Hotels in Virginia Near Washington Metro

[bicker]

Could someone please recommend hotels (for an overnight, not a long stay) in Virginia, near the Washington Metro, but convenient on/off the Interstate?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

How near and which interstate?

And what is your budget?

We stayed at a Hilton off of 95 near the Franconia Springfield station on the blue line once. We chose it becausewe had Hilton Honors points. It was an average Hilton though. It is on the south side of DC. I think they had a shuttle to the metro, but I don't recall.


There is also I-66.

 

[golfgal]

There is an Embassy Suites in Alexandria right across the street from the metro stop. There is another hotel right by that stop too (Residence Inn maybe??) Do a Google Street view and you can see the sign for that hotel.

 

[kimmyann]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn on Eisenhower in Alexandria. It was a short walk across one street & parking lot to the metro station. I paid $69 for one night(using my entertainment card), but they don't offer free breakfast.

 

[Christine]

Could someone please recommend hotels (for an overnight, not a long stay) in Virginia, near the Washington Metro, but convenient on/off the Interstate?

Springfield, VA is right off the intestate (I95) as well as having a Metro stop. The area is not the best place to spend any time (it's not unsafe but the area looks kind of yucky after the massive "mixing bowl" construction project). There is an almost-vacant 1970s shopping mall at the Metro stop as well as some decent strip mall stuff very close. Most hotels in the area are not walkable to the Metro but surely offer a shuttle. They have just built a brand new hotel there (I think a Residence Inn) that is within about 1 mile of the Metro stop (but not walkable). Do a search on Springfield, VA and look for the hotels that offer shuttle service to the Metro.

Springfield is one of the farther out stations from DC so you could have a good 30 minute ride on the Metro into town.

The Eisenhower Avenue location/stop is also right off Interstate 95 and a tad closer in. Check out the Huntington Station too.

 

[agnes!]

Springfield, VA is right off the intestate (I95) as well as having a Metro stop. The area is not the best place to spend any time (it's not unsafe but the area looks kind of yucky after the massive "mixing bowl" construction project). There is an almost-vacant 1970s shopping mall at the Metro stop as well as some decent strip mall stuff very close. Most hotels in the area are not walkable to the Metro but surely offer a shuttle. They have just built a brand new hotel there (I think a Residence Inn) that is within about 1 mile of the Metro stop (but not walkable). Do a search on Springfield, VA and look for the hotels that offer shuttle service to the Metro.

Springfield is one of the farther out stations from DC so you could have a good 30 minute ride on the Metro into town.

The Eisenhower Avenue location/stop is also right off Interstate 95 and a tad closer in. Check out the Huntington Station too.

I agree about Springfield - it's kind of gotten icky and really not pedestrian-friendly, plus figuring out how to get around in a car now is crazy even for someone who lives in the area. About Huntington Station... I think it doesn't really have a hotel close enough to walk to-from, plus the dining around there is "ok"...but not as nice as...

The Old Town(Alexandria) Metro area...short drive North (up Route 1 and tuen left basically) from the US Route 1/Wilson Bridge interchange. The area is nice...lots of great (some even cheap like Hard Times Cafe) restaurants within walking distance plus there's always the (free!) King Street Trolley. Riders catch free rides up and down King Street - from the Metro to the Potomac River.

agnes!

 

[bicker]

How near and which interstate?

Within a mile of the Metro station, please. And as far as which Interstate, either I-95 or the Beltway.

And what is your budget?

$125 per night is my target. (This is for a Saturday night.)

There is an Embassy Suites in Alexandria right across the street from the metro stop. There is another hotel right by that stop too (Residence Inn maybe??) Do a Google Street view and you can see the sign for that hotel.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn on Eisenhower in Alexandria.

Thanks, I'll check into those.

Springfield, VA is right off the intestate (I95) as well as having a Metro stop. ... The Eisenhower Avenue location/stop is also right off Interstate 95 and a tad closer in. Check out the Huntington Station too.

Is there a difference, from the standpoint of the Washington Metro (on a Sunday morning), between aiming to use the yellow/blue line (from the south) to get into the city, versus aiming to use the orange line (from the west)?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Within a mile of the Metro station, please. And as far as which Interstate, either I-95 or the Beltway.

$125 per night is my target. (This is for a Saturday night.)



Thanks, I'll check into those.


Is there a difference, from the standpoint of the Washington Metro (on a Sunday morning), between aiming to use the yellow/blue line (from the south) to get into the city, versus aiming to use the orange line (from the west)?

Likely not on Sunday morning. The ONLY issue---if there is track work. That is done on weekends. I'm new to the area, so I don't know if metro posts there schedule ahead if time so that you can plan.

Work means trains have to share a track which means fewer trains, longer gaps between trains.


Might check Their website.

Stops also vary, but downtown, they run the same route for a good bit.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Link to maintenance schedule for January:
http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=4786

Looks like you can only look a month ahead of time...

Martin Luther King weekend has major maintenance on both orange and blue eliminating service for the weekend between two spots that will impact your ability to get downtown:

There will be no Orange or Blue Line service between the Rosslyn and Farragut West Metrorail stations and the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail station will be closed during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend from 10 p.m., Friday, Jan. 14, to closing on Monday, Jan. 17. To comply with an NTSB recommendation, Metro will replace four track switches at the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail station. Metro will also use the weekend to install communications cables in support of expanded cell phone coverage between the Rosslyn and Court House Metrorail stations and conduct escalator and station maintenance. The Blue and Orange lines will be split in two sections. The Blue Line will operate between the Franconia-Springfield and Rosslyn Metrorail stations and between the Largo Town Center and Farragut West Metrorail stations. The Orange Line will operate between the Vienna-Fairfax/GMU and Rosslyn Metrorail stations and between the New Carrollton and Farragut West Metrorail stations.

