Hello . . .I'm a mother too and I understand your concerns. I work in DC and have lived outside of the city for most of my life. I never stay after dark and would not advise it for any new comer. I think you and your family will have a fabalous time! Don't forget to visit Baltimore's aquarium and POrt Discovery which is only an hour away! Alexandria is only 4-5 miles away at best. It's a small little town close to the water which is easy to learn and known for it places to eat. If you love history and fine dining you'll love it in Alexandria. There's a new Hyatt that just open that's beautiful and more importantly close to the Metro Rail and also close to shopping at Pentagon City! Enjoy, but remember put your safety first . . .

If this is the Holiday Inn at Thomas Circle, you might consider a better location. It is not the best area of DC, although not terrible, and it's not convient to Metro. The most important thing for visiting DC is proximity to the Metro.
I agree that Alexandria is a good location, especially if you can find a hotel close to Metro such as in the Crystal City area.
If you have a car, a very good choice is to find a hotel in the suburbs that is a short drive from a Metro station. There are many of these both in the Virgina and Maryland.

Alexandria is a very large area, and not all of it is convenient to the Metro trains. Ask the hotel first if it is within walking distance to a train station, or if they have a shuttle bus.

The Holiday Inn at Thomas Circle is not perfect, but it is popular among tourists. There are other hotels on that circle too, so it's not that isolated. There are lots of office buildings nearby with lots of pedestrian traffic. As in any big city, you just need to be aware of your surroundings, and know which direction you want to go.

Don't worry, and have a great trip!

The Key Bridge Marriot is terrific with kids--good pool--and very convenient to the Rosslyn Metro station. It's just across Key Bridge from Georgetown as well and an easy walk over the M Street. You don't give ages of children so it's difficult to really recommend something. Also agree that Alexandria is conveniently on the Metro line and is a charming little town on its own. Enjoy D.C. It's a great place to take kids.

That area is very deserted after dark. I wouldn't recommend staying in that area.

Alexandria is not that far away by Metro. You'll probably get a much bigger room for the money anyway. Metro is a relatively safe and cheap way to get around the DC Metro area.

I work near the Holiday Inn you mentioned and, unlike the first responder, I do stay in DC after dark and love it. That said, that Holiday Inn wouldn't be my first choice. As others have said, if you want to stay outside the city, ask how far the hotel is from the metro. Options other than Virginia include Greenbelt, Silver Spring and Bethesda Maryland, although the last is probably expensive.

TJ, when are you traveling? I just returned from DC and stayed at the Wyndham City Center on New Hampshire. Lots of families there and it was pretty convenient...a quick 2 block walk to the Foggy Bottom Metro station.

Alexandria is not too far to commute for sightseeing if you'll head out at the beginning of the day, keep going all day long, and come back to the room with no great ambitions for dinner. If you want a midday rest, rethink.
Bear in mind that the part of Alexandria that everyone is gushing about is Old Town, which is not near a metro.
Crystal City is in Arlington and may be a nice place to live but is not much fun to visit--offices and high-rise hotels.
Have you checked Quikbook.com for the dates you need?

My husband and I stayed at the Washington Plaza the last week of March. Washington Plaza is on Thomas Circle, across from the Holiday Inn. The area seemed as safe as any other DC area. Lots of people are in the area during the daytime, and several in the early evening. We never felt comfortable enough anywhere in DC to walk around at night. We took a taxi to places we wanted to go after dark. Neither did we take the metro. This area is within walking distance of the White House, Mall, etc., if you don't mind walking 4-5 blocks. Wear comfortable shoes! Enjoy your trip.

tj,
My husband and I are going to DC April 20-25. After extensive searching for accomadations I found Capital Reservations had the very best prices. I saw their ad in my AAA travel book. Their web site is www.hotelsdc.com/
Good luck!

Here's my suggestion if your visit is on a weekend - I used to take me kids to DC a lot. Find out where the outer stops of the Metro are located, I'd guess that a DC guide on the web would have it. Then try some hotel sites - I would suggest Courtyard or Embassy Suites. Courtyards are often located near office clusters near the beltway and have low rates on weekends since there is no commercial activity. They all have indoor pools. We'd always use the metro (a fun ride for kids in itself) to get center-city with no hassles, and a night swimming for the kids and a nice, inexpensive room.