My husband will be attending an event in Maryland, close to DC next week, and would like to spend a couple of nights in DC to see the sights, the Smithsonian in particular. He would like a very basic (but clean) hotel conventient to the Smithsonian. (Is there such a thing?) I can't find anything via Priceline. Any suggestions? A hotel near good public transportation a bit removed from the city would also be acceptable. Please help! Thank you in advance!

My daughter and I stayed at the Holiday Inn in Rosslyn, VA in April and it was fine and quite reasonable. They have free parking which is unusual, and are a short block from the metro station, where you are only 10 minutes max from the Smithsonian.

Red Roof Inn, just a block away from Gallery Place / Chinatown Metro line. (500 H Street NW Washington, DC 20001
(202) 289-5959)
Check the website for deals (redroof.com)
Basic, clean, convenient. You probably can do better on priceline.

I've also stayed at a Red Roof in Laurel when I had a car ... a 15 minute drive down Baltimore-Washington Parkway to the Greenbelt Metro Station, then about a 25 min. ride from there. You'd have to have a car for this.

I don't think there's much that would meet your requirements inside the city limits but just about any place in the MD or VA suburbs that's close to a Metro station would be a good bet. Hotels generally get cheaper as you move farther out. Rosslyn would be very convenient, as it's the first Metro stop over the state line into Virginia. Try the Quality Inn Iwo Jima. I stayed there once when I was job-hunting right out of Grad school. It was clean and a good value for someplace so close to the city. I believe the Rosslyn Metro was 2 blocks away.

Thank you, Julie. But does anyone have suggestions in the other direction? Toward Maryland? Since that is the basic area he will be coming and going from?

Perhaps something near where he will be attending the event at would have a good hotel. Unfortunately there are areas of Washington DC that you would be quite cautious of. One other poster said it quite clearly - look at a map of Washington and pretend there's a clock on top of it - anything between 12 and 6 would be an "iffy" area to stay in

If he is staying in the Rockville - Chevy Chase area there are many good places in that area. Otherwise he may prefer to stay at that Red Roof mentioned earlier or possibly Harrington's downtown on 11th or12th NW.

The rates in DC seem pretty high right now.


www.inn-dc.com is a very convenient choice.

Thanks, all. We'll check out some of these options!

Kathy,

The reason people were suggesting Va over MD is that you said "convenient to the Smithsonian". As the museums are downtown, Va is closer. However, you could look in Silver Spring area and then he could take the metro (red line) into the city, but it would take longer than the other choices recommended here.

Good luck!

Karen

Thanks, Karen. Obviously, I'm not too knowledgable about the geography of DC!

Kathy, sounds like he should stay in Maryland, if his event is there. Yes, the Metro ride is longer to the Smithsonians and may involve a transfer, but that's a lot less extra time than driving over to Virginia.

If he wants a hotel on the Maryland side close to Metro stations, from which he can ride to the Smithsonian, his best chance for a clean and safe but modestly priced one is probably one near the Greenbelt, New Carrolton or Silver Spring stations. (If his conference is in the Bethesda-Rockville-Gaithersburg area, which I do not know very well, he should look there, because then, although that is a more expensive area, the stations I have mentioned will be too far.) You might try bidding on Priceline for Greenbelt-Hyattsville area and Silver Spring area for 3 stars. This would get him either the Greenbelt Marriott or the Silver Spring Hilton, quite comfortable hotels, and it looks like from BiddingforTravel.com that people are often getting them for $50. Or you might bid 2.5 stars in Greenbelt-Hyattsville which would yield places which sound OK for his purpose (i.e., quality name brands in marginal but not terrible neighborhoods)and it looks like people are getting them for about $42. Don't bid 2.5* in Silver Spring area--you'll probably get the Courtyard by Marriott near where I live. It's nice, but too far from the Metro, and the morning commute in the direction of the Metro is grueling (I know, I drive it daily.)

There is a quite pleasant high rise Holiday Inn in downtown Silver Spring within walking distance of Metro, and while it is much less than it would be if it were in DC, it doesn't look like it uses Priceline, and could be more than he wants to pay. You might check out its rates. Also in Silver Spring, five minutes drive (but he wouldn't want to walk)from Metro and parking garages next to Metro, are a Days Inn, EconoLodge and Ramada all close together where Georgia Ave. crosses the D.C. line. Marginal motels in a marginal neighborhood, but probably OK for males just looking for the basics. I've stayed at the Days Inn and found it OK for that purpose. But you may get better places for less via Priceline.

