Nice DC hotels near the Red Line Metro and Chinatown -- help needed
 

We will be visiting our newly transplanted, newly graduated daughter in the fall and am interested in what hotels are close to the Metro Center and Chinatown stops of the Metro. She will be living close to the Brookland/CUA stop so a red line metro ride will be fine. We would ideally like to get a decent weekend deal at one of the higher end hotels, or to use some of our points at one of the Starwood or Hyatt hotels. Just don't want to be too far from a Metro stop so we don't spend all of our time getting around. Thanks (this is harder to figure out on line than it seems like it ought to be!!)

Here are maps that show the hotels and other key POIs near Metro Center and Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stations.

The Marriott Metro Center is on the same block as one of the entrances to that Metro station and the Grand Hyatt is a block or two away. The two maps overlap; the Chinatown/Gallery Place station is also shown on the Metro Center map, in gray text just a couple blocks east:

http://www.stationmasters.com/System.../metrocen.html

http://www.stationmasters.com/System.../gallrypl.html

Thanks. Just what I needed and had not been able to find or figure out. Looks like a good site for the future too.

The Marriott Courtyard, in a historic old bank building, is right across the street from a Chinatown Metro stop entrance. Nice place, newer than the Mariott Metro Center, which is OK but somewhat bland. While a Marriott is technically a little higher end than a Courtyard, that's not really the case here. We've used both for business visitors and folks seem to prefer the Courtyard at 9th and F NW.

The Hotel Monaco is a classy, interesting boutique hotel that is kitty-corner from the 7th and F exit of the Gallery Place-Chinatown metro station. Perfectly located for a whole neighborhood of fun restaurants, across the street from the National Portrait Gallery / Museum of American Art, and about three blocks up from the Archives, National Gallery, and etc. It's a better neighborhood for dining and Smithsonian access than what's around Metro Center, though Metro Center has more shopping near it (still not much, though).

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

Since you mention that you have Starwood points.... There is a brand new W Hotel opening in July. Washington's first. It is a top to bottom renovation of the historic and very conveniently located Hotel Washington (and its incredible rooftop deck). Although it is further away from the Metro than some of these other hotels, it's still only about a 3-4 block walk to the Metro Center stop.

I made a reservation at the Hotel Monaco (for all the reasons noted!) but will check out the W as well. The Marriot, Hyatt and Courtyard were all "expensive" relatively, i.e. simlar in rate to the nicer hotels. It is too bad I need to be close to the Red line. The Fairmont has some incredible weekend deals that are the same price as the Courtyard!

You don't need to be close to the red line. Transfers in DC are easier than in most other cities, since they system was designed all at once; changing lines is a matter of taking an escalator up or down plus of course a few minutes' wait for the next train. There are none of those surprise long hikes like in London or Boston! And the Fairmont isn't THAT far from Dupont Circle.

Wonderful -- hope you enjoy the Monaco! It's smack in the middle of what's become a lively part of town.

For restaurant choices, I thoroughly recommend the District Chophouse directly across 7th St. from the Monaco -- cozy atmosphere, excellent burgers etc., good beers brewed on the premises.

For fine dining, there are so many choices within two blocks that it's hard to know where to start, but I particularly like Zola (next block over from Monaco along F street, attached to the Spy Museum) -- great atmosphere and creative food. SEI (next block down 7th from Monaco) is creative elegant sushi. Legal Seafood in Chinatown (about three blocks up 7th from Monaco) has famously good chowder.

In that neighborhood Cafe Atlantico can't be beat for classy latin fare (not Tex-Mex). We travel from Balto just to go there.

Monaco is a great choice. Would have rec'd it had I not focused on Starwood/Hyatt. The one caveat: if you don't like your first choice of a room ask for a new one -- this isn't a cookie cutter place. Great history. You're also smack in the middle of one of the city's liveliest dining areas (and my favorite).

As for the new W, there's a report that the roof area is going to be severely glassed in. Still will be nice, I expect, but not what it was.