Alexandria....which hotel Morrison or Monaco?
 

We are trying to decide which locale would be best for evening dining, bars, getting to public transportaton, etc.? At this stage, we are still debating whether a car is necessary for a 3 night trip. We may spend one day in Washington DC but most of the time will be biking around Alexandria, Mount Vernon, etc. From looking at Mapquest, they both look to be equal distance from the heart of Old Town Alexandria so any insights would be appreciated.

My family and I just stayed at Gatsby's Place B&B for April School Vacation. It was great! Walking distance to everything Old Town has to offer, easy access to D.C. public transportation and walking/biking trails. Marie (the host) was awesome.

Both are ideally situated for exploring Alexandria, but I personally would stay at Morrison House; the area is charming and off of busy King Street. I would also ditch the car. Both hotels are near metro, and the metro ride is only about 25 minutes (one-way) into DC. Since you're planning to bike, you can even bike from Old Town to Mount Vernon--it's about 12 miles one-way. I think there's also a TourMobile that goes to Mount Vernon from Old Town, but I'm not certain that it runs all year long--maybe just during the summer? If not, it is also possible to take public transportation--the Mount Vernon website has all the information.

Agree w/ above: both are equally well located for evening dining, bars, and getting to public transportation. You'll need to decide on factors other than location.

If the price is the same for both places, I'd opt for the Monaco over the Morrison House. It's more newly renovated and a slightly more upscale property.

I agree that you don't need a car for the visit as you've described it. The path to bike to Mount Vernon is a very pretty one along the Potomac River. It's a busy place on weekends.