Need advice on Washington DC hotels

[pas2]

We are going to Washington DC in two weeks (spur of the moment trip) and I have no clue about where to stay. I know driving in DC is a nightmare but we want to be close enough to our hotel to pop back if we need a mid day break. We do plan to use the metro. We are coming from the Baltimore direction. Is anyone familiar enough with DC to offer suggestions?

 

[Cindy B]

I love DC! I haven't been there in a while, but I have stayed in many hotels along the Metro.


I have stayed in Chevy Chase, MD twice. I have also stayed near the Crystal City, Smithsonian, and Chinatown Metro stops as well.

There are some forum members that live there, but I would say the metro is the best bet.. conveinent, inexpensive...

Have fun planning the trip.

 

[annamonte]

We just came back from our trip to DC... it was awesome! My DH and I took our 6 yr old DS who is obsessed with presidents and all of American History actually. It was great.

And, definately ... DEFINATELY take advantage of the Metro. During the weekend, you can buy a full day ticket for $6 and go on as much as you want! My son had a blast using his own ticket to get on the trains. They are very easy to use and the cars are clean and bright.... total opposite of a subway ride in NYC!

We stayed at the Marriott Washington on 22nd Street. It was a little pricey, but I had a discount for being a Marriott Rewards member. You can maybe join yourself... look up the Marriott website!

Have fun!

PS: One thing I had to share... we got a private tour of the White House!!! A friend of the family knows someone who works for Ari Fleischer.... it was great!

 

[wdwobsessed]

Yes .. Metro!!

It has been years since I have stayed anywhere ... but last time we had a little weekend getaway we stayed in Bethesda and were very close to DC.

wdwo

 

[Christine]

I live in a suburb outside of D.C. and believe it or not, I can't give you any hotel names BUT if I were staying in D.C., my favorite place is up on Wisconsin Avenue, near the D.C./Maryland line (near Chevy Chase). Bethesda is also very nice. It is a great escape from the "sight-seeing" area and has lots of shops, restaurants, etc and is nice to walk around in during the dinner hours.

 

[Goofyposter]

I've stayed at loews l'enfant plaza hotel quite a few times..and been very happy with the place and location.

Here's a link if you'd like to check it out


Hope this helps - have a great trip!

 

[redbirdgrad]

I stayed at the Marriott Wardman Park last week - very nice hotel, two pools, exercise room and right across the street from the woodley/national zoo stop on the Metro. The zoo is about 3 blocks down from the hotel.

 

[aprincessmom]

We just got back about a week ago from a trip to DC. We stayed at the Embassy Suites just off 22nd and M. It's very convenient -- located just blocks from both the DuPont Circle and Foggy Bottom Metro stations.

DD and I are used to doing a lot of walking so we found it very convenient to walk to DuPont Circle, Georgetown, down to the Lincoln Monument.

The pool was good (small but great for kids), the hotel was clean, the staff excellent...we'd definitely stay there again.

 

[NurseKim]

Like Goofyposter, I have stayed at the Loews L'Enfant Plaza and was very happy. The metro is underneath the building. You don't even have to go outside to catch it! I would definitely stay there again. HTH, have a nice trip!

 

[NancyIL]

You'll save money if you stay in the suburbs. We loved the Holiday Inn Rosslyn in Arlington. Free parking, indoor pool, and a short walk to the Metro: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/waswp?irs=null

Another idea is to get a hotel in the area at a great price using Hotwire: www.hotwire.com or Priceline (go to www.biddingfortravel.com for info about hotels in the D.C. area and strategies to use when bidding).

 

[caitycaity]

the embassy suites aprincessmom mentioned is very nice.

i also recommend the river inn to people. http://www.theriverinn.com

if you'd like to try to save some money, i would check out any of the hotels in bethesda, rosslyn or crystal city. i really like bethesda personally. lots of great restaurants and shopping within walking distance there.

 

[Silky]

I always stay at the WILLARD INTERCONTINENTAL . Pricey but really exquisite. Only 2 blocks from the White House. Honest Abe stayed there over 140 years ago!!

