Where are you coming from? Are you driving, flying or taking the train?
My thought would be to find a hotel with adjoining rooms and a pool in the Arlington area near a METRO stop.

We are coming from Chicago - Driving. Totally willing to park for the week (and pay for parking) - we just know that is part of the cost of traveling to a city.

This would work for you driving or flying into Reagan National.
http://crystalcity.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels-crystalcity/index.jsp
It has the outdoor pool and walking access to the Metro.

If you want to be in DC proper, there is a Doubletree Suites in Foggy Bottom that has a pool. The area is more business than tourist but is only a couple of metro stops from the Mall and the tourist spots, and a quick walk to Dupont Circle with tons of dining options.

There is an Embassy Suites with pool near the Zoo in Northwest. It is more residential up there and a few more metro stops to the other tourist stuff.

If you want to stay across the river and commute in on the metro, the advice on Crystal City is on target. Even if you don't fly in, there are tons of hotels and dining options and the metro is right there. The look of Crystal City is lots of hotels, office towers, and condos, but they have been working on putting in more and more green space, pocket parks, and street level stuff in the past few years. They even have a summer Friday night 5k race series to get people out in the area.

Also on the Virginia side, my charming historic hometown of Alexandria has a colonial downtown area called Old Town that is walkable, filled with restaurants and cute stores (lots of antiques), with a waterfront area on the Potomac. If I had people coming to stay, I would direct them to the Hampton Inn at the King Street metro. It is only a few years old, and has a pool, and is about half a block from the metro. For something fancier, there is a Hotel Milano in the center of Old Town. Old Town would make a nice base with easy strolls for many dinner choices in the evenings, more laid back than DC, but you can metro in for tourist stuff. We are about a 15-20 minute drive from Mt Vernon too, and have lots of colonial charm to see.

From Alexandria you can also water taxi over to DC or to Nationals Park for a baseball game. Two things to know: 1. it is a longer metro ride into central DC than Crystal City, and 2. check hotels carefully because some say they are in "historic" Alexandria and they are really out past the beltway. They should be within walking distance of the King Street Metro to be in the cute historic district.

Moving up the Potomac on the Virginia side, you can also check around the Rosslyn and Courthouse Metro stops for hotels with pools. Both areas are more geared to hotels, condos, offices, and restaurants. The vibe is more modern high energy than colonial charm and lots of young 20 and 30 somethings live in these areas. Good dining options, and Rosslyn is literally right across the bridge from Georgetown-walkable or there is a DC Circulator bus that comes over the bridge to Rosslyn. This is also very close to Arlington Cemetary and the Iwo Jima Memorial.

In general with DC and the suburbs, location really matters so check carefully on where hotels are located to be sure you aren't stuck way outside the beltway or in a shady part of DC.

If you are planning to visit in the summer, just be prepared for the heat and humidity. I know that sounds so negative but we just spent weeks in the high 90s and it has been miserable. As a local, I do all my touring and museum visits between October and May- fall and spring are both gorgeous here, and winter is pretty mild with no crowds.

The Marriott Key Bridge in Rosslyn has a pool but am not sure it is within your price range.

You could also check out the Hilton Garden Inn in Arlington (not sure about the pool) which faces a Metro stop as well as a lot of restuarants, etc.

Wow, Thanks, everyone! So many good options to check into! I'll post back once we've decided!

The Holiday Inn at Rosslyn is within your price range. We were going to stay there but opted to stay closer to my brother's lodgings instead. I believe it had a pool and free parking. I know they sleep 5 because we're a family of 5 too, and that's why I reserved it. Some might even have a mini-kitchen.

If you are driving from Chicago, you may need to detour slightly for this, but if you are going in summer, consider a day to Hershey PA for the Amusement Park and especially the Water Park area that's a part of it. It was really a great park.

Hi Everyone,

Do you think it is better to stay closer and spend more and just walk - or better to stay out further, commute in (via Metro) and spend less?

What would you do with three kids (and two grandparents - healthy, young).

I'm considering renting VRBO - What do you think of that option? We could all stay in one place together (rather than 2-3 rooms)... No pool - but We've changed our dates to March - so it will be too cold to swim, anyway...

First of all, there is no place in D.C. that is close to all the attractions, so you likely won't be able to walk everywhere you want to go. Expect to have to use Metro and/or taxis even if you have a hotel in D.C.

Secondly, VRBO could be a good option for your family, but be sure to do the regular vetting practices (e.g. talk to the owners, get a contract, etc.) before you rent. Also, it might be a good idea to post the address of any property you are considering, particularly in D.C. itself, and asking for comments. Properties which look nice and sound convenient may actually be in less-than-desirable neighborhoods. I have had good success with 2 vacation rentals I did with VRBO in Montana, but "caveat emptor".

gnomemom,

I think VRBO is the perfect option! You can stay close in the center of DC for less than 2 hotel rooms in the burbs and all of you will be together.

These two would be my top recommendations - under budget, close to Metro, and walkable to many tourists sites:

http://www.vrbo.com/332041

http://www.vrbo.com/228440

...of course there are many, MANY, more (below) - just click on "view map" for each rental and make sure it's close enough (less than 5 blocks?) to a Metro station.

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/district-of-columbia-dc/district-of-columbia/capitol-hill

Not all the neighborhoods listed are suitable for your family, there are enough options that I would just look at these neighborhoods: Capitol Hill, Chinatown, Downtown, Dupont Circle, Penn Quarter.

Wrong link - THIS is for all of DC:

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/district-of-columbia-dc/district-of-columbia