DC budget hotel??

[bridgie04]

The Holiday Inn in Alexandria has a free shuttle to King Street Metro.

Try Rosslyn and Crystal City, Virginia as well. Both have hotels that are walkable to Metro.

Embassy Suites, Friendship Heights is directly over a metro stop.

 

[lukenick1]

The Holiday Inn in Alexandria has a free shuttle to King Street Metro.

Try Rosslyn and Crystal City, Virginia as well. Both have hotels that are walkable to Metro.

Embassy Suites, Friendship Heights is directly over a metro stop.

which Holiday Inn? There are a few in Alexandria

 

[Ladcassidy]

The Holiday Inn in Alexandria has a free shuttle to King Street Metro.

Try Rosslyn and Crystal City, Virginia as well. Both have hotels that are walkable to Metro.

Embassy Suites, Friendship Heights is directly over a metro stop.

All good suggestions.

The old town Alexandria holiday inn is on First Street, I think. There are an Embassy Suites, Hilton, and Hampton Inn next to the King St. Metro Stop.

The Crystal City hotels are all touted as near DCA (the airport). Every chain is represented in the neighborhood.

 

[PlutoPony]

So if we stay in say Alexandria or Springfield, where can we drive to to get on a metro that will go straight to DC?

Wouldn't recommend a hotel situation where you drive to a metro station during the week. Many of them have fairly limited parking, and the ones with big lots can fill pretty early with commuters, so you can't count on getting a spot. Look for something within walking distance to metro or with a free shuttle.

Weekends are another story, easy to park at metro lots that have a lot of spaces (not all do and some have essentially no parking) and parking is free at those lots. Also hotel prices will be lower on weekend.....

 

[NotUrsula]

Crystal City or the Pentagon City area of Arlington are both very good choices for transit, as these stations are on both the Blue and Orange lines, and your train ride to most of the major museums, etc. will be less than 20 minutes. You will find more affordable options for kid-friendly dinners in Pentagon City, adjacent to the Fashion Centre Mall.

The Residence Inn Pentagon City is a very good choice, and normally is considerably cheaper than the Embassy Suites at King St. in Alexandria. Their parking is $23/day, but they do have a free full breakfast buffet and an evening snack service that many kids wll be satisfied with for dinner. The rooms have a full kitchen as well, if you wish to cook something simple. It's a wee bit of a hike from there to the Pentagon City station, but they have multiple shuttles that will take you anytime that you want to go -- no set schedule, you just have to ask.

It's a vacation, and in DC, time is money because most of the attractions are limited to business hours. Don't quibble over the parking charge if you can get breakfast provided, because breakfast for 4 in the DC area will easily cost you $50/day if you have to pay for it.

BTW, if you are planning on getting the 7-day farecard for the Metro, be aware that the Metro charges peak fares before 9:30 am, and during evening rush, which means that from the further suburbs you have to stop and pay fare surcharges when leaving your destination station, because the fare will normally exceed $3.50 pp. That definitely adds a level of aggravation to the commute. (Also, if you are planning to pay your Metro fares via CC, be sure to notify your CC company of your travel plans. I've had my CC frozen after doing multiple WMATA vending machine transactions when I forgot. It won't be an issue for us anymore, however; we finally just bit the bullet and invested in SmarTrip cards. I believe that if you want to park in WMATA garages, you will have to buy at least one SmarTrip card, because that the only way to pay.)

 

[mjbaby]

We recently stayed at the Liaison Capital Hill, which we loved. Our rate (over Thanksgiving, no less) was $159/night, with free parking and a $100 per night dining credit. If this sounds interesting, definitely sign up for their e-mail newsletters - they do a lot of specials and promotions.

If you can't get a dining credit, then it's not so terrible because there is a Starbucks and another diner within walking distance. The overall location can't be beat - within blocks of the Capital building, so walkable to the entire Mall and many of the memorials.

 

[undertheradar]

When are you trying to book? Many times the room demand will be greater in the Spring(around school breaks) and as the Summer season begins. Washington DC and budget don't always work in unison and spending time commuting further out to save a few dollars can eat up valuable time that you could be touring the sites.

 

[lukenick1]

When are you trying to book? Many times the room demand will be greater in the Spring(around school breaks) and as the Summer season begins. Washington DC and budget don't always work in unison and spending time commuting further out to save a few dollars can eat up valuable time that you could be touring the sites.

Ugh......we are hoping to go during April vacation week. Sun-Thurs and the hotels are so expensive. I didn't even consider the money we would be spending to ride the metro. We are driving down from MA and not sure what to do. Wanted this to be a budget trip for sure.

 

[idtwinsmom]

Ugh......we are hoping to go during April vacation week. Sun-Thurs and the hotels are so expensive. I didn't even consider the money we would be spending to ride the metro. We are driving down from MA and not sure what to do. Wanted this to be a budget trip for sure.

DC hotels are actually cheaper Thursday-Sun because of all the business travel. We just got L'Enfant Plaza for $100/night during that same time frame. Walking distance to everything, but you have to pay for parking and breakfast.

 

[lukenick1]

DC hotels are actually cheaper Thursday-Sun because of all the business travel. We just got L'Enfant Plaza for $100/night during that same time frame. Walking distance to everything, but you have to pay for parking and breakfast.

You got it for Sun-Thur? We have to go mid week because of my husbands job. He works all weekend.

