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Any reasonable hotel recommendations in walking distance to the Smithsonian?

Two comments:

1. You will get more responses if you titled your post to include the name of the city that you are inquiring about. You may have thought you were posting to a forum specifically about DC but that is not the case. There is only one forum for the entire US.

2. The Loews L'Enfant Plaza is very close to the Smithsonian Air and Space etc. Nice hotel but may not fit your idea of "reasonable". JW Marriott is very close to the White House and still a reasonable walk to the Mall.

Which museum?

Don't know what your definition of "reasonable" is but:

Holiday Inn - Capitol
L'oew's L'enfant Plaza
JW Marriott
Hotel Washington

These would be the closest to the museums.

Probably the cheapest -- a tourist hotel where many school groups, etc. stay is the Hotel Harrington. Some think it's a dump, others think it's value for the money.

Thanks, bennnie--you stole my thunder! bfr16, please specify what you mean by "reasonable", and we'll all try to help out.

The train stops at the Smithsonian museums, so any hotel located near a train stop is an even cheaper option.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Washington-Capitol in the summer of 2003. It is only about a block from the Air and Space Museum. It was okay, but nothing special. I think we paid around $150 a night.

I agree with all the other posts, but especially that of wsoxrebal.

The Metro system is clean, safe, and easy to navigate. There are stops close to each of the Smithsonians (you do realize there are several?) and if you are looking to save some money and/or have some evening activities, you might find some neighborhoods better suited than those "close" to Smithsonian.

One city hotel often overlooked is the Red Roof Inn, right next to Gallery Place/Chinatown metrostation. Nothing fancy, but clean, safe, convenient (as opposed to suburbs) and rates often under $70

thanks for the responses. They are very helpful. I needed something in walking distance to the mansion. I think the Holiday Inn - Capital may fit the needs since it is quoting $150 per night.

bfr16: do you mean the "Castle", rather than the "mansion"?

If so, a walk from the Holiday Inn Rosslyn (often <$100) to that subway station, then from Smithsonian Metrostation to the "Castle" is probably less than the walk from Holiday Inn Capitol. Not that there's anything wrong with your choice - just pointing out that you really don't need to stay "walking distance" from anything if you're walking distance to a Metro station. Enjoy your trip.

Or by "mansion" do you mean the White House?