Hotel close to mall & museums, handicapp accessible?
 

I need a hotel that is close to DC mall /attractions/ museums, but is reasonably priced, in a safe neighborhood, and is accessible for someone with physical limitations. Would like to get as close to the mall as possible or if we must go further out, get as close to a metro station as possible. How much does it cost to use the metro? Will be traveling with elderly person and train steps may be difficult. Wd. prefer close to mall. Any other suggestions or traveling with elderly? Thanks!

I can't help you with hotel info, but I can tell you that the DC Metro is very accessible. All the stations have elevators from street to concourse and from concourse to platform (you may have to look for a sign on the street; often the elevator is about 1/2 block away from main escalator/stair entrance). There are no steps onto/off of the trains, just a small gap (maybe four inches) between platform and train. If walking will be a problem, you may want to consider renting a wheelchair, as the museums and monuments cover a lot of ground. The museums have free wheelchairs for use inside, but there's no guarantee that one will be available, and you may want a chair for the outdoor portions of your stay as well. The Metro is no problem with a wheelchair, except can be a bit of a pain during the busiest times when it's really packed.

Cost for city buses is $1.10 and 50 cents for seniors. Metro is also $1.10 which will take you most anywhere.

I can only think of 2 hotels that are within very close walking distance to <BR>the mall and are also very close to a metro stop--the Holiday Inn Capitol <BR>Hill on C St (only 1 block to the metro <BR>and to the Air&Space Museum) and Loew's L'Enfant Plaza (about 1/2 blk to a metro stop & stairs to the metro corridor from the hotel lobby, but then you have to walk a bit, it is about 2-3 blocks to the mall, but the major museums are not right near there). Both are safe enough neighborhoods being near people and activities and workers, at least in daytime, the L'Enfant Plaza is more isolated and not much around at nighttime, but I suspect you won't be out at night. The Holiday Inn is fairly reasonable in cost, I think the L'Enfant has good promotions and packages sometimes, but is somewhat <BR>more expensive. Of the two, I would choose Holiday Inn for proximity. <BR>Going a little farther away, but not much, I would recommend Capitol Hill <BR>Suites on C St SE. That hotel is very reasonably priced and in a nice, safe <BR>neighborhood (I used to live a few blks from there) and only about 1/2 block <BR>to the So Capitol metro stop; it is too far to walk to the mall and museums, <BR>but is only one block from the Library of Congress and about 2 blocks from <BR>the Supreme COurt and Capitol Bldg, and that is an interesting and attractive part of town; also, there are a few restaurants around there you could go to. The Library of Congress is a beautiful building that is worth seeing, many people don't, and they often have some type of special exhibit <BR>going on. I would personally stay there rather than the Holiday Inn <BR>Capitol Hill if you don't mind not being within walking distance of a museum; also, I believe you get a kitchenette and suite for the basic rate <BR>there, which is only about $100-125. You can view that hotel (and other <BR>budget hotels) on www.dcaccommodations.com; there are also hotel listings on <BR>www.washingtonhotels.com. I can't swear to the accessibility issues, you'll have to inquire at the hotels, but the Capitol Hill Suites advertises <BR>barrier-free rooms, so that's a good sign, and it is a recently renovated <BR>hotel. Also, the Capitol So. metro station is fairly small and relatively <BR>easy to use, not as much walking around as in others, it has shorter <BR>escalators, and you won't need to go up and down stairs to change lines <BR>(Metro Center, for example, is very large, as is the L'Enfant Plaza <BR>stop--you can prob. walk 2-3 blocks within that one). The DC metro system <BR>is good for accessibility but recently a lot of the elevators seem to be out of order, and some have also had escalators out of order a lot (ie, Dupont Circle), it's really like a stairmaster workout on that one

(continued due to post limitations) <BR>There is a hotel right off Dupont Circle if you decide to leave the mall area that is modestly priced; it has new owners, Jurys, which is an Irish hotel company and is now called Jurys Washington Hotel at 1500 NH Ave (it used to be Dupont Plaza Hotel). You can get info on it at www.doyle-hotels.ie. That is moderately priced also, at least it is newly renovated; it's not glamorous, but okay. Although very close to a metro <BR>stop (1 block), that stop has the longest escalator for a subway in the <BR>world (I think I read that, if not, it is very long anyway), it is scary, and it seems to be out of order a lot. Personally,I would choose Capitol Hill Suites for your situation and for neighborhood ambience. Younger people mightlike being around Dupont Circle better and not faint if they look down on the metro escalator. You really get a feeling for being in Washington by staying near the Capitol and Library of Congress, also. Finally, you should look at a map of DC and note that the mall is very large and the museums are very far apart, so you may not really want to be walking all over the mall from one to another, anyway. There is some tourmobile thing that goes around which you've probably read about, that may be an option. However, if you stayed at the Holiday Inn near the Air&Space museum, it could be a 1/2 mile(or more) to the American History museum on the other side and end of the mall, I bet. <BR>