Any recommendations for hotels near Metro stations in DC? Will be doing lots of sightseeing with 15-yr. old daughter, and want to minimize travel time. Also, interesting shopping district recommendations needed.

Plenty of options. The Marriott Metro Center has a stop right outside the door. The Grand Hyatt has inside connections to Metro Center.

Both are right DT and within easy walks to the Mall, WH and the dining in Penn Quarter and Chinatown.

But there are other areas and hotels that will also work, depending on your budget and other priorities.

Metro Center is centrally located and you easily can take the Metro to shopping at Pentagon City or Chevy Chase or the Connector bus to Georgetown shopping.

Oops, meant Circulator bus not Connector. It's written about plenty here but the service fills the few gaps where Metro doesn't go.

I used it a lot this summer to ride down K from my office to Roberto Donna's amazing grill days at Galileo. Hope they come back soon.

What price range are you looking at?

Some interesting shopping districts are:
Dupont Circle
Georgetown
Gallery Place
Pentagon City
Crystal City
Friendship Heights (Mazza Gallery)

For a 15-year-old, Georgetown would probably be the most interesting shopping. It's not close to the Metro, but the new Circulator bus is handy.

Some hotels claim to be "near" Metro stations but aren't; for instance, the Embassy Suites in Crystal City. On the other hand, the ES at Chevy Chase is part of a mall and literally atop the Friendship Heights Metro station. The web site stationmasters.com has handy hotel lists that link to maps that show the locations of hotels and Metro stations.

Holiday Inn in Rosslyn, about 2-4 blocks from Metro.

We have stayed at The Grand Hyatt a few times.All have been with priceline bids.As repete has said the Metro Center is under The Grand Hyatt.If you try priceline it is in the convention center zone and is a 4 star.

http://www.stationmasters.com/System.../farragtn.html

Take a look at some of the Kimpton Hotels near Dupont Circle - Hotel Madera, Hotel Topaz, Rouge, or Palomar. Depending on the weekend, the rates can be pretty reasonable. I've stayed at the Madera and really liked it for location and style.

Crystal city is also a good option to stay..lots of hotels+restaurants...
holiday Inn there is good, they provide free shuttle to metro, its 5 min drive from hotel..

Why on earth would anybody choose to stay at a place that needs a SHUTTLE to the Metro, when there are so many hotels that are more convenient? That's exactly the opposite of what hte OP is looking for.

In addition to the Kimpton hotels http://www.kimptonhotels.com/ you might want to check out the Marriott chain.

The Courtyard Marriot @ Gallery Place is right across the street from the Gallery Place metro, while the Renaissance Marriott on 9th Street is 2 blocks down. Around the corner from the same metro station is the Hotel Monaco (w/free goldfish pet for duration of your stay).

Around Farragut North:
Renaissance Mayflower
Club Quarters

Around Dupont Circle:
Jurys Doyle
Wyndam chain

Metro Center:
Marriott MetroCenter
Grand Hyatt
Willard Intercontinental (3 blocks away)
JW Marriott (3 blocks away)
Hotel Harrington

Pentagon City:
Ritz Carlton

I'd have recommended something around Capital Hill, but if I recall, there's really not much going on, unless you're around Eastern Market, and that area is mostly residential - no hotels.

But I would check the websites of each hotel chain listed here and check for what's within your price range.

Personally, I usually stay in the MetroCenter/Farragut North area for work.

We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott in August. It was very convenient as it is directly across the street from a Circulator bus stop as well as the Gallery Place Metro. Metro Center (Blue and Orange lines) was a two block walk away. The Spy museum is right across the street, and 7th St, with a wide choice of restaurants, is two blocks. Our room was smallish, but clean, and beds were comfortable.

We stayed at the Westin Embassy Row two weeks ago, on a Priceline bid. We got this hotel for $75.00 and feel we got a fantastic deal.

The hotel is about three short blocks from the Dupont Circle Metro station, and in a very nice area. We had a great room and a great time.

We bid the Dupont Circle area, and four stars.

Also add Loews LeEnfant Plaza to the list ... Metro station (red line) right below hotel and within easy walking distance to Mall.

Hi Cher,

I didn't really think of Loews as it's real quiet once 5pm hits, and there's really nothing much around. I know as my DC offices used to be in 470 L'Enfant Plaza. Even the stores in the basement were pretty blah. Unless things have changed recently...

Otherwise, great place to stay...

The area around Loew's is getting a little livelier but it still gets very quiet after 5 p.m., plus it's tougher to get to Georgetown or other shopping from there.

L'Enfant is Yellow and Green lines BTW.

L'Enfant has Blue and Orange too -- all the lines except Red--great for getting anywhere else though not a great place to be. Dead in the evenings and nothing nearby that visitors would want to walk to.

I agree -- area around Loews is pretty dead at night -- I wouldn't walk at night to anything from there. However, it's very convenient to the Metro, and during the day it's a great location if planning sight seeing around the Mall or going to any of the Smithsonean museums. At night since the Metro is right there, you can easily pop over to the Dupont Circle area.

Thanks for the suggestions!