Would you consider Alexandria or do you need to be in DC?

How about the Holiday Inn National Airport-Crystal City?
Expedia has it at $189/nt for a 3 star close to the Metro and the airport.Staying outside the District will save money if you have your own car. You don't need a rental if you are close to the Metro.

You might also consider Arlington........

Try the Woodley Park Guest House. It looks like they still have a few rooms left at $195. You did not give actual dates or room size. It is a beautiful place, 500 ft from the Metro and in a great neighborhood. I traveled alone and felt very safe coming back at midnight.

I just got back from a couple nights at Hotel Lombardy in Foggy Bottom. In retrospect we think they gave us the highest level suite tho' we didn't pay for that, so we lucked out! Big living room along with our king bedroom. But saw friends' room and that looked fine as well. Lovely old historic hotel. Couple blocks from Metro, I felt fine at night tho' didn't take metro as late as 11pm so can't say what that would have felt like. Although their parking was more than $ 30/night I'd researched ahead and we parked 2 blocks away in a GW parking lot for $33 total for Fri. 4:30 PM to Sunday noon.

We were with a friend who has health troubles and can't walk distances so we took cabs and metro everywhere, but if it were just us, we definitely could have walked to many places from there...Dupont Circle, Mall, Georgetown, etc.

Would consider Alexandria! Research gave me high numbers (as in 250+ nite when it's close to Metro)? Bottom line, 250/nite in DC when you figure in distance from Metro + 30/nite parking,(may need taxi to Metro?) all balances out to same cost....?? Thanks for input!

gardendiva, Thanks!! Cking out Woodley Park. Sounds great.
Thanks for the input!