We're thinking of staying in Alexandria (Holiday Inn Old Town) and taking the Metro back and forth to see the sights. Too far out of the way? The other choice is Holiday Inn Capitol. Is that an OK neighborhood? I know it's just south of the Mall. The predicament: Would it be better to stay near the Mall and make Alexandria a day trip? Or go for the ambience of Alexandria as a retreat after hectic sightseeing at Mall, etc.?

I'd always suggest that you stay in DC if possible. Nothing against Northern Virginia, but why commute every day when you don't have to?

Metro is a wonderful system and wherever you stay just make sure you're near a Metro stop!

Gerri-
I have to disagree with John. We stayed in the Capitol Hill area near the mall in May and wished we would have stayed somewhere else. The proximity to the Mall and its attractions was nice, but the whole area seems to shut down after 5. There were no restaurants, bars, etc. We ended up taking the metro/taxi into other areas of DC like Dupont Circle and Georgetown after our day of sightseeing. Next time, we'd like to stay in Dupont Circle or some other "fun" spot.

Old Town Alexandria is a great place to stay and the Holiday Inn is right in the center BUT the Metro is not in the center, it's right up the far end of King Street from the river, too far to walk, you'd need a taxi ride. Having got to the Metro it's quite a quick trip into DC center.

You seem keen on Holiday Inns, how about the Holiday Inn in Georgetown? Again, quite a walk/taxi ride down Wisconsin Avenue to the center of Georgetown, but Georgetown is a great place in the evening.

Or the Holiday Inn in Rosslyn might be even better, it overlooks the river at Key Bridge, is very near Rosslyn metro (nearer to the DC sights than Alexandria) and just a short walk across Key Bridge from Georgetown.

Don't know the Holiday Inn Capitol but suspect, as previous poster says, it might be a bit dead at night.

Just curious -- is there are reason you are limiting yourself to these two choices, or to Holiday Inns?

Alexandria is nice but the metro there isn't really near the old town, or near the Holiday Inn, which would make it inconvenient for getting around every day. The Holiday Inn near the Capitol is more convenient to the Mall, but as someone else mentioned, it's not a great place to be in the evening if you're looking for a place to eat dinner. Neither of these choices are great. If cost is a factor I think there may be choices in the same price range in better locations. If you tell us more we may be able to help -- price range, who's travelling (kids? older people?), what kind of an environment you're looking for, etc.

Hi Gerri,

My husband and I recently did what you're thinking of doing. When visiting the D.C. area, we opted to stay at the Old Town Alexandria Holiday Inn Select, on King Street. There IS another Holiday Inn in Old Town (I forget which street), so I'm not sure which one you're referring to, though. The one on King Street offers free shuttle service (every hour on the half hour) to the King Street Metro station, which takes about 5 minutes to get to. From King Street, we took the Metro to the L'enfant Plaza station, a 15-20 ride, and it's right in the heart of the Mall. We found Old Town to be delightful and enjoyed the difference in that environment, compared to the hustle and bustle of the sightseeing area. Hope this helps.

I'd like to clear up a misconception. King Street Metro stop is NOT "far away" from Old Town. It basically marks where Old Town starts. King Street itself is one of the main streets through Old Town. Walking from the metro straight down King Street all of the way to the Potomac River takes less than 20 minutes (obviously longer if you stop to look at things). It's a very pleasant walk (unless it's a nasty hot and humid day), and unless you have a physical limitation, you do not need to take a cab. I walk from my office (across the street from the Metro) to the Potomac and back almost every day. It takes me 17 minutes one way (and I don't walk at a fast pace).

I love Old Town, but understand how some people would want to stay in DC, closer to the major tourist sites. But yes, the Holiday Inn on Capitol is a bit removed from restaurants and such, but it's not a bad location.

If it's easy to get to the King St metro, I'd stay there over Capitol Hill because Old town is more interesting at night, walking around and restaurants. Capitol Hill is dead at night, there's nothing around that hotel. Now that would not be terrible, actually, you could go out elsewhere at night and just take the metro to get to Holiday Inn Capitol Hill (a stop is right around the corner from it), so it would not be too bad. Alexandria Old Town is not very far from DC, it's no further than staying in some parts of DC would be by metro to central area. It's really kind of hard to say what is best for you without knowing what kind of things you want to do at night and how many in your party and what you want to do in DC. For instance, if you have kids and want to go to the museums on the Mall at lot, Holiday Inn Cap Hill would probably be better.