Thanks, johncharles-- as usual, you give very detailed and helpful info! I am trying to go through Priceline, but haven't had any luck. I'll try the recommendations you give. He is flying into BWI, would like to NOT rent a car, but just rely on public transportation, hence the need to be somewhat near a metro station, although he doesn't mind a doing quite a lot of walking (he normally RUNS 8 miles a clip, so a bit of walking won't hurt him.) This is not a vacation, per se; he's going alone and just taking advantange of being near DC to see some of the sights. Therefore not looking for a "great" hotel, just something basic, clean & convenient at a good price.

Kathy, it might help us help him if we knew where in Maryland suburbs his event is, and what his schedule will be--what times of day he wants to go to DC and what times he will be tied up in his event. Also, if he is not intending to rent a car, what are his transportation plans between BWI and his event? Or will he be travelling to his hotel, then to his event? Will he have the use of any transportation provided by the event or from associates on his way to or from it? Is he likely to be going to DC from the event or from the hotel?

Distances and travel times can be long in this area between DC and Baltimore, especially with our near-worst-in-the-nation traffic, and public transportation options are many and varied. If we knew where he wants to be when, and what his transportation needs will be, people can make better recommendations n where he should stay.

For instance, it's very valuable to know that he's going to be flying in out of BWI. BWI is much closer to Baltimore than Washington, and is a long way from any Washington Metro station, but on the other hand, I think there's frequent and inexpensive railroad train service from BWI to downtown DC. Depending on the timing of when he will have time for DC and just where his event is, he might want to stay near BWI and use the train to get to his DC sightseeing. This is just one of the options which might be considered depending on the specifics I'm asking about.

"johncharles" is correct about all he says. Weekdays it would be very easy & cheap to take MARC trains even from downtown "Bahwmor", or maybe return by Amtrak if too late for a MARC. If he stays near BWI, but w/ event downtown, options change. If his free time is during the weekend, there's a complete different set of options.

One of the information booths at BWI has a printed brochure, or handbill, entitled something like "7 ways to get from BWI to DC", but you'll hear every one of them here at Fodors!

There is actually the perfect hotel for your needs, the Harrington Hotel downtown at 11th and E Sts. This is only a block from Pennsylvania Avenue and the Federal Triangle metro station:

http://www.hotel-harrington.com/

This hotel is not what a lot of people want and has gotten comments to that effect, but that's because most people want more than just a low-end "basic" hotel. Since that's what you want, I think it would be fine. I know someone who stayed there a couple years ago and she said it was okay and not a nightmare. The Red Roof Inn sounds okay, also.

The Four Points Sheraton isn't far from Harrington at K St and it would be okay, also. My sister stayed there and said it was fine--they fixed it up a lot since it used to be a Days Inn or whatever. It has a popular restaurant in there, also (Corduroy). It is not expensive, but I'm sure is more than Harrington.

Thank you, all. We did get a hotel this afternoon on Priceline. The Doubletree Club Largo in the Beltville area (for $56 a night). I saw some good reviews on it, but does anyone have anything to say on it? Like how far is the Metro station? They say there is a shuttle service from BWI for $21.. doesn't sound bad. Hopefully, there is an easy way to get into DC from there. (I can't even find Largo on the map!!!)

According to the review on biddingfortravel:

"The hotel is located just off the Landover Rd. exist off I-495 (just south of the Annapolis Route 50 exit). The neighborhood within the belthway was not so nice, but the hotel itself is buried within an office complex with major Prince George County offices (including the police department). "

I hope someone who knows the DC area shows up to help, or you could contact the hotel. Sounds to me like it's out beyond the reaches of the Metro.

Hi

I pass this area going to and from work each day. It's really not convenient to Metro at all and perhaps gets most of its business from people coming to do business in the local area.

I imagine the police being nearby by would help otherwise, IMHO, the area would be considered "iffy".

Oh, well. At this point he has to give it a try, since it was a priceline purchase. How far would you say it is from the metro? The hotel advertizes a free shuttle to the metro, but I didn't know if that meant it really was far, considering some people don't like to walk at all.

If they offer a free shuttle to the metro it would be good to use - I woldn't try to walk it as the Metro is off the next exit, (which would be Rt 50 west toward washington and the subway is the first exit on the right)on the Beltway (I-95 which circles Washington). The Metro is great - he'll enjoy using it. Where will the event be that he's attending??

Largo is located between Rts 202 and 214 just outside the Capitol Beltway.
It would be due east from the Capitol.