Hotels in Washington DC

[donac]

Dh and I want to go to Washington Dc for teacher's convention next month. I know where I want to stay but the price is coming up as $250 a night.

ANy suggestions? We would like to stay in the city.

[fall08CP]

Would you be willing to stay at a bed&breakfast? A friend and I found several for under $40/night for our trip last March. Right downtown to boot. They were all cash only but nice enough and tasty breakfast You may have to do some digging as they don't always show up on major search engines.

[Married2theYeti]

Originally Posted by donac

Dh and I want to go to Washington Dc for teacher's convention next month. I know where I want to stay but the price is coming up as $250 a night.

ANy suggestions? We would like to stay in the city.

We travel to DC at least once a year. We like to stay at the Courtyard by Marriott at Dunn Loring (Vienna, VA). It has free parking and it is right across the street from the Dunn Loring Metro station.

I know you said you wanted to stay in the city but you might want to check out this place. It is very reasonable, clean, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. It's a quick ride into the city by way of the Metro. It's close to restaurants and shopping.

Good luck and have a wonderful time in DC.

[rxpert86]

we love embassy suites. there are 4 of them in dc and we staying at the one in chevy chase. there is a subway stop right there and the free breakfast is amazing!

[ssawka]

Where is the conference at? That will effect the advice given.

[donac]

I only mention teacher's convention as a time line. It is held in Atlantic City every year and half the state goes down to DW which is why is it known as Jersey Week in DW.

We are going then because it the last teacher's convention for my dh since he is retiring and it the last time we have these days off together since he will be getting a new job when he retires.

[nancy155]

Originally Posted by rxpert86

we love embassy suites. there are 4 of them in dc and we staying at the one in chevy chase. there is a subway stop right there and the free breakfast is amazing!

I second this one as well. We always stay at this Embassy Suites in Chevy Chase, as it is so easy to get to from Regan Internation via the Metro.. Have never had a car in the over 8 trips to DC, don't really need one with the metro!

[ssawka]

It depends on where you want to be. For example, there is a Holiday Inn two blocks from the Air & Space Museum that has rooms under $200 a night. I've never stayed there, so I can't comment on the rooms, but the Lobby always seemed nice.

As others have mentioned you may be able to get a cheaper room by staying outside the city on the Metro, but you should really look at where you think you will spend most of your time. Also, make sure you take into account the Metro fare. It has gone up considerably over the last year or two. Also, if you are going to use the Metro, plan accordingly. Trains are extremely crowded during rush hours.

[okeydokey]

Originally Posted by rxpert86

we love embassy suites. there are 4 of them in dc and we staying at the one in chevy chase. there is a subway stop right there and the free breakfast is amazing!

This one seems more reasonably priced than the others. We are thinking of a mid March trip and the prices here are 249 for that week.

[ssawka]

Originally Posted by okeydokey

This one seems more reasonably priced than the others. We are thinking of a mid March trip and the prices here are 249 for that week.

Well, late March to early April you will see a large increase in Hotel prices because of the Cherry Blossoms.

[BubMunkeyBles]

We stayed at a Best Western in Alexandria within walking distance to the metro. The hotel was nice and in a nice area, but the metro itself wasn't.

[SeptemberGirl]

My husband and I have stayed in DC several times for $100/night by booking at the smaller boutique hotels. They are nice and often have a decent breakfast or happy hour special or freebies. Best of all, they are super centrally located and usually in neighborhoods. I signed up for their free clubs and that's how we got our rates. Not sure if you want something under $100, but I do know that these smaller hotels give you a nice feeling of being in the action and are, to me, a little more interesting and somewhat more special as a trip. We are usually only in DC a night or two, though, so we generally see it as a quick vacation!

I've also stayed in the National Harbor area and it's beautiful. If you have a longer stay, I know the timeshare there (Wyndham) is amazing and you may be able to rent points to use it! My inlaws own and we've stayed there several times, too.

[disykat]

Originally Posted by rxpert86

we love embassy suites. there are 4 of them in dc and we staying at the one in chevy chase. there is a subway stop right there and the free breakfast is amazing!

We stayed there too, probably because I'd heard about it here. The hotel and everything is great, transportation was easy and safe, but IMO it was just TOO FAR! We enjoyed the metro (clean, easy to use) but we spent too much time and money on it.

Keep in mind you're about 25 minutes out (I can't remember exactly) and, if I recall, the price of the metro was higher because you were going further. Be sure to do all the math, including the "cost" of your time!

Keep in mind that my saying this is probably highly influenced by the fact I had a telephone job interview that I had to do in town under a tree in the rain because my hotel was too far and everyplace was packed with people and I needed a private spot.

[ssawka]

Originally Posted by BubMunkeyBles

We stayed at a Best Western in Alexandria within walking distance to the metro. The hotel was nice and in a nice area, but the metro itself wasn't.

I think this all depends on perspective. Yes, the Metro is not spotless and can often get quite crowded, but it is better than many other Metropolitan subways. Unlike some cities, you will rarely hear locals say that it should be avoided or that it is unsafe. If you are expecting Disney Transportation, then you will surely be disappointed. However if you are looking for relatively safe (you are in a city) and easy transportation then it fits the bill. Just avoid weekday rush hours (open-9:30 AM and 4:00-7:00 PM) as it does get packed.

[3 Little Princesses]

My husband and I stayed in Alexandria, Va last weekend at the Westin. It was very nice and around the corner from the metro. King Street isn't too far either, and they have a shuttle. You can also take one of the water taxis up to DC. I believe they said the Metro takes 17 minutes and a boat ride is about 20ish. We were there for our anniversary and the people at the Westin went out of their way to sprinkle us with pixie dust! The room was beautiful, the beds were comfy, and we had breakfast included.