Alexandria or Arlington for our 3 day weekend trip to the DC area?

[princesspiglet]

We are staying at Embassy Suites

That's where we always stay. It's a great hotel and very convenient. You're so close to Whole Foods and Panera in case you need a quick snack or coffee/breakfast before strolling. We found there were not a lot of breakfast places open in Old Town. Primarily lunch and dinner.

 

[ncc1701]

Wde are staying at Embassy Suites

Great location . Stayed there once when the Hilton wasn't available. When we stayed there was a free breakfast buffet . If that is still the case no worries about finding or bringing food. There is a Starbucks inside the Hilton which is across the road.

 

[focusondisney]

Is the King St Metro open yet?

Yes, it reopened in September. We have stayed at both the Embassy Suites & the Hilton In Alexandria. Both are right across the street from the metro. There is also a free trolley running down to the waterfront which makes getting around even easier.

edit to add: we liked both hotels. Didn’t think the Hilton room was significantly better than the Embassy Suites room. The Hilton is just steps away from the metro, literally right next door. Embassy Suites is just a bit further away, across the street & thru the parking lot, but still less than a minute walk. I would probably do ES in the future for the breakfast buffet included. We did find ourselves having to figure out where to get breakfast every morning when we were at the Hilton.

 

[dish rag]

Yes, it reopened in September. We have stayed at both the Embassy Suites & the Hilton In Alexandria. Both are right across the street from the metro. There is also a free trolley running down to the waterfront which makes getting around even easier.

edit to add: we liked both hotels. Didn’t think the Hilton room was significantly better than the Embassy Suites room. The Hilton is just steps away from the metro, literally right next door. Embassy Suites is just a bit further away, across the street & thru the parking lot, but still less than a minute walk. I would probably do ES in the future for the breakfast buffet included. We did find ourselves having to figure out where to get breakfast every morning when we were at the Hilton.

The Hilton has a restaurant open for breakfast down in the lobby. Also a Starbucks. The walk to the water front is easy and not far.

 

[focusondisney]

The Hilton has a restaurant open for breakfast down in the lobby. Also a Starbucks. The walk to the water front is easy and not far.

Yes, I know. I stayed there. Just commenting that we had to figure out/ decide where we wanted to go each morning. Easier for us to just go down to an included buffet & just grab what we wanted instead of making a decision on where to go. One more decision we just didn’t want to make. So we prefer a hotel with a breakfast included.

Also, the Hilton in house restaurant is kind of pricey, but we did eat there a few times. We’re not Starbucks fans, so that didn't do us any good. We did find a dunkin doughnuts across the street that we stopped at too.

I don’t see any point in staying at a hotel across from the Metro if I am gonna make a 10-15 minute walk to the waterfront for breakfast, then walk back to get on the metro. So that was definitely not an option for us.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

Ballston could be anywhere. Lots of new-ish tall buildings, plenty of restaurants, etc, but nothing special about it at all. If you had business meetings in Ballston, it would be a good place to stay. But for a chance to really be in the DC area, Old Town Alexandria is a much better choice. You'd have the chance to walk the same cobblestone streets George Washington walked. You're also closer to National Airport, if that makes a difference. BTW, if you have a car, Mt Vernon is about 15-20 minutes down the road, and has a colonial-themed sit-down restaurant for lunch, if you're interested. (George Mason's plantation and Washington's step-granddaughter's home are also close.)

 

[dish rag]

Yes, I know. I stayed there. Just commenting that we had to figure out/ decide where we wanted to go each morning. Easier for us to just go down to an included buffet & just grab what we wanted instead of making a decision on where to go. One more decision we just didn’t want to make. So we prefer a hotel with a breakfast included.

Also, the Hilton in house restaurant is kind of pricey, but we did eat there a few times. We’re not Starbucks fans, so that didn't do us any good. We did find a dunkin doughnuts across the street that we stopped at too.

I don’t see any point in staying at a hotel across from the Metro if I am gonna make a 10-15 minute walk to the waterfront for breakfast, then walk back to get on the metro. So that was definitely not an option for us.

I thought maybe you didn't see it there. Not sure why you would have to figure out where to go when they have a place there that was pretty decent. No need to walk 15 mins when that was there in the lobby.