johnrego24

Hi I'm taking my kids to Washington for a short stay and a soccer game at FedEx Field, I want to take in some sites while there and want to know best area to be in walking distance to Smithsonian, monuments, the White House etc.

Frank

We stayed at the Capital Hilton in May, a block from the White House, and loved the hotel and area. It's a bit of a hike to the monuments but still walkable. The JW Marriott is closer to the monuments but haven't been there in years so can't vouch for the hotel but it should be a standard Marriott experience.

NewbE

Look for a Penn Quarter location, as that will put you in walking distance of the museums and monuments on the National Mall yet still in a neighborhood with lots of dining options. You can also access several Metro lines from Penn Quarter.

Ackislander

We got the JW Marriott on Priceline two years ago for Friday and Saturday nights for about a third of their weekday rates. It is well located, and tat is a Marriott premium brand.

emd3

Willard, JW Marriott, W hotel are all convenient, across from the White House area. Hotel Monaco (Penn Quarter) is also in walking distance to mall and White House. Hyatt at metro center is also a good location.

johnrego24

Thanks for the input, i am weighing up if the cost savings of staying in Crystal City area and using metro to commute is worth it?

beachies7500

Crystal City, in my estimation, is not a very fun environment. It is all offices and some restaurants, but weekends leave it more or less "dead space". If you're going to be taking the Metro from the suburbs, try the Courtyard Marriott (newer) at Dunn Loring Metro station on the Orange Line in Northern VA. It's about a 20-30 minute ride from there into the district and its an area where you can walk or drive to restaurants/shops.

longhorn55

Dunn Loring is, IMHO, too far away for a short visit to the D.C. area--too much time commuting.

If you can save $$$ by staying in Crystal City, by all means do so. I imagine you'll only be there for sleeping, so it doesn't matter if there are "bells and whistles". There are plenty of restaurants in Crystal City, both chain and non-chain, and you are only 8 minutes from D.C. via Metro.

NewbE

I agree with longhorn. It's a 20-30 minutes RIDE from Dunn Loring, yes, but add another half an hour for getting to the station, waiting for the train, exiting the station, etc. a 2-hour round trip commute makes zero sense unless the lodging is actually free!

Crystal City is fine, and much closer.