Where to stay in DC for sightseeing
 

My fiancé and I will be in DC for 3 days in November and we're trying to figure out which would be the best neighbourhood for us to stay in.
Our budget is less than $200/night and we aren't looking for anything spectacular, just somewhere to sleep really. We do want to be close to major sightseeing locations but are happy to use public transport for short trips and we're even happy to walk as long as it's not a ridiculous distance.
Any advice and/or hotel recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

I got a hotel 3 blocks from the White House bidding on Priceline for about 180 including the extra fees and the hotel was pretty nice, practically new.

If you're in the downtown area you can pretty much walk or take the bus to most of the major sights.

If you bid on Priceline, there's a map that will give you an overview.

The thing with PL though is we couldn't do much about specifying a particular room - no. of beds, handicap, view, that sort of thing.

OK - so first you say "just somewhere to sleep really" then you want to pick # of beds (if there are just 2 of you why does this matter), view (VIEW!) and handicap (this is legitimate if one of you is handicapped).

So - which is it?

There are other discount sites that allow you to search for various options (t I don;t know any that lets you pick view - unless you're willing to pay more for a specific view - not a discount).

Sorry - you're not being realistic.

nytraveller: it's not the OP who is mentioning handicap, view, etc, it's nstevey who suggested Priceline in the first place. Please read carefully before passing judgement.

I know about the restrictions and have no problems with them as I am aware - just letting the OP know.

You can save lots by staying at a hotel OUTSIDE the city near a Metro stop. Several times I have gone into DC from the Greenbelt station (end of the Green line).
Get off at Union station and head south to the Capitol then head west along the Mall. Glad to see that the Washington Monument is now reopened.

SkruffieLou, DC is not usully that crowded in November, keeping in mind that it's a heavily touristed city year-round. So check out Dupont Circle--the Dupont Circle Hotel and The Tabard Inn in particular--to see if you can find something in your price range; Penn Quarter is also a well-located nieghborhood, but I am not sure about hotel rates.

Finally, read some recent threads here about trips to DC. There are a couple of places near the Zoo that should be in your budget. Good luck.

nyt, really?

I've been to DC a number of times in November and December and rarely had trouble finding a room for under $200 a night. But it really depends on when in November you are coming. You get the best deals on Thanksgiving week, especially if you arrive on Thanksgiving Day. Otherwise, the city can be expensive in November because of conventions.

I often stay in either the Penn Quarter or Dupont Circle areas, but I came recently (in April) and stayed in the West End at the Embassy Suites on 22nd Street NW (not the better located Convention Center location), and I enjoyed that. It was a longer walk to the Metro, but not that bad. I paid a bit more than $200 per night by booking a month in advance, but that was a good deal for the beginning of cherry blossom season.

You can certainly stay outside the District, but if you want a good location, I generally prefer staying inside DC itself rather than in Alexandria or Arlington.

The Woodley Guest House has a few rooms that meet your budget and the price includes breakfast. It is out by the zoo but is very close to the Metro that will take you anywhere. It is in a nice neighborhood with many dining options.

If you can't find something in your price range in DC itself, take a look at the Americana Hotel in Arlington. www.americanahotel.com Comfortable rooms, a pretty decent free continental breakfast, free wi-fi, and it's an easy walk or hotel shuttle ride to a Metro station.

Lee Ann

I second gardendiva's suggestion for Woodley Park Guest House. We stayed there recently for 3 nights and loved it. Metro is just across the street and gets you wherever you want to go quickly.

If your stay is over a weekend, DC is a great place for Priceline bidding because many hotels that are usually full of business people clear out on weekends.

The Woodley Park guest house sounds fine if it's in the budget. They do have 1-2 rooms that are less than $200, but most are not.

It is true that if you have a choice of days, the weekend is almost always cheaper than during the week in DC, due to business travelers. And November and early December shouldn't be as bad a rates as some more peak periods. I'd just use Priceline, probably.