Where to stay in D.C.
 

Hi, my husband and I will be taking a week-long trip to D.C. in the spring of 2006. I've never been there before. We will have our car with us and will need parking where we stay. Any recommendations on which area to stay in (should we break it up??) and which hotels are nice and have COMFORTABLE beds? This is mom and dad without the teenager, so advice on a romantic restaurant would be welcome as well. Thanks very much.

Any place you stay that is near the Metro will be convenient. Advice is to park your car and leave it parked while in the city. The metro is easy, convenient and not expensive. Even if you're going out to see Mt. Vernon, you can get there by combination of metro and train easily, so I wouldn't move during my stay. Contact your local Congressman or Senator and ask for their help. They have terrific resources, and do much more than just arrange for you to visit the Congressional galleries. BTW, they don't care whether you are in their party--they'll help anyone.

Vera

parking is expensive in the city, you should try and avoid bringing your car in.

you can park at the hall of states for fairly cheap (bldg on north capitol but the parking is around the corner - aka the c-span bldg)(this is near union station) this is the capital hill area

the hotels convenient to this lot are the Hotel george (which is across the street from the enterence to the parking deck(no need to use hotel george $$ parking.

it's near the hyatt and around the corner from Phoenix Park hotel (phoenix park feels more like a bed and breakfast than a hotel)

There are many hotels in DC, some being more luxurious than others. All of them are expensive. I have stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on Franklin. You can park your car there and ride the metro. It was reasonably priced for a city hotel. We had a nice stay there and we could walk to most attractions. Tell us what you want in a hotel and there are people that have stayed in many of these hotels. I would say stay close enough to walk to most attractions during the day.
You can cab it to dinner if you need to. I agree that your car is unnecessary, but if you would like to leave the city for a day trip, it is convenient.
Buy a trolley pass and they will take you from place to place on the attractions. You get on and off and it will cut back on the walking(miles). Enjoy!!

I suggest you stay in the Dupont neighborhood for the week. Here are some Fodor's recommedned properties in the area:
http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...rief&pg=10

For a romantic restaurants, I would say you can't beat Obelisk (reserve well ahead). A less expensive romatic restaurant suggestion would be Tabard Inn (also a nice hotel). Both are in the Dupont neighborhood and are described here:
http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...rief&pg=10

If you want a historic hotel (of which there are many in DC), there's the Mayflower Hotel, which is now part of the Renaissance/Marriott hotel chain, and the Willard Hotel, which is now part of the InterContinental/Holiday Inn chain. The Willard is famously practically next door to the White House, the Mayflower famous for being a historic host of many presidential galas. I've stayed in both (lucky me), and they both have rather comfortable beds and nice amenities.

I would also check out Hotel Monaco, near the Spy Museum, and Hay-Adams. There is now a Mandarin Oriental Hotel and a new Ritz Carlton (both opened within the past 1+ year) in DC, if you want to really splurge.

Check on websites to get the best value for your money. I would also check the websites of Hilton, Hyatt, Wyndham, the Kimpton Hotels (many of their hotels are near Dupont Circle), Westin, Sofitel and the Marriott. It really depends on how much money you want to spend, ambience, etc.

Sorry I can't really give you suggestions on romantic restaurants. Whenever I'm there, it's for business. Hardly romantic!

It really depends on how much money you want to spend on a hotel. You mentioned having a car with you. Most D.C. hotels charge $30-40 per night for parking. Also, the hotel tax in D.C. is higher than the surrounding areas.

If you are on a budget, you might want to consider the Holiday Inn in Rosslyn, which offers free parking. Its located right accross the river from Georgetown so its a fairly easy walk to all of the great restaurants located there. There is also a metro stop close to the hotel that will take you anywhere you want to go in D.C.

If you want to spend more money, the other posters have mentioned several of the nicer hotels in D.C. The Hotel Monaco and Hay-Adams are two of our favorites because of their central location.

For a romantic dinner, I would suggest either 1789 or Citronelle, both of which are located in Georgetown. Fabulous food, great service, but expensive.

We keep going back to the Loews L'Enfant Plaza, which is very convenient for the metro (down in the underground section) and most of the Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery.
For a romantic dinner, I'd suggest Le Lavandou, out in Georgetown. Excellent French food and a very pleasant atmosphere.

