Hotel recs for DC?

[PeacefulChaos]

We'd (ok... I'd) like to take a little trip up to DC sometime in the spring, probably, and have no idea where to stay. Ideally we would just drive there and not drive out again til we leave, but just take the metro when we needed to get anywhere.

Anyone have any hotel recommendations?

 

Oh, and when in the spring would be a good time? March? April? May?

 

And will it be crazy on a weekend (particularly the zoo)? We were thinking of asking some family to come up to the zoo with us but they would most likely be able to do a weekend, but I'm not sure. By then things may be different...

 

Thanks! :)

:lurk5:

[Spryte]

We are local to DC, but our AC was out recently (not due to the derecho, actually, the weekend prior, we got lucky during the big power outages!), and we stayed in a hotel for a weekend, just waiting on our AC to be fixed. We found it on Hotels dot com, I think.

 

It was on embassy row, right off Dupont Circle. Loved it. Clean, inexpensive, great pool on the roof. Convenient to metro. We'd stay there again.

 

If you want the info, let me know and I'll find it for you.

[PeacefulChaos]

We are local to DC, but our AC was out recently (not due to the derecho, actually, the weekend prior, we got lucky during the big power outages!), and we stayed in a hotel for a weekend, just waiting on our AC to be fixed. We found it on Hotels dot com, I think.

 

It was on embassy row, right off Dupont Circle. Loved it. Clean, inexpensive, great pool on the roof. Convenient to metro. We'd stay there again.

 

If you want the info, let me know and I'll find it for you.

 

Yes, please! :)

As a local, you would probably have answers to my other questions as well - so are the weekends bad? Any specific super busy times in the spring or any that aren't? :)

[MelAR05]

I don't live there but have spent a few months on and off there for my husband's job. Others much more qualified will be of better help, I'm sure. But my two cents, the Cherry Blossom Festival is usually the end of March or first of April. We were there in May one year and it was really crowded with Senior trips!!!! Buses everywhere!

 

We like to stay in Crystal City and take the metro over to DC. It is 3 stops to the L'Enfant Plaza metro stop. Marriott Crystal Gateway is right above a metro stop, but very expensive. The Americana Hotel is walking distance to the Crystal City metro stop and is probably the most inexpensive in the area. Sheraton and Embassy Suites are in the area too. All of this area is very safe too. I would walk all over this area with my 3 little girls and never felt unsafe.

 

HTH!

[Spryte]

I checked, and we stayed at the Embassy Row Hotel.

 

I'm sure there are tons of nice options out there, and much pricier ones too, but we opted for this one after reading reviews and comparing prices (we were in the midst of expensive AC repair, after all). I would definitely stay there again, it was easy to get around, and I think it would be fun to time a trip to visit embassies when they have something going on (some embassies host events for visitors, might be fun for the kiddos).

 

Cherry Blossom Festival is pretty crowded, but we like it any way. We like Chinese New Year in ChinaTown, too, though it's chilly.

 

If your schedule is open, it might be interesting to look at the Smithsonian exhibit/event calendar and see if there are any upcoming events that you'd love to attend, and time your trip to coincide. Check the zoo schedule for events, too. :)

 

Weekends at the zoo will be busier than weekdays, but still doable. Definitely check the zoo's calendar before heading over, so you have an idea of where to be at specific times (feedings, etc).

[Classical Country Mama]

I'm local. I'm also cheap. I love staying in DC hotels--you can usually find SUCH great deals when you play the hotels.com/hotwire/priceline game (I got a great hotel--you know it's "great" when they hand you warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in--with a Metro shuttle a few minutes from Reagan airport for $60, e.g.).

 

Definitely watch out for the Cherry Blossom festival, which will be crowded. Otherwise, in the spring you're always going to have visiting school groups, both on the Mall and at the Zoo etc. If you're looking to avoid crowds, go in Jan/Feb when it's miserable out. Some of my favorite tour days have been when there's snow on the ground and all the smart people stayed home. :D

 

But even crowded, DC's great. The cherry blossoms really are spectacular and worth seeing. There are often festivals going on on the Mall itself that are worth the trouble, too (though that's more in the summer). Check places like the Washingtonian and Washington Post to see what's going on during your visit.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Classical Country Mama
Forgot to mention the cookies

[happi duck]

:bigear:

[Mama_Rana]

I have an unusual suggestion for you. 2 years ago we went to DC and stayed at the Channel Inn. Now. I have the feeling that it was once quite the luxury place that has since gotten run-down, and I assume that's why the price didn't seem so high for the location. But we really enjoyed our stay there. The first room they put us in was filled with bugs. As the name implies, it's right on the Channel, and someone must have left the balcony door open, and there were just bugs--mosquitoes--everywhere. I marched back down to the front desk and they moved us.

 

What we liked:

1) they have a diner on-site for breakfast. A little pricey, but good.

2) they have a nice restaurant on-site in case you want to celebrate anything; great view

3) on-site parking!!!

4) Could walk or quick cab ride to the Mall or a Metro stop [my mom can't walk long distances, so we cabbed it].

5) other restaurants within walking distance

6) location is beautiful, right on the water

 

So that's my rec of hotel.