 

[pas2]

Thanks everyone but I have a question for those who stayed in the heart of the district...wasn't driving in to the city a nightmare???? Also I noticed in the tourbooks there are not very many hotels listed for the NE portion of DC, what gives? Is this area strickly residental or industrial?

 

[Goofyposter]

not very many hotels listed for the NE portion of DC, what gives?

If memory serves me correctly....that part of town would be considered by many to be the highest crime rate part of the city.
That could be what makes it such that there aren't hotels there.

 

[aprincessmom]

We didn't drive...we took the train there...so I can't comment on driving to the hotel.

However, I have driven in DC many times and found it to be just the same as driving in Boston...lots of rotaries, construction, one way streets, people walking in front of your car (at least they wait for the lights...lol), and congestion. Not as many potholes though.

 

[Cindy B]

Driving to the city isn't that bad, depending on where in PA you are coming from.

I am in the PHilly area, and the traffic doesnt' seem bad.. I'm used to it. Really to get around, it is much better to be in the Metro, than to drive. The public transportation is excellent in DC.

 

[Christine]

The NE part of town is not that nice. SE is the worst (that's where I work). YUCK!! Stick with NW!

 

[Figment22]

We have stayed in D.C. several times both in the city and out of the city. My recommendation is to stay outside the city but right at a metro stop. We have stayed at the Hyatt Bethesda and at the Marriott Crystal Gateway. I highly recommend the Marriott. It is right above the Crystal City Metro stop in Arlington, VA.

In town, we stayed in Foggy Bottom which is a nice area near
Geo. Washington University and has a Metro stop. This area is also within walking distance to Georgetown which, of course, has
great restaurants and nightlife (no Metro stop, though.)

We also stayed at the JW Marriott which is right near the White House. The hotel was lovely (used our Marriott Rewards poiints here) but there really is nothing to do in the area at night and to be frankly honest, I wasn't crazy about being out with the kids in this area at night.

My prime recommendation is for Marriott Crystal Gateway. There are several other Crystal City hotels but MCG is the closest to the Metro station.

Hope this helps!

 

[Flower4Pwr]

Whoo hoo!! Finally something I actually know about!! I work in Marriott reservations so I'm PAID to know about the hotels in this area!! Of course my information is a little biased so I’ll try to stick to the impartial things that I know!
I think that if you aren't used to driving in a city you should definitely stick to either a downtown hotel, or a hotel in the suburbs that offers shuttles to the metro. But honestly guests tell me that driving in DC is no worse than any other city, it just gets a little confusing with all the traffic circles!
Of course the farther into the city the higher your rate might be, but another thing to watch out for is high parking costs. Spending 20$ a day on parking and not even being guaranteed a space can put a damper on your vacation!!
I recommend staying right outside the city as well if you are looking at staying for a low rate, but as far as convenience goes you can't beat staying at a downtown property!
When you call make sure you check for all available discounts! Some of the best ones are government rates (Marriott gives government rates to Federal AND State and local governments!), AAA sometimes has a good rate but it's based on availability and sometimes it's only a couple of dollars off. If you have an American express card, Marriott has special weekend promotions and rates can be as low as 69$/night on weekends!
I could go on forever!!

I get to stay at any Marriott hotel in this area for free so I've stayed at a lot of them my favorites are:
∙ The JW Marriott on Penn. ave.- The spa is GREAT! You won’t want to leave the hotel! And they have an awesome buffet in the morning!
∙ The Crystal Gateway- It has a metro stop right in the hotel, you pay a bit more than you would at other hotels in the area but the convenience more than makes up for it!
∙ Ritz Carlton DC- Ritz Carlton’s are known for their luxury so you can expect to pay a lot for them unless you have a government rate.

When you make reservations you should check to see if the hotel offers a shuttle to the metro.

Well good luck on your hunting!! And have a great vacation!

 

[Pugdog007]

I always stay at the Omni Shoreham and would recommend it. It's right next to the Woodley Park metro stop. It is right by Rock Creek Park... the now-infamous site where Chandra Leavy was found. But the park is HUGE. The hotel area seems as safe as any other in the DC area.