Hotel for first trip to Washington D.C.
 

We (couple in our 50s) are planning our first trip to Washington and considering the Omni Shoreham or Carlyle Suites hotels. We may not have time to do a lot of planning before booking air and hotel so would appreciate advice on these locations for first time visitors. Are there many restaurants in walking distance? Near Metro stations? We will rely on public transport to get around.

We are also open to other hotel suggestions at no more than $250 per night. When visiting other cities we enjoy walking a lot but like public transport available to return to hotel at the end of the day if we are tired, have a rest, then find a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Thank you for suggestions. S.

We stayed at the Harrington hotel.Perfect location,10 minutes walk to W.house or Mall. Metro in the vicinity and restaurants.Advise you to take the old town trolley the first day.You can get on/off all day.Paul

Scootoir,

Neither if these hotels are particularly close in. How did you come up with these two? Both have plenty of restaurants nearby.

The Omni Shorham is 3 blocks to the Zoo Metro station.

The Carlyle Suites are 7 blocks to the Dupont Metro station. I like the Carlyle's neighborhood better of the two, though.

Hotel Harrington is also a good recommendation.

Just so you know, $250 hotels in DC are considered budget hotels (like Red Roof Inn or Hotel Harrington). I'm not sure which is your priority - really nice rooms or a really nice location. For $250 you usually don't get both (unless they are running a special that works with your dates), you need to decide which is the priority.

Here are some others that are an easy walk to all the tourists sites you might also look at are:

Red Roof Inn Chinatown (under $250). Two blocks to Gallery Place Metro. Limitless restaurants nearby. 7 blocks walk to National Mall. http://redroof.com/reservations/prop...aspx?pid=00254

Tabard Inn (under $250)- a charming B&B type hotel. Two blocks to Dupont Circle Metro. Limitless restaurants nearby. 9 blocks walk to White House. http://www.tabardinn.com/

Courtyard Washington Convention Center (could be well under $250 if there are no major conventions or if you can catch a special). One block to Gallery Place Metro. Limitless restaurants nearby. 4 blocks walk to National Mall.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...ention-center/

Check out the Sofitel, right near the White House. I think we paid around $250, it's a top flight hotel.

Scoot, What time of year are you visiting? That can make a big difference in how far your $250 will go. Additionally, some areas (Crystal City for instance, not downtown) will have far better rates on weekends than mid week when the biz travel dries up.

The time of your travel is everything. High prices during cherry blossoms and convention seasons (mid Sept to early Nov, April-May), and great bargains available during dead times for conventions (mid-Dec to early Jan, late August).

As for holiday weekends, you'll see good prices at Labor Day and but great demand for July 4 and Columbus Day. Year round, you may find good rates at business-class hotels on some weekends.

It doesn't seem like money is really that big of an issue, since the Omni Shoreham is under consideration. Bardo's advice on the neighborhoods around the hotels you've highlighted. I'd only stay at the Hotel Harrington if you have no other options since convenience is its only advantage.

Hotel Lombardy at 21st and I Streets, NW.

The Omni Shoreham is right at the Woodley Park Metro-corner of Calvert and Connecticut.Transportation wise, its very convenient. Lots of restaurants on that block of Connecticut although many are tourist oriented. I would not stay at the Hotel Harrington.

I havent been inside the Caryle Suites in awhile, but I heard they recently renovated and the rooms are quite nice. I like its location over the Omni if you don't mind the short walk to the Metro.

I don't know the particular hotel (Carlyle Suites) but it looks like it's in the Dupont Circle residential area (?) If that's right, it's a beautiful neighborhood -- we stayed on Dupont Circle recently at the Dupont Hotel and walked around the neighborhood northeast of the circle several times. Lovely.

Loved the location of the Ritz Carlton Arlington, and our room cost less than $250 (2 years ago). Great accomodations and right on top of a metro station so the location was Fabulous!

Thank you all for your suggestions and info. We are considering traveling this October, found a special price at the Shoreham and it is highly reviewed on Trip Advisor. It seemed a little distant from major sights but think we can live with that.