I have stayed in the Holiday Inn Capitol. Since I was there on a personal photography trip, it worked fairly well. It will put you very close to the Capitol and the Smithsonian (the Air and Space Museum is less than a five minute walk away). The other end of the mall (Lincoln Memorial) is a long, long, long walk. The big disadvantage is just what others have mentioned. There is little nearby in the way of food (even in the hotel), and it is very dead at night. I took the metro out at night to areas around the White House and Union Station for food and activities. The L-Enfant Plaza metro station is just around the corner (maybe five minutes walking). There are a few other stops in the general vacinity (Smithsonian for example), but they are quite a walk. For me, this hotel was also good because it was very easy to access when coming up from Virginia. Not much chance of getting lost or having to drive around too much to get to it. You can drive from there to the Jefferson Memorial in no time at all and then circle around the Tidal Pool back to the hotel.

I've actually stayed at both. I found the H.I. on Capitol Hill a bit on the lonely side, esp. at night -- don't really like emerging from Union Station Metro after dark. On the other hand, Alexandria is a city in its own right, with its own history and its own sense of community. I felt more comfortable there, despite the hike to/from the Metro.

An option: if you want to stay in Alexandria, what about the Embassy Suites Hotel ... it sits 100 yeds. from King Street Metro station. And the walk up King St. to Old Town proper is only 15-20 minutes, and interesting. I wlak this stretch daily. By contrast, the Holiday Inn by L'Enfant Plaza Station is deserted at night, and there are zero shops, restaurants or places to visit. Believe me ... my office is around the corner and I see it every evening. The yellow line service from King Street takes 15 minutes. Or you can use the blue line for downtown DC. After a long day trekking around the Mall, etc., you'll be so glad your hotel is near the Metro. Have a good trip. Ciao

Gerri -

I agree with previous poster, it would help to know ages and limitations of those traveling to get a good answer. We took a family vacation to DC in '92 with our four children who ranged in age from 4 to 14 at the time. We stayed in Alexandria because we wanted an apt. rather than standard hotel rooms for our family. The we took a stroller for the four year old and used the metro to get downtown each morning. It was very quick, simple, and economical to use the metro.

The Holiday Inn Old Town has seen better days and it is too far from the metro.HI also charges a lot for parking.We stayed in the Mariott near the Mall - a huge rip-off but we do love the Hotel Lombardy and it is about three blocks to the Metro it is a super place to stay and there are several good restaurants within walking distance.The metro is great,clean,and easy to use.Alexandria is a good day or evening trip but if you want to see DC it is a good idea to stay there.Loads of restaurants in Alexandria most of them bad.

Today, I'll go right by King Street, and there are plenty of very nice and reasonably priced restaurants all along it. It's not fair to tar all places as "bad" ... we live there and use them all, and they are just fine. Perhaps you ate at one you didn't like, but lets at least keep it accurate and reasonable. Ciao

There are lots of good restaurants in Old Town. None, unforunately, could be classed among in the best in the DC/VA/MD area, but they serve us pretty well most of the time. There are a few that aren't so good, but I'd be hard pressed to name any off the top of my head.

Two good places I recently went to for the first time: Cafe Marianne (which may force me to reevaluate my statement that there are no "great" restaurants in Old Town). On the north fringes of Old Town, off N. Fairfax Drive, very near the Potomac. Santa Fe East is also a good place for Tex Mex.

First - if you call 1-800-visitdc they can make reservations for you at rates below AAA discounts.
Second - I lived in DC and ALexandria for 8 years. You will not want to walk back to the HI on King Street after a long day walking around DC. I'd recommend staying in the FOggy Bottom area of DC. It's an easy walk to Georgetwon, the Lincom Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, etc. and right near the Foggy Bottom metro which is on the orange and blue lines, which will take you to 80% of DC's attractions. I'd recommend the St. James - all rooms are suites, excellent location, and excellent service. That is where I always booked my family.

JHBeck, Thanks for the tip about 1-800-visitdc. I just called them and got a better hotel and a less expensive rate than my booking through Quickbook. Your tip is saving me about $40 a night. Thanks!! Do other cities offer this reservation service?