Thank you all for the suggestions. As for the type of hotel, we'd like to stay for under $300 per night, and spend some money on a great dinner somewhere. Perhaps a show. My biggest need in a hotel is a comfortable bed and a decent bathroom. My husband is 6'2" and likes a full size bath. We're driving our 13 yr old son down to the People to People World Leadership Conference, and that's why we'll have our car. We thought why not spend the week he's participating enjoying the sites of D.C. ourselves. I checked out the Willard and they want $400/night (special rate) but you have to pay in full and the full price of the entire stay is non refundable. That seemed a bit severe to me. I'll check out some of the others.

There are several suites hotels that I have inquired: Lincoln suites, George Washington Univesity Inn, Saint Gregory Suites Hotel, Embassy Suites.

I prefer suites for long term stay (5+ days) because of the extra space and kitchen. Would anyone like to comment on these hotels?

In October,we are staying at a b&b, Dupont at the Circle Inn. It has been highly recommended. If I remember I will comment on it when we return

Has anyone any experience with One Washington Circle Hotel? Got a rate of $259 on a Jr. Suite with kitchen, sitting area and it's fully refundable up until the day prior to our trip.

Here is what I have found--would appreciate any and all comments.
Haye-Adams posts availability at $379/nt for exterior room on Travelocity but no availability on their own web site. Should I be concerned? Is it worth that price?
Mayflower $399/nt, Marriot Wardman Park-349/nt,Hotel Monaco-329/nt, Churchill Jr. Suite-279/nt, Hotel Rouge-279/nt, Hilton Garden Inn/Franklin Square-199/nt, Capitol Hilton-159 and up, Hilton Wash. Embassy Row-169 and up, Marriott Wash. at Metro Ctr-389 and up.
No availability at Mandarin, Radisson Barcelo, Topaz, Hotel George.
I wanted under 300/nt but not sure we can get that for the area we want to stay in. I would just go for the Willard at 399 if the whole package wasn't non-refundable. To get refundable, I'd have to pay over $400/nt. Is it really worth it?
One more thing--any hotel search sites you do well with?
Thanks so much for all your help!

Dorgan,

Your list of hotels is fine - all good options.

Try this website for discount reservations to many of thge hotels you are considering.

http://www.capitolreservations.com

I arbitrarily picked a week in May 2006 and many are already sold out. Nonetheless, using the website above should knock the prices down from what you listed in your latest post.

The Mayflower and all the Marriot properties you listed are way overpriced. The others are "worth it", IMO, for peak season demand for the prices you listed. Still - the website above should help.

Look also at these two properties: www.tabardinn.com (their most expensive rooms are their best value) and www.dupontatthecircle.com These are both nice places, conveniently located, and within your budget.

Hotel Lombardy at 2017 Pennsylvania Ave NW for hotel. Park your car at a garage near the Orange line metro stops in northern Virginia. Restaurants- Primi Priatti, Taberna del Alabadero, Kinkeads, Obelisk, Vidalia, Sweet Georgia Brown, Olive's, Galileo's, Cashon's and Lauriol Plaza at Dupont Circle, Corduroy's, Equinox and Citronelle's for restaurant choices.

I stayed at One Washington Circle a few years ago, and wasn't very impressed. It is a short walk to the Metro, however you have to go through a park that didn't appear to be too safe. I had a better experience at the Doubletree on New Hampshire Ave, also close to the Foggy Bottom metro stop. Nice hotel in a nice neighborhood.

Dorgan,
You should check out www.tripadvisor.com to get reviews and recommendations of the various D.C. hotels.

Thanks for your help! I have booked the penthouse room at The Tabard Inn for that week. It even has a kitchenette! Third floor, no elevator, so I'll work off all of the calories I'll be consuming at our fancy dinners out. Now all I have to worry about is parking...

Dorgan,

There is a PMI garage on DeSales St. NW, (which runs between Conn. Ave. and 17th, below M St.). DeSales is a one block long, one-way street that runs east.

They are $17/day and are open 24 hours, 7 days a week. A 2-1/2 block walk to the Tabard, but still probably your best bet.