Free shuttle buses will be offered to replace Orange and Blue Line service between the Rosslyn and Farragut West Metrorail stations from 10 p.m., Friday, Jan. 14 to closing on Monday, Jan. 17. Customers should add an extra 40 minutes to travel through the impacted area.

Blue line has some single tracking on other weekends in January.

Not sure when you are traveling, but you can at least check in the weeks leading up to your trip to see if the line you have selected will have service interruptions or delays so that you can plan around it.

 

[HOGFAN]

L'Enfant Plaza Hotel has a metro stop in the basement. Dont know if it fits into your budget. google it.

 

[bicker]

Thanks, but we want to stay right off the Interstate.

 

[Christine]

agnes,

I agree that Old Town is *the best* for staying at!!!

However, I find that it's not always budget-friendly.

With Bicker's $125 per night, not sure how that one will work although there may be some deals in the winter months.

Anyone in Fairfax-how's the Dunn Loring station? Of course that's probably not close enough to I95.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

agnes,

I agree that Old Town is *the best* for staying at!!!

However, I find that it's not always budget-friendly.

With Bicker's $125 per night, not sure how that one will work although there may be some deals in the winter months.

Anyone in Fairfax-how's the Dunn Loring station? Of course that's probably not close enough to I95.

Not in fairfax...but I just googled and there is a courtyard by marriot...

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-deals/iadcy-courtyard-dunn-loring-fairfax/

That is off of I-66 though.

Depending on when Bicker plans on leaving via car--could present a problem if it is Monday morning rush hour.

My husband scoots through there easily when he leaves the house VERY VERY VERY early in the morning. (*easily as in--speed of car doesn't drop below 45mph usually).

Just off the beltway according to google maps.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&wrapid=tlif12946042873031&q=2722+Gallows+Road+%C2%B7+Vienna,+Virginia+22180&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=2722+Gallows+Rd,+Vienna,+VA+22031&gl=us&ei=BhgqTY2pGI-q8Ab94YmLAg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ8gEwAA

Not sure when Bicker is traveling--but they have some deals for the next couple of weekends for $79 which would be in his budget.

Metro is 1 block from the hotel.

 

[bicker]

We're arriving Saturday evening (probably very late). We're departing Sunday noontime. This would be in April, and depends on whether we feel it is worthwhile to spend an hour or two walking around the Tidal Basin on a Sunday morning, a week or two past-peak.

 

[Iott Family]

We did DC as a family last March and stayed at an Embassy Suites downtown DC but the walk was about 6 blocks to the metro. It was nice but pricey both in cost of room per night and in hotel fees from parking charges, internet fees, etc.

This trip we are staying in Alexandria at the Embassy Suites there. Its closer to the metro, the town itself is more pedestrian friendly and I think our youngest two will get a kick outta the trolley!

 

[agnes!]

hmmm...well, right off the Interstate?...

On Route 1, there is a Hampton Inn & Suites almost directly at the Route 1/I95/Virginia side of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge intersection
http://www.hamptoninnalexandria.com/location.php
It is very accessible to I95 and they have a shuttle to the nearest (Huntington) Metro stop, there's a Golden Corral-type restaurant across Rte 1 (not very walkable, too much traffic)
Close drive to Old Town, Mount Vernon, etc.

There are 2 very new hotels about a mile or so South of the Hampton Inn/Suites.

Holiday Inn Express Alexandria/Fort Belvoir...6055 Richmond Highway
Alexandria, VA
and right next door
SpringHill Suites Alexandria...6055 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA
^^^They both look nice, but there's nothing within walking distance.

The Old Town Metro area is probably about 5-6 minutes off the Interstate but it is a lot more fun/pedestrian-friendly area than the 3 Route 1 hotels I mentioned. The Route One corridor is in transition and on the way up.

You could always check out the National Harbor area in Prince George's County, across the Potomac from Alexandria (very accessible to the Interstate) but I am certain those prices are (not just the hotel rooms but the parking...yikes)...through the roof!

agnes!

 

[bicker]

Since we'll be using the Metro Sunday morning, we won't choose a hotel that would have us relying on a shuttle. Thanks though.

 

[PlutoPony]

If your plan is to visit the Tidal Basin early on a Sunday morning, driving in and parking isn't bad at that time - probably the only time of the week that I'd say that. We take Metro and avoid driving in DC whenever possible but I would definitely drive in on a Sunday morning.

 

[bicker]

I'm not worried about driving in, but rather am worried about getting caught in traffic driving out of the District, around 1pm Sunday. We have a very hard deadline we must meet (catching the Auto Train). The drive is a half-hour in no traffic, but my wife will kill me if we're there even just one minute past 2pm, regardless of when we really have to be there by.

 

[Christine]

I'm not worried about driving in, but rather am worried about getting caught in traffic driving out of the District, around 1pm Sunday. We have a very hard deadline we must meet (catching the Auto Train). The drive is a half-hour in no traffic, but my wife will kill me if we're there even just one minute past 2pm, regardless of when we really have to be there by.

Understandable. Especially in the northern VA area in June on a weekend! 95 South is the pits.

Based on what you are doing, I really think Springfield is your best bet. You are only minutes from the Lorton Auto Train station.

Be wary though that riding Metro gives you NO guarantee (especially on the weekends) that the train will be running smoothly. I've gotten stuck waiting in station for over 30 minutes once (which is why I only use Metro on the weekends if absolutely know I can't drive in and park.).

Having said that, if you are staying in Springfield and choose to drive into DC, 99% of your drive in and out of DC will be on I-395 which rarely gets backed up on a weekend. It is not anything like Interstate 95. From Springfield you have about a 10 mile drive to the Lorton station. That's going to be your trouble spot; however, Rt. 1 will get you there easily.