RKogel

Looking for a DC hotel:

1. Near the metro
2. All suites a plus
3. Pool a plus
4. Affordably priced a plus

We are driving in from MI with 3 kids and are thinking that staying out of DC a couple of metro stops will (1) save money, and (2) be convenient because of the metro.

Rich

We usually stay at the Embassy Suites in Alexandria. Across the street from Metro. . easy walt to "Old Town Alexandria" and many cool restruants

http://embassysuites1.hilton.com/en_...ginia/index.do

Ryan

Agree with the Alexandria suggestion. We went there for an afternoon excursion from DC last summer. Very easy to get to on the Metro Yellow line. King Street is the main metro station for Old Town Alexandria.

BlueSwimmer

I'm from Alexandria, and always recommend staying here as a base if people don't want DC proper; they call it the "fun side" of the Potomac and Old Town is charming, historical, and has great shopping and dining.

There is an Embassy Suites in Crystal City, too, just a mile or so from Old Town. This area is adjacent to Reagan National Airport and is mostly high rises but includes lots of restaurants and a great mall- Pentagon City Mall.

weimarer

I'd suggest the Holiday Inn at Eisenhower Ave in Alexandria. It is right next to the Metro Station (15-20 minutes to downtown), has an indoor pool/game room. I'm not sure if they have suites, but double rooms can be had for $150 or less. Don't know if they take 5 per room. Also, nearby is the Hampton Inn, which I know has suites. The pool is an outdoor one, though. I'm sure it has a shuttle to Huntington Metro as well as Old Town Alex. The Huntington station is only a few minutes away. Old Town Alex is also just minutes away. Free parking at both these places. There are a couple others right near the Eisenhower Station as well, but can't recall the names. These are right by the highway, so no "ambience" in the location, but they are very convenient to both DC and Old Town, less $$, and very decent quality hotels. Also, Mt Vernon is an easy 10-15 minute drive from the Hampton.

Are you coming this summer or winter? Just a few minutes down Eisenhower Ave from the Holiday Inn is the Great Waves Water Park. Wave machines, water slides, all that. It opens Mem Day weekend.

taitai

We took the kids to DC for their Fall Break this year and stayed at the Old Town Embassy Suites in Alexandria. Great place. Free breakfast. Snacks at night. All suites. Across the street from the Metro and around the corner from all the cute shops and restaurants in Old Town. It is probably a 20-25 minute ride to the Smithsonian Metro stop so not super close but a great property. I am sure they have a pool although we did not use it.

Have fun!

321go

Marriott has a Residence Inn that's an easy 2 block walk to the Pentagon City metro stop (they also shuttle guests to and from the metro in their van), has a pool, two-bedroom, two-bathroom suites (which can be important when you are a party of five), and great views of DC from many of the rooms. The metro stop is at the Fashion Centre Mall, so lots of stores and restaurants. I believe the Marriott Crystal Gateway (very easy access to the Crystal City metro) also has a pool.

Christina

There is an Embassy Suites in Chevy Chase right at the metro and in that mall (Chevy Chase Pavilion). Have no idea if they have a pool, mall could be convenient for movies or cheap food places. There is also a Homewood Suites now in Silver Spring near the metro, and they do have a pool. It's also near all their outdoor restaurants and a movie theater and would be my choice. Both of those would be more convenient for someone coming from Michigan than going down to Virginia.

DancingBearMD

Embassy Suites in Chevy Chase does have a pool. You might want to check out Residence Inn in Bethesda, no pool but very convenient to the Metro and plenty of restaurants and such around.

obxgirl

RKogel, From your other post I see you all are coming in early April for spring break. Hotel prices fluctuate upwards then so it might be good to know what affordably priced means for you.

I think all of the suggestions are good ones and will like run $200-300 a night for the suites hotels plus taxes and parking, of course. Is that your range?

RKogel

Thank you everyone. $200 a night or close is our range. Am thinking using Priceline also, but with some reservations. We used it for Chicago, but it was just for my wife and I. Now I prefer a suite and I am not sure you can work with through Priceline.

weimarer

RKogel, I'm going to shamelessly plug that Hampton Inn Alexandria Old Town South again, not just because it will be in your price range and has free parking, but I forgot something. It backs up against the Belle Haven Country Club golf course, so if you get a suite on the upper floors facing back, you should have a nice view of the course and the Potomac River behind it. In early April it will be beautiful with the blooming trees and shrubs. You might even see the bald eagle that has been spotted perched on a tree at a nest on the far end of the course along the GW Parkway. (I live in the area, so take my walks down there a lot and have seen him a couple times in the last few months).

No indoor pool, but there is the Mt Vernon Rec Center a minute down the road, with pool, spa, sauna and ice rink (not that you'd need that coming from MI). You'd have to pay, but they have a discount for a family group.

Look into the nightime or sunset boat tour that leaves from Old Town Alex to cruise up to DC and see all the monuments lit up at night from the water.

If you have any interest, plans or time to go to Great Falls Natl Park, let me know, and I'll give you directions to a place right nearby where you can see a glorious display of Virginia Bluebells carpeting the entire forest floor right along the river. They bloom in early April before the trees green up.

obxgirl

Someone on this thread is quoting prices under $200 a night in April at DC area Embassy Suites:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...near-metro.cfm

The ES in Crystal City is offering free parking on one of their rate schemes. That's $20 or more a night. CC wouldn't be my first choice for location but it is very close to downtown DC, near a metro and, while it's a soul free neighborhood, it does have a good variety of shopping and restaurants.

wiemarer, with all due respect you ought to mention the potential downside of the Hampton Inn you're recommending. It fronts 8 odd lanes of busy traffic on Route 1 and is adjacent to the monster clover loop interchange at I95 and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. You can't walk anywhere and there's really no place worth walking to. Down the road a bit is a nice place to live but I wouldn't put a pair of adults and 3 kids there for a holiday.

DancingBearMD

I did not see before that you are coming into Reagan. In that case, Bethesda and Chevy Chase suggestions aren't great for you.

And if you are going for a place that is very close to Metro I wouldn't worry about them not having a hotel shuttle, just use the Metro.

DancingBearMD

You might look at the Residence Inn at Carlyle or the Westin Alexandria, or Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town

elemusing

Hello, Sorry to highjack your thread but hoping some of you friendly people who are answering can also answer this for me. I am also thinking of staying in Alexandria rather than in the main city. I read that one must be near the metro if he doesn't have a car. So, if we wanted to go into the city - say to the Smithsonian - do I understand that we CAN catch the metro in Alexandria (the one you spoke of in first post for example) and get to all the "tourist" places in DC? (We want to visit the monuments and the Smithsonian for sure.) I know this sounds like a stupid tourist question - but I have never been to DC and am very confused after all the reading I have done. How long on the metro do you think it would take to travel to the Smithsonian for example from a metro in Alexandria. I understand that we would have to change metro lines. . . Thanks for your help!!!!

Rich

You do not have to change lines for the Smithsonian Metro stop . . it takes about 20 - 30 mins as I recall. It drops you off in the middle of the Mall, so you can get about anywhere from there.

The Alexandria stop is King Street stop on this map:

http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm

Rich

You would take the Blue line

elemusing

Thank you so much for your kind replies!

DancingBearMD

From the King Street stop consider taking the Yellow Line and getting off at either L'Enfant Plaza or Archives/Navy Memorial (or Gallery Place for Spy Museum, National Portrait Gallery and others). Using the interactive WMATA map link that Rich provided, if you click on a station you can then click on "Google Maps" and it will show you where a station is located on the surface map.