My wife and 4 year old will be heading to Washington DC for the FIRST TIME on June 1st, 2007.

We are on a strict budget, any suggestions on where to stay?

We will sacrifice a larger travel time if the price is right...and it has to be clean and safe! We don't plan on participating in the "night life" w/ a 4 year old in tow.

Any suggestions on where to stay and what the best kid/family friendly vacation includes?

Thanks,
Chris

How do you define "on a budget."

Have you looked at Priceline or Hotwire? I got the Hyatt by the capital for $69 a nite (cpl yrs back).

Are you driving down from the north or up from the south into D.C?

I've also had good luck with priceline in DC.

Not sure what your budget is: If you want to be closer in try Key Bridge Marriott. It is a couple blocks from a metro stop and very close to Georgetown.

Now, there is Hyatt Fair Lakes (Fairfax, VA.) that my family stays in all the time when they visit us. The Hyatt offers a shuttle to the Vienna Metro stop (which can be from 10-20 min. drive from the hotel depending on our awful traffic). It is a nice hotel and is in an area with several restaurants and shopping.

Or I might even suggest Tysons Corner, VA. hotels.

If you're on a tight budget, then stay outside of DC but stay in a hotel that can get you to the metro stop.

If you don't mind taking the metro, which is very cheap and convenient, then try Residence Inn Arlington Pentagon City, 550 Army Navy Drive, in Arlington. Phone # is 1-703-413-6630. A room with kitchen/living room (pull-out couch bed)and seperate bedroom goes for about 104.00/night. Includes breakfast (good) and mid-week also includes Dinner (buffet, simple but good). It is a great deal for families. Not close to maal or night life but Metro station is a block away. Safe area, too. Some shopping (mall) near metro station,but you're going there to see the museums and kid attractions anyway, right? We have stayed there twice and both times enjoyed it. rooms are simple,clean and comfortable. Staff is friendly and helpful. All 6 of us ate for free every night! (yes we crammed 6 people into the room and we still had fun).

The Harrington hotel only two blocks from the Mall in a very safe neighbourhood.Paul

Check the Lombardy Hotel.

<<We are on a strict budget,>>

How strict?

Are you saying you don't wish to spend more than $465.23 per night? $347.14? $511.84? $296.22? before taxes? after taxes? parking included? breakfast included?

I certainly wouldn't stay at the Harrington with my family. Actually, I wouldn't even stay there by myself.

There's a Courtyard at the Eisenhower Metro stop. It's about 1-1.5 miles outside Old Town Alexandria on Eisenhower Avenue, and there's a movie theater and a couple of restaurants across the street. It's quiet even though you can see the Beltway from the hotel--I used to live down the street. There's also a water park a little further down Eisenhower, just past the townhouses.

I simply dont know what you people have against the Harrington hotel.We stayed there last Sept. and had a renovated large room with full bathroom,AC ,writing desk.Nice safe neighbourhood;one block from the FBI building,2 blocks from the mall,several nice restaurants and breakfast places in the vicinity;short walk from the White house.When you visit a new town you only need a hotel to sleep after an exhausting visiting day and to take a shower.Paul

The Harrington Hotel is fine to stay in.It is safe , clean and in a good location

Melissa

In city- the Quincy, the Lombardy, the Red Roof Inn and the Tabard Inn.

I think the Harrington is probably fine, but people just need to be prepared. It's not an impressive place and not the kind of hotel many travelers are used to. While people in the US have a context for cheap hotels on the highway or even the beach, but they don't have a concept of what an independent, cheap hotel is like in big cities.

Another fairly inexpensive hotel in a good area is the Taft's Bridge Hotel. It's just a short walk to Dupont circle, and it runs under $100 a night.

I second hotwire.com. There are some amazing deals to be had. (I just got a steal for the Westin on HHI for $65/nt in May!)

I went to college in DC, and lived there for 13 years afterward, and have had many people ask me about the Harrington because it's so cheap.

There's a reason it's cheap! You get what you pay for.

I think someone else mentioned the Red Roof Inn in Chinatown. It's a really good location, and the food in the Irish bar in the hotel is good.