Anyone stay at/near Washington DC

[Deesknee]

I'm posting this here because I think most of us have one thing in common...ah well, 2. We love Disney and we enjoy nice accomadations.

I'm looking for a nice room/suite in the DC area. On this particular trip will be myself, DH, DS(15) and DD (almost 3). All of us are in good health. Walking will not be an issue.

I keep trying the sites like hotel.com & expedia.com but they keep coming up either hotel not booking for the dates in July I'm looking for or cannot accomadate amount of children. We will only be staying a couple of days, so the price isn't that much of an issue. I just want something safe, clean & roomy would be a plus. I've been checking Arlington, VA.

Has anyone stayed in any of the suites/hotels in that area? Any words of wisdom?

BTW I tried to find the Fairfield that are dvc affiliated & can't seem to get anywhere.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Ms.Mouse]

How about the Mandarin Oriental Hotel??? It's part of the Concierge Collection in the DVC guide. I called also with the possibility of a Washington, DC trip and they said it's a very short walk to many of the areas we would want to visit. My brother-in-law saw the hotel and said it's beautiful. Good Luck.

 

[dcal]

Ms. Mouse is correct. The Mandarin is very nice. The Four Seasons on M street is great too. In that class I can recommend the Ritz Carltion as well. I stay in DC once a month on business, but not there even though I could and have. These hotels are quite pricey, even for an open expense account . That said, DC is a great city, especially now during cherry blossom time. I do not think I would use points for a DC trip without thorough research of cash vs. points value. You're probably better off saving the points.

All of the Hotels, and Embassy Suites type hotels are quite expensive in DC. And right now DC is busteling full. Eating out, even mid range restaurants are off the charts. (and I live in North Jersey/ NYC area, that's saying something) Most museums admissions and historical sites are not cheap either.

I just got back from a two day meeting this week.

One nights' stay at a Hampton Inn: $207 (corp rate)
Dinner at a cheap steak house for three: $225
First Class train from NYC to DC: $420

Occasionally, we stay at a Hyatt. It's about $50 to $75 more.

Good luck. Enjoy the history and cherry blossoms if you go....

 

[BikeFan]

Most museums admissions and historical sites are not cheap either.

Umm, what?

Well, thinking about it, that's more or less a true statement - most museums and historical sites aren't cheap - they're free!! Having grown up in the DC area (and posting from DC right now) and having been spoiled by all these free museums, I was somewhat taken aback when I travelled in the U.S. and abroad, and found out this was not the norm - "What?!? I have to pay to enter your museum!?! How odd!!"

Regarding accommodations, since we're entering tourist season, you're going to find higher prices. However, DC's Metro system is fast, safe, and stretches well into the MD and VA suburbs, so don't shy away from a hotel outside the city. Enjoy your visit!

 

[pbharris4]

I'll second that. Most, if not all, of the Smithsonian Museums are free. My favorites are they Air & Space Museum and the Museum of American History. Then we walk to the Lincoln Memorial and see the WWII Memorial, etc. If you take the tourmobile thing..that costs you. How much I don't know. Parking is expensive and very hard to find. Some good hotels are Mandarin Oriental, JW Marriott, The Mayflower, The Willard?? (all very, very pricey), but Crystal City/Pentagon City is a good place to stay too. There's a Metro stop there that runs right under Pentagon City Mall. I've stayed at the DoubleTree there and the Ritz Carlton (they had a good deal that weekend! ) as well and both were really nice. I think there's a new Marriott there as well. The Metro is a good to get into the city and it's pretty clean. You can look up the Metro online to see the stops. There's one right in the Mall, Metro Center, arlington Cemetary, etc. Avoid cabs. HTH

 

[sz9144]

My favorite place to stay in DC is actually right outside DC in Alexandria at the Embassy Suites King Metro Center- it's immediately across the street from the King St Metro- hop on and you're in DC. It offers breakfast, suites, parking, and no noise or congestion, but easy access everywhere.

 

[dcal]

Oops...

Bikefan et al are correct...the museums are mostly free. But for me, an out of towner, the "admission" is also parking, trains, subway, basically "getting in there"...Sorry if I was off mark in that regard and thanks for the correction. And of course, the Malls and monuments are free and open access to the public.
The other post was right too...cabs are expensive in DC, I've had a few pricey rides in and around town.
Yes, I agree, DC is clean, in fact very clean... and fairly safe, in my experience. The subway (Metro?) is great...nothing like NYC DC is wonderful and a great place to vacation. I love it. Just IMHO very, very pricey! Frequently, I'm stunned at how much my expenses are! But is DC worth it?...absolutely!

And, look out for the traffic...almost as bad as L.A.

 

[pbharris4]

Alexandria is nice too. Alot of cute shops, antiques, etc.

 

[Deesknee]

Thanks to everyone. Please keep the comments coming. We have never been to DC & are looking forward to it. DS#2 & DD#1 are going to a summer precollege program over the summer so this is an educational getaway for DS#1 with baby sister, mom & dad.

I'm not sure which way we are going. I lean toward using dvc points at the Oriental, but then I think no, I want to save those for WDW. How nice are the hotels in VA or MD? Could anyone compare them to a WDW dvc resort. (no we are not world travelers).
Thanks again.

 

[pouncingpluto]

I haven't been inside it myself (we live in Alexandria), but my husband says the same thing about the Embassy Suites... very nice, great rooms. And I can attest that the King Street metro stop is not a bad commute into the city at all.

Staying outside of DC proper is a great way to save money!

 

[NCRedding]

We have stayed at the Embassy Suites in Alexandria. It is very convenient to the metro. There is also a fairfield Alexandria that is beside of it. We also stayed closer to downtown Alexandria in the Holiday Inn, and they had a shuttle that would take us to the metro.

 

[ricapito]

I agree on the Alexandria location over Arlington. Arlington is all "corporate" while King street itself has lots of neat shops and restaurants (Hard Times Cafe for Chili et al and awesome fries, Five Guys Burgers and Fries for beautiful basic burgers) right near those two hotels. King St metro is about 10 minutes into DC. Old town Alexandria is also a great night or day trip in and of itself with lots of shops, restaurants, and a waterfront.

As for DC with kids check these 2 places out especially: The International Spy Museum, and the Air and Space Museum. If you can make it out to Dulles for the Air and Space museum out there it is amazing.

 

[tiggerhappy]

We live in Alexandria, and would highly suggest staying in either Old Town Alexandria or in the Crystal City/ Pentagon City area. Convenient to the metro to get you into the heart of downtown and better parking options. There is an Embassy Suites and Hilton across from the King Street Metro station. A block and a half behind the Embassy Suites is a Residence Inn by Marriott (on Duke St.). There are quite a few other options in Old Town, but these are the closest to the metro.

Hope this helps.

 

[Judique]

We live in Alexandria, and would highly suggest staying in either Old Town Alexandria or in the Crystal City/ Pentagon City area. Convenient to the metro to get you into the heart of downtown and better parking options. There is an Embassy Suites and Hilton across from the King Street Metro station. A block and a half behind the Embassy Suites is a Residence Inn by Marriott (on Duke St.). There are quite a few other options in Old Town, but these are the closest to the metro.

Hope this helps.

The Alexandria/ Embassy Suites idea also has my vote. Since I live only 10-15 minutes away, I will also attest that it is very convenient by metro, plus, a destination in itself. We love Old Town.

 

[Kycha]

How about Hotel Harrington?
http://www.hotel-harrington.com/index.htm

My DB and DSIL stayed here last summer with their 4 children. They really enjoyed their stay. They have great rates and you can't beat the location.