We are planning a visit to the National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly in November, flying in and out of Dulles Airport, Washington DC. Since there is a bus to the Museum and easy transport into Washington if we choose the next day, we think we would like to stay out there. Anyone familiar with the Dulles Washington Hilton (whose rates are suspiciously low), the Hampton Inn, or another favorite? We have lots of points with Hiltons but have stayed at enough to find $89 questionable for an airport hotel. We do not want to rent a car. Thanks.

Dulles Airport is almost an hour into Washington DC. If the National Air & Space Museum is all you want to see, then stay by the airport. Otherwise there isn't anything within walking distance of the airport hotels.

I'd personally rather stay city center and maybe trek out to the burbs one day.

BTW, Dulles Airport is packed all the time and the airplane traffic would drive me nuts.

How many nights are you planning in the DC area? What are you hoping to see besides National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center??

I've stayed at the Dulles Hilton many times and always found it a good place to stay. If you are getting a quote of $89 for weekend night (Fri or Sat) it isn't out of line because there aren't many goverment workers or contractors traveling to DC on those days.
However, as GoTravel says, it's a long way into DC from Dulles and if you want to see other sights without a car, you should look at staying somewhere with Metro access and the get a cab or something for a one-day visit to National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center.

Thanks all, especially boom_boom. My brother has participated in putting together some of the VietNam Huey exhibit which opened July 20 and that is the prime reason we are going there. Since we are there, we thought we would go into DC for a day to see the monuments, etc., we saw them many years ago. Then we plan to spend a day or 2 with friends in Reston before flying home. Maybe I should check with our friends and see what they think as well. Our daughter went from downtown DC to NASM and she said it was a very long trip and very expensive, so I wanted to avoid that. Wouldn't one think there would be a shuttle or something between Smithsonians? Ah well, guess not. Thanks.

I believe there is a Hyatt in Fair Lakes (Fairfax) that has a shuttle to the Vienna Metro for when you want to go into DC. I've had family stay there and they enjoyed it. Lots of small restaurants within walking distance from the hotel/shopping.

thanks for the idea