Can anyone recommend a decent, clean hotel outside of DC? We expect to be there 12/27 & 12/28 and want to be able to take the metro into DC to do some sites. We are traveling cross country so we have to watch our budget as we are traveling for 2 weeks.

Or don't think there is anything in DC that would be under $100. Thanks.

If there are just 2 of you you might find something decent on Priceline or Hotwire in DC. For more people you will probably have to stay in the burbs and trek in and out.

We've stayed at the Best Western in Rockville before, a bit further out than we wanted to stay, but the metro was easy to use from there and the neighborhood was nice. They had a shuttle to the metro but I think we drove to the station and parked, can't quite remember. Their AAA rate on your nights is $72 and includes a full breakfast buffet, great if you're watching the budget, you won't have to eat til dinnertime!
There is also a Sleep Inn and a Hilton Garden Inn in Rockville.

On Hotwire you'll find -

A 4.5 star for $99 in Dupont Circle, Embassy Row area - a boutique hotel - recommended by 90% - will be either the Fairfax or Madison, a Loew's hotel

A 3.5 star for $78 - recommended by 95% - probably the Hotel Madera

A 3 star for $70 - boutique hotel - recommended by 90% - could be the Helix, a Kimpton hotel

A 4 star for $87 in the White House, Capital Hill area

A 3.5 star for $86

A 3 star for $75 - recommended by 90%

Any of those would be great deals. Check out betterbidding to get hints of which hotel they may be, but IMO any of the above would be very good.

http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=91&

So long as they include parking: parking can be astronomical in DC...

I agree that you might be able to pick up a bargain in D.C. using Priceline or Hotwire. However, if you do not want to use those third party/bidding sites, then you could take a look at the Americana Hotel in Arlington, VA. It's not a fancy hotel, but it's clean and comfortable and gets great reviews on Trip Advisor. It's within 2 blocks to two different Metro stations and also offers free parking. For the nights you mention, rates range from $65 - $100 per night.

I found a bunch of city center hotels on hotels.com. Click "City Center" on the ""Landmarks" pull down and sort "Price - low to high".

In particular, I would suggest the following two places that are $99/night for your dates:

Club Quarters in Washington DC

Phoenix Park Hotel

And if $101/night isn't too much, then I'd go for the Beacon Hotel & Corporate Quarters.

If your dates are set I'd go with one of the hotwire hotels in the Dupont CIrcle area for under $100. You can park your car at the Reagan National covered lots adjacent to the metro for $20/day or park satellite for $12/day and shuttle to metro to get downtown. Both undercut downtown hotel parking $.

The Americana in Crystal City would certainly meet the bar of clean and decent but for the same money I'd look downtown. It's been around since the 60s. There were all kinds of rumors in the late 80s and 90s about it being a way station for Russian spies on their way to safe houses in the horsey Virginia countryside.

If you end up at the Beacon Hotel & Corporate Quarters at 1615 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036, there is a 24 hour lot a few blocks away (Connecticut & DeSalles NW) which is only $20/day.

http://www.pmi-parking.com/garages/l...112&RegionID=1