Sidwell Friends School, as dad Obama heads to meetings on Capitol Hill to hammer out the final points of a recovery package in a bid to turn around the country's crumbling economy.

The private, Quaker-run Sidwell has long been the choice for presidential offspring -- the school counts former president Bill Clinton's daughter Chelsea and president Richard Nixon's daughters among its well-heeled alumni.

Before moving to the president's official guest home, Blair House, on January 15, the Obama family can enjoy their transition to the Beltway in style -- they are expected to stay in one of the hotel's luxury 6,000-dollar-a-night suites.

Built in 1928, the luxury residence is separated from the White House only by Lafayette Square, a grassy square block.

Apart from a November 10 White House meeting with President George W Bush, Obama has largely avoided Washington since his historic election as the first African-American US president on November 4.