Advice on hotels in Washington DC

Y

yg17

macrumors Pentium
We're going to DC later this summer and are looking for hotels. I haven't had a whole ton of luck finding what we're looking for on travel sites, and any advice from you guys on where to stay and what to avoid is a plus.

This room will be for 4 of us, so while it doesn't have to be a huge suite or anything, it needs to have at least 2 beds. Queen's preferable, but we can settle for a double if it's all we can find.

Also looking for a good location. Near all of the touristy stuff is good, and in a safe area. In other words, we don't want to be mugged or shot at when returning to the hotel at night ;)

Somewhere in the $150-200/night range. Preferably closer to 150, we don't have a ton of money to spend here.

Free internet would be a plus, but not required. I can tether my PowerBook to my cell phone over Bluetooth and I have an unlimited data plan, so I could live with EDGE speeds for a few days.

And last but not least, somewhere within a couple blocks of a metro stop. We won't have a car (drivers in DC were f*cking crazy last time I was there, I'd rather not wreck a rental) and we're lazy :D We stayed at a hotel in NYC once that was like a mile from the subway, which kinda sucked, especially when it rained.

I did happen to find a Marriot that's about 1 block north of the Navy Yard metro stop which meets most of the requirements, but I wasn't too sure about the area. How safe of a neighborhood is it? Google Maps link in case anyone wants to take a look.

Thanks.
 
yg17 said:
I did happen to find a Marriot that's about 1 block north of the Navy Yard metro stop which meets most of the requirements, but I wasn't too sure about the area. How safe of a neighborhood is it?
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It's fine during the day, and safe at night if you travel smart. (With at least one other person, etc.) I used to work in the neighborhood and am very familiar with the area. Police in the area are aware that the neighborhood is 'up and coming' and seem to have elevated patrols.

Honestly, for all the things you were looking for in a hotel, and in that price range, I was surprised that you found something within the city limits.
 
gwuMACaddict said:
Honestly, for all the things you were looking for in a hotel, and in that price range, I was surprised that you found something within the city limits.
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Thats what I was also thinking too. Staying in Arlington isn't out of the question either though
 
Frankly, I feel like you're asking for a lot there. It's fairly easy to do some from column A and some from column B, but not both.

Things close to touristy spots are expensive, generally, and DC is a tough town with lotsa crime.

Frankly, my best suggestion would be The Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel on 14th and K.

The cons, it's next to Franklin Park, which is pretty shady at night. We've never been mugged there in the dozen or so times we've been and stayed there, but there's a ton of homeless folks that congregate there.

The plusses, if you get it at the right time, it can be ~$175-190 a night. It's right across the street from a Metro line. It's 1 block East and 2 blocks North of the White House, and it's just 3 or 4 blocks (if memory serves) from The Mall. So it's pretty close to everything you need.
 
Thanks. I looked at that hotel, but I can't find anywhere online where they mention how many beds it has, it just says standard room :\


Do you guys think we'd have better luck in Arlington? Approximately how long of a metro ride is it into DC from there?
 
Days Inn on Connecticut Avenue

This is probably exactly what you're looking for. It's 2 blocks from the Van Ness Metro, in a very safe neighborhood and it's pretty cheap. It's a Days Inn, so it's not fancy, but my parents have stayed there several times with no complaints.

http://www.dcdaysinn.com/
 
yg17 said:
Thanks. I looked at that hotel, but I can't find anywhere online where they mention how many beds it has, it just says standard room :\


Do you guys think we'd have better luck in Arlington? Approximately how long of a metro ride is it into DC from there?
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Correct me if I'm wrong (since I usually come from the other side of DC), but I think Arlington's about 15-20 minutes from DC on the metro. It's not bad, and I'd think you'd be able to find hotels there within your range.
 
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