Frank, the Sofitel was our first choice but seems to be $500 a night--how did you find a $250 rate?

SF, thanks for the info on the Dupont Circle sounds like a good neighborhoo.

Bardo, we'll look into your suggestions.

Finally, we were in college during the Watergate scandal and our first thought was to stay at the Watergate Hotel. What a great scrapbook it would have made but unfortunately it is closed.

S.

Scootoir,

Let us know where you end up reserving - I can offer some specific restaurant suggestions once I know where home base is.

I think that is a good choice. The metro will get u to wherever u want to go. If u enjoy walking u can easily walk down Connecticut Ave to Dupont Circle or across the Calvert Street bridge into Adams Morgan. BTW-the neighborhood around the Shoreham is quite nice also.

Try looking on Expedia for the Kimpton hotels. Then call Kimpton and ask them to match the Expedia price. There are a few near Dupont Circle. I stayed at the Palomar but that is at the top end of their range. Then join their In Touch program and you get free Wifi and $10 in snacks from the minibar.

>>Frank, the Sofitel was our first choice but seems to be $500 a night--how did you find a $250 rate?<<

Because he was probably traveling at different time of the year when the rates were lower. The comment about rates fluctuating with the calendar has been made a couple of times here. October is typically much pricier. For tourists it's a pleasant time to visit weather wise and the school groups are not overwhelming. For biz/gov't it's a fairly active time so many of the downtown hotels are booked.

If your reservation at the Shoreham can be canceled, why not make it now and continue to investigate the other suggestions. That hotel is not the closest one to the National Mall but it's a relatively short and easy ride on the metro. The Shoreham is in a very pleasant part of DC. You could do a lot worse.

A lot depends on what you prefer to be near at your hotel. If you stay close to the Mall or the Capitol it is harder to find stuff that is open at night. The restaurants tend to cater to the lunch crowds in those places. Dupont is a great area for nighttime, lots of restaurants and most places open at night. Plus some great bars and coffee shops. And Adams Morgan is a great artsy area in DC that is fun to check out. The area near the Zoo is a little more rural and may not be as interesting. I also have stayed in several of the Kimpton Hotels and they are amazing. I highly recommend them, but become an in touch member if you do. One we stayed at in Virginia even gave you a goldfish for your room if you want one.

<<<The area near the Zoo is a little more rural and may not be as interesting.>>>

Well, "less urban", maybe, but "more rural"? I haven't seen them milking cows in that neighborhood :-)

Scootoir: I checked our bill, we paid $232 per night including taxes in April, 2009. We stayed 3 nights during the Cherry Blossom Festival. October must be a real expensive month. We went over a weekend which is usually less than weekdays and we booked directly through the hotel website. I checked a 3 day weekend in October and it's coming up at about $320 per night with taxes. Still high but not $500. Check all of the special offer on the hotel website, some include food credits and free breakfast also free night if you stay 4 nights.

sf7307 -- u missed the cows and chickens near the Omni???? Maybe u saw the goats??? U must come back again!
Actually the Omni is not that close to the zoo. In any case the area around the hotel and the zoo is residential with some nice houses. Conn Ave near the hotel offers a wide array of restaurants and some shops.
If u can get a better rate closer in to the heart of the tourist area, that would be good. Otherwise, the Omni is a good choice.
Enjoy DC--at least by October we won't be having this awful hot and humid weather that has plagued us all summer.

The biggest problem I see with the Omni is that it's a 1/2 mile from the metro.

The metro stop is right at the corner from the hotel. The hotel is on Calvert at Conn. U walk up to Connecticut Ave, turn left and its right there. I can't imagine its a half a mile...maybe 1/4 mile.

I started thinking I was confused about the Omni and the metro. Per google its 2/10 of a mile to the Woodley Park Metro Red line Stop.

Rural was not a good choice of words. It's a park. And a pretty nice one. Rock Creek Park.

