gailw

S.O. would like to attend a baseball game next month at Nationals Park. We're country bumpkins. What's the area like around Nationals Park and the Marriott Courtyard? Any Fodors feedback on the hotel? Other suggested hotels near the park? (I've looked on TripAdvisor, but trust Fodors).
Thanks,
gail

Dukey1

You can get to the park on the Metro so just about any hotel anywhere would be a possibility.

http://www.wmata.com/getting_around/...nts/nationals/

vjpblovesitaly

Will you only be in DC one night?

gailw

Dukey: good point. But the room rate for the Marriott is also relatively lower than the hotels located more conveniently to other tourist sites, so we thought it might work out. Any opinion about the Marriott?
VJP: we'll arrive on a Friday and depart Sunday, would like to get tix for a Saturday game.

Dukey1

I am sorry to say that I have no direct first-hand experience with that Marriott and I also understand your point about the cost of hotels. I will say that if you were willing to stay in one of the suburbs in a hotel close to the Metro in places such as Alexandria or Arlington you would probably pay less than for hotels in the District itself.

As to the neighborhood around the stadium. That has changed a good deal since the stadium was built and basically for the better IMO.

Hopefully someone else will be able to provide better direct feedback about that particular hotel.

kayd

The area around the ballpark is fine, especially on game days when there are 30,000 fans on the streets. If you stay at that Marriott, you'll be very glad to be able to walk back to your hotel instead of crowding into a packed Metro train after the game.

gailw

Dukey: yes we found significantly less expensive hotel rooms outside DC but generally prefer to stay "in-town" within reason. That the area around the stadium has improved was my general impression, and, as Kay says, we'll be very happy to just walk back to the hotel after the game.
So, my next task is to try to line up tickets and a (non-refundable) hotel room on the same date. Thanks very much for the advice.
gail

denice7

We live in dc and walked to the game on Saturday. Yes the area has improved around the park but that is not saying much. There really is not anything around it to keep your interest outside of the game. If that is all u are coming to dc to do then I would say book it.

Dukey1

Denice7,

I think the lack of porn outlets and sex clubs has been a MAJOR improvement wouldn't you agree?

gailw

Oh dear! NO porn outlets or sex clubs???? I guess we won't be staying around there after all. (Obviously kidding, of course). As long as the hotel is on the metro, then we can take it to other points of interest. We were in DC for the cherry blossoms about 4 or 5 yrs ago and went to the usual museums, etc., so we'll probably take in a few we missed. That wouldn't be happening when the metro will be overwhelmed with riders, as it would be before and after a game. Of course, it would be nice to be in the thick of restaurants, etc., but as long as we can get coffee in the hotel in the morning, we spend most of the day out and about, so the lack of nearby amenities doesn't disturb us (as long as we're not going to get mugged crossing the street).

dwooddon

I assume your talking about the Courtyard at the Navy Yard. I stayed there 2 years ago and saw no safety problems. As others have said, it is not near any of the major DC attractions except the ball park but it is only one block from the Navy yard Metro Station. The in-house restaurant is OK but nothing to brag about.

bardo1

Agree - the hotel location is perfectly safe but (other than the ballpark itself) the immediate area has nothing of interest to tourists.

If you're OK with hopping on the Metro for a few blocks to eat/sightsee/shop/drink/etc., then it's a good, economical choice. Gallery Place is only 5 stops away and is on the same Metro line (Green Line) as Marriott Courtyard Navy Yard.

The area around Gallery Place (which is also where Marriott Courtyard Convention Center is, BTW) has theaters, movies, museums, cafes, stores, restaurants, bakeries, bars - and lots of each.

Steamedcrab

That Courtyard is a pretty nice hotel, and the area around it and the ballpark have improved dramatically, though not completely. The main drawback right now is that, aside from the baseball game, there's not a whole lot to do in the area. But it's close to downtown, and you'll find it easy to get to other places in the District. If you're saving a good bit of money by staying there, I think you'll find it to be worthwhile.

gailw

Bardo, Steamed & Dwood: thank you for all the feedback. That's pretty much all I was hoping for and expecting: that the area itself was not blighted, that we can jump on the metro to get to other places of interest, and the hotel is reasonably kept/clean/staffed.
I appreciate your help.
gail

obxgirl

Neighborhood is fine and perfect for going to a National's game I would only add that cabs (other than after games) are not as frequent in that part of DC so if you need one (which you probably won't since it's so close to the Metro) call for one to come to the hotel rather than flagging one off the street.

denice7

Hi dukey1

I really didn't mind the sex clubs. I was just speaking to there isn't much regarding restaurants etc around the park though a few just opened in the last few weeks. Hopefully the area will continue to improve.

gailw

Obx, thanks for advice about cabs. I wouldn't have known, since we're used to hailing cabs just walking around in other larger cities we've visited. That's the kind of info that makes Fodors so helpful.
gail

dwooddon

As I said before, my experience is two years ago so it may be out of date. However, when I was there, two or three cabs were always idling at the curb at the Courtyard, waiting for a fare.