Which area to bid for in DC on Priceline
 

Which area would be best to bid for a hotel on priceline? We'd like to be close and within walking distance to public transportation, eating and shopping areas, etc....
On Priceline, there's:
Dupont Circle with Omni Shoreham hotel and Westin Embassy Row.

Then there's Downtown-White House with JW Marriott, Capital Hilton, Renaissance Mayflower, The Madison, and Hilton Helix

We'd also like to be in an area that's safe to walk around in...

We've never been to Washington DC...

We've had the suggestion to stay in Virginia, but we'd like to be close to all the monuments, eating places, shopping, etc...I'd appreciate any advice!

Last year we bid downtown & got the JW Marriott for $70. It is connected to a small shopping mall & is 2 blocks from the new spy museum. Just a few blocks from the subway. Stayed at the Shoram several years ago non PL and it is a little bit of a trek to the subway. Personally the DT zone is my favorite. Have fun!

Both areas are really great for visiting Washington. As you can see there's great hotels in both areas and also some very good restaurants. Dupont Circle probably has some newer restaurants while downtown has many of the favorite, well-known restaurants. Subway access is pretty easily here and so is walking. The JWMarriott is just about adjacent to the Mall where the Smithsonians, the Capitol, the Memorials, etc are all located. National Theatre is also 1/2 block away.

Of the hotels, I love the Shoreham and the Westin and they're in great parts of town.

My choices downtown would be The Madison or the Mayflower 1st; with the JWMarriott and then the Capitol Hilton. I'm not really familiar with the Hilton Helix but it may be new and I haven't been there yet.

Virginia's a great area but if you're visiting Washington - then stay in washington. You might also check the hotel's internet sites as they sometimes have good deals on them.

The Madison is near the White House (great place) the Mayflower is on Connecticut Ave (both are grand old hotels) and the JW is like 12 or 13th St and Pennsy Ave - across from the Commerce Dept and around the corner from the warner Theatre and real close to the Old Ebbitt Grill (a great place where the bartenders shuck oysters for you at the bar)

Hope this helps you make a choice - cause as you can see any of them would be great!!

Enjoy DC

((L))

ALL of the hotels you listed meet your criteria (safe, walking distance to public transportation, eating and shopping areas, etc) . The Dupont area , however has BETTER eating, shopping and nightlife than Downtown. The Virgina suggestion cracked me up: that's like someone asking where to stay in NYC and someone suggesting Jersey.

Thanks for the info. I think we'll go w/ the Dupont Circle area.

Check on biddingfortravel.com to see what hotels are in those particular areas and it'll give you an idea what to bid. Both parts of town are nice and conveniently located. I don't consider the Omni Shoreham in Dupont Circle. It is on Calvert St. which is probably a mile north of the actual circle (but a pretty area). I think you'd do fine either way.

Using biddingfortravel, I bid $60 for a 3* in the Convention Center/Capitol Hill area and got the Marriott Metro Center, where we stayed last weekend (10/4-10/6).

Not much in the way of restaurants in the area, but VERY handy to the Metro (literally on the same block) and walkable to the new Spy Museum, Ford's Theatre, and the museums on the Mall.

The Dupont Circle zone is new on Priceline; IIRC, some of the hotels that they put in that zone are rather far out, you might want to check on BFT. IMHO, it would be beter to stay at Metro Center, handy to the Metro, than to be put in a hotel that's technically in PL's Dupont area, but not really handy to anything.

Don't know if this helps or what your range was, but I called up the Omni's #800 and got the Shoreham for $99 a night the weekend before Thanksgiving. Also got the JW Marriott for $119 (with a city view) through their website.

I'm from the DC area originally and periodically travel back for work. I'd choose the Dupont Circle area hands down- the restaurants there and nearby in Adams Morgan are fresh and original. While the musuems aren't right at your doorstep, you are close to other attractions such as the National Geographic building, Embassy Row, walking distance to the Metro which will take you to the Musuems. The new "Penn Quarter" near the MCI Center isn't that great, even though hotels are less expensive there. If I were to stay in VA, I'd choose (but not my first choice to stay in VA) Old town Alexandria or Crystal City, also on the Metro line. Happy travels!

Isori, why are you resurrecting a thread that's a year old?