Where to stay in Washington DC
 

We are traveling to Washington in April by car- and are unsure where to stay - either in the City or outside and then travel in. We are planning two nights and so just want to see the major sites. We are traveling with two 16 year olds and are from UK. Budget is up to around $400 - 450. Thanks

In DC: Penn Quarter, Dupont Circle, Downtown
In VA: Rosslyn, Crystal City

Also consider Alexandria, VA. Moast hotels have shuttle to DC or to Reagan airport/ Mettro. Driving in DC not worth the time. Better value too.

If you don't want to stay IN the District there are NUMEROUS hotels in Arlington (which includes the Rosslyn and the Crystal City sections) which are either (literally) on top of a Metro stop or within sight of one.

Staying in Rosslyn affords the possibility of walking across the nearyby Key bridge and into the Georgetown section of the District which your two children might be very interested in.

Staying in Arlington, either Rosslyn or Crystal city is a great way to save money but still have easy access to the metro. However, staying in the city can be easier for walking tours and spontaneity, and avoiding the metro crowds at the rush hour times. Certain metro stops can be a crowded nightmare when the commuting starts. Staying at the Marriott near woodley park is great because you are close to the zoo, lots of restaurants, and it feels "neighborhoodish" http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...-wardman-park/ Or stay in Dupont circle, it's easy to get to places on foot or there are two metro stops to choose from. DC is broken up into quadrants and I suggest looking at staying in the Northwest (designated by NW in addresses) area.

Is the $400 - 450 budget per night, per room? or is it per night for two rooms, or is it per night for a room with three beds? OR is it the total budget for the DC lodgings over two nights?

After your 2 night stay are you leaving early in the morning by car? In which direction are you headed. Might be better to stay just outside the city and avoid some traffic snarls if you are driving out in the morning.

We often stay at the Embassy Suites in Alexandria:

http://embassysuites1.hilton.com/en_...ginia/index.do

Across the street from the Metro station that takes you into town and near Old Town Alexandria with really good restruants/pubs

we enjoyed the Hilton Garden Inn in the city.It is across the street from McPhearson subway
station a simple station to navigate. On top it is located at walkng distance of several landmarks like
the White House. It offers a good full breakfast at a reasonable price

In summary it has several good advantages like a small fridge and micro in all rooms free wifi and free business rooms with three computers etc
Rooms facing the street are better.

I'd recommend staying in DC rather than one of the suburbs, especially since you're only going to be there for two nights. I pretty much agree with RileyD on options for where to stay - I personally love staying near Dupont Circle.

When you're figuring out the cost of various hotels, you need to take into consideration how much it will cost to park your car. (I know that one hotel near Dupont Circle charges $35 per night, just as one example.)

One option I've heard of for getting around hotel parking fees, is to use the long-term parking lot at Washington (Reagan) National. Park the car, then take the Metro to your hotel. Also, depending on which days you're in DC, you might be able to use one of the Metro parking lots.

Consider the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel. It's roughly a 200-yard walk to the Mall, and there is a Metro stop in the basement. Request a monument view room. All of the rooms have a small balcony, and from the balcony of a monument view room you will have a fabulous view of the Washington Monument to the left and the Capitol building to the right.