 

[lukenick1]

How about Spring Hill Suites in Alexandria? Anyone know if that would be a good choice as far as being able to get to DC easily? The address is....
6065 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA

 

[Brer Shay]

If you are coming in from north or west of DC, I like the Best Western Premier in Rockville, MD. Updated hotel, easy to get to, great included breakfast buffet, and about $100. They have a daily shuttle to the Rockville metro station, so you don't have to be concerned about not finding parking. Leaves the hotel on the hour and leaves the Metro station at 20 after the hour, about 25 minute ride to the Smithsonian stop (central DC tourist stop). Very consistant on their times and no complaints from us. Free parking at the hotel and nearby (though driving) are lots of restaurant choices.

 

[lukenick1]

If you are coming in from north or west of DC, I like the Best Western Premier in Rockville, MD. Updated hotel, easy to get to, great breakfast buffet, and under $100. They have a daily shuttle to the Rockville metro station. Leaves the hotel on the hour and leaves the Metro station at 20 after the hour. Very consistant on their times and no complaints from us.

We are driving in from MA. How long will it take by Metro to get into DC to see the sites?

 

[Brer Shay]

I just edited my previous with that info. It's a 20/25 minute ride to the Smithsonian station.

 

[lukenick1]

I just edited my previous with that info. It's a 20/25 minute ride to the Smithsonian station.

Do we have to switch metro's or do we get on and stay on the same one? 20 minutes on the Metro doesn't seem bad at all.

 

[bridgie04]

You would need to change lines from red to blue to get to the smithsonian station. Very easy to transfer.

Good suggestion re: rockville pike location. Tons of restaurants and grocey stoes etc.

April is very, very busy in Washington with general tourism and groups. Like Disney, you just need to plan.

Parking and restaurants are very expensive but there are budget options around.

Metro website is wmata.org for maps etc.

 

[bridgie04]

The spring hill hotel on Richmond hwy is reasonably close to Huntington metro stop but definitely not walkable. Check and see if they have a shuttle. Parking is very tough if not non existent on weekday mornings there. I lived in alexandria 15 yeardps ago and if you were not at metro by 630 am there were no spaces to be found.

 

[NotUrsula]

Ugh......we are hoping to go during April vacation week. Sun-Thurs and the hotels are so expensive. I didn't even consider the money we would be spending to ride the metro. We are driving down from MA and not sure what to do. Wanted this to be a budget trip for sure.

Sorry, but "budget trip" and "Cherry Blossom Festival" are pretty much mutually exclusive. Not only do the hotels raise their rates and sometimes their parking charges during the festival, but restaurants tend to do so as well in certain parts of the city (although others do special discounted menus featuring dishes containing cherries).

I didn't catch how many children you will have with you, but the Metro is not especially cheap, and you will probably be riding it quite a bit from place to place, even if your hotel isn't way out in the 'burbs. You can do the visitor cards which allow unlimited daily riding in the tourist corridors outside of rush periods, or you can do the debit-system cards that deduct the fare each time you ride. In DC, each person who walks through the turnstiles must have a separate card starting at age 5. When we stay near Pentagon City or Crystal City and tour with the children we plan on spending ~$10pp/day on Metro fares; the further out you go, the more it costs. From stations way up in Maryland, you might spend as much as $20pp/day if you are on the train during rush periods. Right now the peak fare from Rockville to Smithsonian (weekdays before 9:30 am and also between 4-7 pm) is $5.70pp, and the ride time is not 20 minutes; it is 39 minutes each way. For a family of four, just getting to/from the Mall from Rockville will cost $45.20/day peak fare and take 2 hours including shuttle time. By contrast, getting to/from the Mall from Crystal City will cost them $16.80 and take 35 minutes including walk time. Inside the District most tourists probably spend an extra $6pp on train fares while touring during a typical day.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't say up in Maryland if you want to, but take the commuting costs and times into account when you calculate a "good" price for your hotel. Paying a bit more for parking/hotel is usually a better option than paying more for the Metro or meals, because you only pay to park one car and rent one room, not transport/feed multiple family members.

 

[lukenick1]

Sorry, but "budget trip" and "Cherry Blossom Festival" are pretty much mutually exclusive. Not only do the hotels raise their rates and sometimes their parking charges during the festival, but restaurants tend to do so as well in certain parts of the city (although others do special discounted menus featuring dishes containing cherries).

I didn't catch how many children you will have with you, but the Metro is not especially cheap, and you will probably be riding it quite a bit from place to place, even if your hotel isn't way out in the 'burbs. You can do the visitor cards which allow unlimited daily riding in the tourist corridors outside of rush periods, or you can do the debit-system cards that deduct the fare each time you ride. In DC, each person who walks through the turnstiles must have a separate card starting at age 5. When we stay near Pentagon City or Crystal City and tour with the children we plan on spending ~$10pp/day on Metro fares; the further out you go, the more it costs. From stations way up in Maryland, you might spend as much as $20pp/day if you are on the train during rush periods. Right now the peak fare from Rockville to Smithsonian (weekdays before 9:30 am and also between 4-7 pm) is $5.70pp, and the ride time is not 20 minutes; it is 39 minutes each way. For a family of four, just getting to/from the Mall from Rockville will cost $45.20/day peak fare and take 2 hours including shuttle time. By contrast, getting to/from the Mall from Crystal City will cost them $16.80 and take 35 minutes including walk time. Inside the District most tourists probably spend an extra $6pp on train fares while touring during a typical day.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't say up in Maryland if you want to, but take the commuting costs and times into account when you calculate a "good" price for your hotel. Paying a bit more for parking/hotel is usually a better option than paying more for the Metro or meals, because you only pay to park one car and rent one room, not transport/feed multiple family members.

Wow! Thank you! Your post was very informative! The place we narrowed it down to was close to the HUntington station but I guess that will be costly as well. So where do you suggest we look for a decent deal close to the sites? I have never been there and have no idea what to expect. We are family of 4

 

[lukenick1]

Which is the best metro stop to get off in DC for the tourist attractions?