Planning a mid-June 4 day visit with my wife, son and mother. No I am not crazy my mom is actually great to travel with. Looking for some information as to where not to go. Every city has its bad sections and I just want to make sure we stay out of harms way. Looking at staying at the Courtyard on Embassy Row. I can use my Marriott points and it will basically cost me nothing. Any help would be appreciated.

The Courtyard on Embassy Row is a fine location; however, if you are able to spend those points at any Courtyard hotel, my first choice would be the Washington Convention Center location, which is most centrally located. My second choice would be the "Northwest" location at 1900 Connecticut Avenue. That one is not actually too far from the Embassy Row location as the crow flies, but it is on a more lively street with multiple restuarant and shopping choices, and is a tad closer to the Metro (by a hair, I think). By comparison, the neighborhood around the Embassy Row location is dominated by offices, condo buildings and churches. But the metro is still within walking distance and the location is fine, even if it wouldn't be my first choice, I'd certainly stay there if it were practically free . .

You could also use your Marriott points at the Renaissance Mayflower, one of DC's historic luxury hotels. The rates for mid-June look very good.

Sure, DC has some bad sections, but the places that tourists go are all perfectly fine. What do you want to visit?

We are going to do all the touristy things. Planning on a Friday arrival and checking out on Tuesday. From there we are grabbing a rental car and touring the VA country side, including Manasass, Front Royal, Luray and down to Richmond, Williamsburg & Jamestown.

Thanks for all the info and more suggestions or information is welcome.

A suggestion: Post another question about your route through Virginia. Personally, I'd bypass Manassas.

I second the advice of MoonGirl - the Washington Convention Center is a more convenient location since you will be closer to the Metro and more things are walkable. Embassy Row is very scenic and pretty, but there is not much tourist-wise that is close by.

The only truly "bad" parts of town are the lower portion of the southeast quadrant and some of the northeast, but there is probably not much there that would interest you in terms of museums or monuments. Capitol Hill is in southeast but is very safe.

A word of warning, however - avoid walking on the National Mall too late after dark (i.e. 8 pm) as this has been a prime spot for muggings and assaults of tourists out for a moonlit monument stroll. You won't have to worry about pickpockets in DC, but do be on guard if someone approaches you at night in a quiet, even just to ask a question.

Ruff, what you say is true, but some of the hotels in NE do try to appeal to tourists. Their blurbs on the hotel booking sites describe themselves as "close the White House" or something like that. If you didn't know any better, it might appear that the hotel is in a nice, touristy area.

My advice to anyone looking for a bargain hotel in DC:

The hotels on New York Avenue in NE are very, very bad. No matter how good you think the price is, don't even think about staying there.

Yeah, you sure don't want to stay on New York Avenue! I agree completely.

With respect to the swing through Virginia, I second the suggestion to drop Manasass. I would probably drop Richmond, too. But I would add Charlottesville.