Hi all. I need to make a decision on where to stay for another weekend trip to DC in August. Dupont Circle or Georgetown? Any hotel (moderately expensive) recommendations?
Thanks.

addendum: In Georgetown, there are a few hotels in the 16th/K area? Does that sound right?

I work 2 blocks from 16th and K. It is not in Georgetown (though yes, there are hotels in the 16th and K area - Capitol Hilton, St. Regis).

Hi Heather

I would suggest the Radisson Barcelo on P Street. It has gotten good reviews on this board. Its in the Dupont area, a very short walk from the metro. It is also on the side of Dupont that is near Georgetown (they are adjacent neighborhoods) so you can walk from there to G'town in about 10 minutes or so.

16th and K does have hotels, including a very large Hilton, but it is not in G'town. It is downtown, very close to the White House. Dupont Circle is about 9 blocks away.

er...oops...16th and M. That sounds right.

My office is located on the corner of 16th and M, and it still isn't in Georgetown. However, across the street is the Jefferson Hotel which is quite lovely and up the block on 15th and M is the Madison.

Heather: M Street does run through Georgetown, but 16th St isn't even close -- think more like 30th St. The heart of Georgetown is M & Wisconsin. M & 16th is a good, convenient, downtown location -- it's just not Georgetown.

The upside of staying in Dupont Circle or downtown is convenience to the metro. There is no metro stop in Georgetown. The nearest metro stop to Georgetown is Foggy Bottom, which is at about 23rd & I -- about a 10-15 minute stroll to Georgetown.

If you want a location that is convenient to both Georgetown and Dupont Circle and still metro-accessible, you might want to think about the West End area which is sort of in between.

Personally, I would stay downtown or in Dupont rather than Georgetown, and just hit Georgetown for dinner one night. I live in Dupont though, so I'm a little biased.

Lisa, say hi to my sister, she lives in Dupont also! On Rhode Island Ave.

I would second hi-ho's recommendation of the Radisson Barcelo. It's a great location, the rooms are nice and they are very roomy. The neighborhood has a lot of activity with shops and restaurants, beautiful walks past embassies -- it's a great place to stay. Happy Trails!

ok...so much for my DC knowledge...I should definitely get a map before I start running my mouth. Thanks for setting me straight.

Ok, so if I narrow this down to Dupont...the Radisson Barcelo seems to be the recommendation of choice. I'll check them out.

Thanks everyone!

I've stayed at the Wyndham on New Hampshire, in Foggy Bottom. Great location, close to Dupont, close to Georgetown, but a little quieter than either. Nice upscale neighborhood.
All things being equal, I would take Dupont Circle over Georgetown, which I find too touristy.

And beware of exploding manhole covers in Georgetown!

Another vote for Dupont Circle.

And ilisa's point about the manhole covers is a real one. You may not have heard, but some manhole covers in Georgetown have been exploding. You're not supposed to walk on them, just in case another one blows.

As a native NYer, I thought the idea was to watch out for falling debris from above. But, I will definitely beware of the exploding manhole covers. Thanks for the warning. Why are they exploding..has that been determined yet? Does it affect the Metro?

Wait! if the manhole explosions are in georgetown, it wouldn't affect the Metro necessarily because there is not Metro in Georgetown! woo-hoo...see? There's hope for me yet.

Not necessarily metro, but the last explosion knocked out power in Georgetown for days.

According to Pepco (the electric company), the exploding manholes are Washington Gas's fault. According to Washington Gas, the explosions are Pepco's fault.

No one knows why it's happening.

I thought they'd decided the manhole cover liftoffs resulted from a wiring problem under the streets ... and that is supposedly what they are working on right now. By the way, as I recall, the problem wasn't originally in G'Town ... but maybe it got attention and coverage when it shut off power to the powerful. Does anyone know the status the repair work ... isn't it supposed to be finished soon? Ciao

Hi! We were just in DC for 8 days and stayed at the Summerfield Suites in Dupont Circle. It was great- a very quiet neiborhood yet 2 blocks from the metro and restaurants. Have fun!

I suggest Dupont Circle. Much better than Georgetown, although you will certainly want to see g-town while in DC. When visiting DC, I never feel quite safe in G-town.