Smithsonian - Hotels? Dupont Circle best area??
 

We will be taking train from Philadelphia to Washington DC in early August. Plan on arriving on Monday and leaving on Thursday. I will fly home from BIW, DH will take train back to NY.

We are planning on going to Smithsonian, which I realize is comprised of many museums. We are interested in Air & Space, American History Museum, the Castle and others in the Mall Area.

Is the Dupont Circle area the best [convenient to restaurants, Metro etc] for us to stay in?

I am going to try and Priceline 4* name your own price. It sounds like Dupont Circle is a good choice.

What about Alexandria? Would that work? Any other areas? Since we won't have a car, we would like to be in an area that has really good restaurants, no chains.

Thanks~

Below is link to our trip report to Washington DC last year (including photos). Click on links below. We stayed at The Hotel Rouge near Dupont Circle. We thought the location was good, the hotel was reasonably priced and the rooms were fairly large, but (as the hotel would suggest) very red. Of course, the leopard underwear in the closet might turn some folks off (sorry, no photos of that).

http://web.me.com/tomfielding1/Tom_%...e/DC_2009.html

http://web.me.com/tomfielding1/Tom_%...DC_Part_2.html

((H))

Is "home" Philadelphia? Why are you flying home from BWI instead of taking the train back to Philadelphia? The train takes less than 2 hours -- it's an hour just to get from DC to BWI.

{Home is Albuquerque}
We are doing an east coast trip and Philadelphia is the second to last stop, Washington DC is the last stop. I am flying home, DH is heading back up to NY to pickup his motorcycle and ride home.

And, of course, I made a typo - BWI [not BIW].

Sorry, DebitNM, I didn't realize you were the OP -- of course, I know you live in Albuquerque. I should pay closer attention!

s'ok :o)

maitaitom - what a great TR! You are such a good writer.

Anyone else with input?

Thanks~

I think Dupont Circle or Penn Quarter are very good spots. I work in the Dupont Circle area

Debit, I also stayed at the Hotel Rouge in November. Location is really good and the hotel was clean and quiet.

For Priceline, Dupont is a great area, but the Omni Shoreham may still be included in that zone though it is nearly a mile from Dupont Circle. It is a fine hotel, near the Woodley Park metro station and walking distance to AdamsMorgan, and I would not rule out the zone on the possibility of getting that location. But if you really do not want to be at the Shoreham, choose Priceline's Downtown or Convention Center zones. Good restaurants abound in all three areas (there are few chains other than McD etc anywhere in DC, no Outback, Olive Garden, etc).

Avoid Priceline's Foggy Bottom Georgetown because the sole metro station is at the FB edge of the zone, far from the heart of Georgetown.
Hotels may be offering competitive prices for August, so do some poking around before going to Priceline (though you already knew that).

@ kayd
<i>choose Priceline's Downtown or Convention Center zones. </i> So, these will be convenient to Mall museums [or Metro to get there]?

A mile doesn't seem bad to me, as long as it is near Metro.

Thanks...

"So, these will be convenient to Mall museums [or Metro to get there]?"

Di you look at the zone map?

yes, but it isn't easy for someone who is not familiar with the city to determine if an area is close to metro that will get you to Mall area, which is why I am asking here.

The three Priceline zones I recommend are Dupont, Downtown-White House, and Convention Center -- metro stations convenient (within a half mile) to all hotels in these zones. In the FB-Georgetown zone you could get a hotel two miles from the nearest metro station.

Thanks, kayd.

Deb, we once stayed in Woodley Park (at the Marriott) and it's a great neighborhood to stay in, so if you do happen to get that hotel, you'll be fine. We walked from Woodley Park to DuPont Circle (and to the Capitol, actually, even though it was far, and hot, being July). Along the way, we walked through the Adams-Morgan and Kalorama Heights areas, great walk.

kayd, do you happen to know which Priceline/Hotwire area includes Logan Circle?

The Priceline map has Logan Circle in Downtown.

If you look at 13 (White House, Downtown) Logan Circle is on the top right. It looks like the Map only covers half of the actual circle. Follow Rhode Island in a NE direction to the circle.

The P street area is Logan Circle also but I am not sure what Numbered streets starts the area considered Logan.

Logan Circle is the intersection of 13th, P, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The hotels closest to Logan Circle would probably be those on R.I. and Vt near 14th-15th.