Hi we are a family of 5, 2 adults and 3 kids 9,13 and 16 coming from Australia. We will be visiting Washington DC 2jan-5jan 2007. We will only be there for 3 nights so we need to fit a lot in quickly. I know it will be freezing especially coming from our aussie Summer. Will the weather affect where we should stay as I am concerned some things may be closed.
A friend suggested the Georgetown area, is this the best area for us to stay in?can anyone suggest somewhere great to stay?It doesnt need to be 5 star..but we want something reasonable $300-400 per night remembering we may have to get 2 rooms.
Hope someone can shed some light for me.
Aussie family - accom Washington - where to stayGeorgetown woud not be my choice for January because there is no Metro stop right there. Speaking from personal experience at that time of year, It can be an unpleasantlly bone-chilling walk to the nearest station and a no more comfortable wait for a bus with the wind whipping around :-/
The Embassy Suites hotels offer an indoor pool and a free buffet breakfast %26amp; could accommodate your party of 5 -- if 2 of your kids don%26#39;t mind sharing a bed. But the ones in the District would require a 4-5 block walk to a Metro station; not formidable, but again less than ideal if the weather is frigid. The Embassy Suites in the Crystal City section of Arlington (an adjacent suburb of DC), however, is but a block away from a Metro station -- and the hotel also has shuttle service to the Metro and around the immediate neighborhood where there is a variety of restaurants.
But if your preference is to stay in DC itself, my recommendation would be to take 2 rooms at the Jurys Washington. That way, every kid would have his/her own bed AND you would have 2 bathrooms :-) While not luxurious, the Jurys is well-managed, reasonably priced by DC standards %26amp; offers clean, comfortable accommodations -- practically on top of the Dupont Circle Metro station. Dupont Circle is a safe, attractive and lively neighborhood with a variety of shops, restaurants and some nice off-the-beaten-track museums and sights of its own. It would even be fine to let the kids go off exploring on their own for a bit.
Don%26#39;t know if it will be true for January 2007, but at that time last year, rooms were available at the Jurys Washington for as little as $99-119/night.
Aussie family - accom Washington - where to stayI agree Georgetown wouldn%26#39;t be great for January. You would have to rely so much on buses and cabs it would be pointless being there for only 3-days.
Other suggestions:
Dupont Circle
Old Town Alexandria
Pentagon City/Crystal City
Chinatown
Capitol Hill
Hotels:
-Embassy Suites (check the website for locations there are about 5 all near metro stations) www.embassysuites.com
-Homewood Suites (www.homewoodsuites.com) free hot breakfast daily. 5 minute walk to the nearest metro station. Location isn%26#39;t the best but the hotel is nice and cozy and good for families. Rates for you would be about $250 p/night.
-Hotel Washington (www.hotelwashington.com) right near the White House and other ';mall'; attractions. Checked some rates for you. Double Bed room would be about $325 p/night plus tax would be about $370 p/night. You could get a real feel of DC with this hotel although it%26#39;s at the top of your budget. The reservationist said the closer to the date the more deals they will have and you could get one cheaper.
I agree with CC%26#39;s observation regarding Georgetown. It is an affluent and attractive area, but not well connected with public transportation and has little in the way of the most popular sights. That being said, the eastern reaches of Georgetown are a reasonable walk to the Foggy Bottom metro if conditions aren%26#39;t too terrible. We can get sixty-plus degree days January here... you just don%26#39;t know when or if they%26#39;ll come in any given year.
Although Crystal City is extremely convenient, the area itself offers little in the way of charm. Old town Alexandria or somewhere in Arlington along one of the Orange-line metro stations would be a more interesting choice. I believe that there is an Embassy Suites near the Old Town metro station. Search the forum to see other comparisons between Crystal City and Old Town.
But if you can afford it, by all means stay in DC proper. DuPong, Woodley Park (almost anywhere along the Red-line metro in NW DC) would be very nice. Capitol Hill can be a bit sketchier, but is very convenient, charming, and overall is plenty safe.
I agree with the previous post that Dupont Circle is a great area in DC with alot going on. I do not know about the hotel suggested. For great convience, I would suggest the Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street, SW, just one block south of the mall where many of the DC museums are located, but few eating options and little going on in that area at night. Also a great location is the Harrington, on 11th St., NW, an old, somewhat historic hotel. It is not fancy, but is north of the mall and another place where you can easily see much of the DC area. These two hotels are both within easy walking distance to most of the major attractions, from the Capitol to the White House to the museums and sights on the mall. The down side is the lack of night activities around both--Dupont Circle probably would be better for that.
Hi:
I did a quick search and here%26#39;s the best of what I found. As always, please read the TA reviews to see what might work best for your family.
Residence Inn Capitol
1 BR Suite for $209 (2 queen beds, one sofabed, includes breakfast) or a 2 BR Suite for $379 (2 queens, 1 sofabed, 2 bath, includes breakfast)
The location of this hotel is good and bad - you can walk to the museums, but there%26#39;s not much around for dining options at night. You%26#39;ll probably have to metro or cab to find some good food, but the metro is really easy and there%26#39;s a stop near the hotel.
Embassy Suites Crystal City
1 BR Suite for $279 (2 doubles, one sofabed, includes breakfast)
I think this is a good location, especially for a short stay. As another poster said, the shuttle is a great option to get to metro if it%26#39;s cold and it%26#39;s only 3 metro stops from the main tourist attractions. There are also a few family friendly restaurants in Crystal City.
Doubletree Guest Suites
2 BR Suite for $325 (1 king, 2 queen beds, no breakfast) or a 1 BR Suite for $204 (2 queens (and I assume a sofabed, but it didn%26#39;t specify) includes breakfast).
This is in close proximity to the monuments, close to Foggy Bottom metro and close to DC Circulator bus stop. Also near GWU which will likely be quiet since most kids will be off for the holidays.
Homewood Suites (Massachusetts Avenue)
1BR Suite for $259 (2 doubles, 1 sofabed, includes breafast)
This location isn%26#39;t ideal because it%26#39;s a bit of a walk to the metro and not quite walking distance to the National Mall. You can walk to the White House, though. But if you end up spending less on your room than you budgeted for, you can spend a little more on cabs if it%26#39;s really that cold!
All these rates were found on the Marriott and Hilton websites. You may do even better elsewhere, but sometimes it%26#39;s hard to guarantee a suite on the discount websites. Obviously, there are many other options. Happy searching!
I just came back from a stay at the Embassy suites near the convention center. We had 3 kids. two had to share a bed and there was a pullout sofa. Very reasonable we payed about$175, with an AAA discount. We kept saying how large the rooms were and comfortable for the five of us. Bkfast is included and there is a reception from 5:30-7:30 which we went to just once. We stayed for 3 nights and did alot but not everything. It was a 15 min walk to subway and the Circulator bus also stopped in the area.The pool is nice but small, but with so much to see in Wash.DC my husband and son used it for about 20 mins at one point. The staff was extremely friendly, as was everyone we came in contact with in DC.
Loved Arlington cemetary , going to the top of the Wasington monument, got tkts ahead of time, and the tour of the Capital the best. Hope this helps. Laurie
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