I googled it too and it said 1/2 mile!!

<<<Rural was not a good choice of words. It's a park. And a pretty nice one. Rock Creek Park.>>>

Well, yes, that would be like referring to Central Park West or 5th Avenue above 60th Street as "rural".

The Shoreham hotel sprawls over a vast expanse of land (well, vast for a city hotel) on the edge of Rock Creek Park, so although it is two blocks to Metro from the closest corner of the property, it may be almost a mile to Metro if you measure from a distant wing.

>>Well, yes, that would be like referring to Central Park West or 5th Avenue above 60th Street as "rural".<<

Yes, I agree.

I was trying not to sprinkle on the other post.

You're right -- I should have put a smiley face at the end of my post. :-)

I hate to beat a dead horse on this distance thing, but i find it highly unlikely that it's a mile from the furthest point in the hotel. Yes, its a big hotel that backs up to Rock Creek Park, but doubtful that one would walk 3/4 of a mile to get to the entrance of the hotel, 2500 Calvert St NW. which is where I assume google measures from. I have walked it often and its like 5 minutes maybe 10 if u walk slowly. When I first put the address of the hotel in and the Woodley Park metro I got 1/2 mile too. When I looked at the map it was not at the metro stop which is at Woodley & Conn Ave NW. When I put those cross streets in it came out to .2. Enuff from me on this...

Had to check - according to the Omni website, it says the metro is one block from the hotel!

well, there u go, right from the horses mouth, so to speak! I know I said no more from me, no will power! How's the SEAsia trip coming along? Samantah Brown had VN on her show the other night.

Again thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I will look at the Omni's cancel policy and consider grabbing it and keep looking.

jckimba, I appreciate the comment about places not being open in the evening near the mall or capitol. Being a first-time I had not considered that.

Frank, I am so jealous of the Sofitel rate. I would have expected one would pay a higher price during cherry blossom time. I will take another look at their specials.

Checking Kimpton as well. Thanks everyone, I'll keep you posted on our plans.

S.

GeorgeW, you mentioned the Hotel Lombardy which I took a look at today. The price is somewhat higher than the Omni but within our range. What do you like about this hotel?

I stayed at the Palomar, just off Dupont Circle, last year and am happy to recommend it. I was on my first visit to Washington too, and found it very convenient, in a charming neighbourhood, with easy access to some excellent restaurants.
The hotel staff were an example of how good hospitality staff can be.

http://www.hotelpalomar-dc.com/

No luck with the Palomar for our dates, tried the Monaco, also a Kimpton hotel but it's more than $400 per night. I think we would have liked the location of the Palomar, not sure about the price. I booked the Omni and with their 3rd night free offer it came out to about $200 per night including the 14.5% tax. Not sure we can best that but I am open.

I'd have been surprised to hear you could get the Palomar or the Monaco for $250 a night. The $250 for the Sofitel in May was a seriously good deal.

If you like Kimptons (I do), try the Rouge on 16th St NW for your dates. It's much more centrally located near Dupont Circle. Not as upscale as the above, but definitely with the Kimpton touches and hospitality.

Not a Kimpton, but did you look at the Dupont Hotel all ready mentionedl? Dupont Circle takes it easily over the Shoreham location.

>>jckimba, I appreciate the comment about places not being open in the evening near the mall or capitol. Being a first-time I had not considered that.<<

That's not exactly true about restaurants being closed near the mall and Capitol. Really depends on the hotel.

Scootoir,

Did you heck the Tabard Inn near Dupont Circle for your dates (or look at the photos?)? Even the Penthouse Suite is under $250.

http://www.tabardinn.com/rooms/tour/private_bath

check...

Agree that Hotel Rouge and Hotel Dupont would be better locations than Omni. Tabard Inn also is a good location.

>>jckimba, I appreciate the comment about places not being open in the evening near the mall or capitol. Being a first-time I had not considered that.<< Yep, that is not an accurate statement, but there are way more choices in Dupont Circle area.