My family (2 Adults & 2 girls 16 & 13) are travelling to D.C. in February '99 for a week.
We have booked the Washington Hilton & Towers (recommended to us) - anyone stayed there - if so, what's your opinion? We will have to share a concierge (tower)room for 4 people, due to budgetary constraints. Cost is $175 + tax per night, incl breakfast.
Any other ideas?
We are from London, England.

Give The River Inn a try...don't know how their prices will range, but it is a very nice hotel with great restaurant located directly across the street from the tube entrance. It is located in the Foggy Bottom area. Might also try The Willard...such a great location and usually expensive, but when we were there, we noticed we could have stayed there instead of the dump we had in an out of the way location. Be sure to eat at Ebbit's Grill, really good.

I've been in DC for about 11 years now, and can tell you that the Washington Hilton (aka the Hinckley Hilton) is a very good hotel. However, it is not convenient to the metro. Your best bet would be to try to get a reservation at a hotel further downtown convenient to metro and in walking distance to the major attractions. Unless money is no object, I would not stay at the Willard. You may want to try the Capital Hilton on 16th and K, near the Farragut North metro and two blocks from the White House. Across the street is the Carlton, which is a bit pricier, so it may not be logical. Other good hotels are the Capitol Hill Hyatt, in walking distance of the Capitol and near the Union Station metro, as well as the Holiday Inn across the street. The J.W. Marriott on Pennsylvania Avenue (near the Willard) is good. There is also a very nice hotel on Connecticut Avenue next to the Woodley Park metro and the zoo. It was the Sheraton, but I believe it has changed ownership and now may be a Marriott. Let me know if you need any more information on DC. I am also a docent at the Air and Space museum, so I can tell you all you need to know about that and the Smithsonian, as well as anything else you need to know about the city and its sights.

I visit DC often. And I lived there for 11 years at various stages of my life.
I prefer the Mariott Courtyard in Roslyn, which is just over Key Bridge from Georgetown. The hotel is close to the metro and connects easily to the airport and to downtown. The rates vary with the season and whether or not it is the weekend.

The Washington Hilton, though nice, is mainly a convention/business travelers type hotel. Also, as has been noted, it is not convenient to the Metro, which is by far the best way to get around in Washington. Du Pont Circle is a lively area--lots of good restaurants--with several hotels such as Embassy Suites which cater more to a family trade. Some people even prefer to stay further out, in Arlington for example, to get a family-oriented hotel with pool etc. and then jump on the metro to get around. You didn't ask, but I can't resist telling you some of our family's favorite sites: the White House, the FBI tour (capped by a shooting demonstration), Arlington Cemetery, and the Ford Theatre (where President Lincoln was assasinated, and the docent on the day we visited gave a very dramatic re-telling).

Some additional good sights in the DC area include a "Newseum" in nearby Virginia. The place has it's own website. It is all about how news is presented Print, Radio, TV. Fabulous with lots of hands-on opportunities.
If you will be over on a Sunday, there are some historic choices: Try to make services at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church downtown. Lincoln's pew is clearly marked. The Washington National Cathedral "out" Wisconsin Avenue is also lovely, but I really like the former. Very American.

Our family of four stayed at the St. James near Washington Circle last August and enjoyed a beautiful one bedroom suite for about 125/night, including taxes. Our two girls slept on the living room sleeper sofa. I recommended the place to my brother. His family of five traveled in October and was equally pleased. This hotel is less than one block from the Foggy Bottom metro stop. You can visit their website at www.stjamesuites.com.

Our family of four stayed at the St. James near Washington Circle last August and enjoyed a beautiful one bedroom suite for about 125/night, including taxes and breakfast. Our two girls slept on the living room sleeper sofa. I recommended the place to my brother. His family of five traveled in October and was equally pleased. This hotel is less than one block from the Foggy Bottom metro stop. You can visit their website at www.stjamesuites.com.

I just realised, I lived across the street from the Washington Hilton & Towers for several years! It is not "on" the metro, but you can easily walk down hill to Dupont Circle Metro, or just keep walking down Connecticut Ave to Pennsylvania Ave and the White House.
(Consider the uphill walk back "good for you") It is also convenient to Adams Morgan, which has terrific restaurants one after another of every national cuisine you can imagine. Plus there are shuttles two/from the airports.

Let me second the vote for The River Inn. The rooms have kitchenettes, a plus witha family I would think. And it is very near the Metro stop at George Washington University. We stayed there a few years back and liked it a lot.
Since then we have taken to staying in the Dupont Circle area. You might check the Dupont Circle Hotel. It was just renovated. The advantage of Dupont Circle, aside from the easy access to the metro is that you can pick up a bus for Georgetown easily there. Don't miss Kramer Books or the restaurant called Raku very nearby.

We stayed at the Embassy Row Hotel, which is a Hilton, right at Dupont Circle. It was only 1 block from the Metro, and right on the busline to Georgetown. It was nice, and a good price for a chain hotel in DC.

We went past the Washington Hilton & Towers as we were touring, and I must admit that I thought it was "not quite" in a location I would want--you might try to get something closer to Dupont Circle, although the Washington Hilton is within walking distance but several blocks further than you would want to walk, if you had a choice.

Hi Paul,

I see some very good suggestions posted. I highly recommend that you look into a suite at the Residence in by Mariott, in Pentagon City. Its a short, and safe walk to the metro, and you will be in the center of Wash. D.C. in about 10-15 minutes. All of the rooms at this hotel have kitchens, and breakfast is included at not charge for all who stay there. I have stayed there twice and would go back again. If you write to me, I'll be happy to give you some suggestions for places to go while you are there. By the way, I love London, and England is my favorite country.

Jerry

We live about an hour from D.C. and have stayed in there on business several times over the years. Our best experience was at the Double Tree Hotel. A couple of blocks from the metro, the most courteous staff a it's just a beautiful place in the heart of it all.