first time to DC

I am trying to plan a last minute trip to DC in the next 2 weeks. I need to know the best hotel. I would like to spend less than $200 a night in a very nice hotel with very close access to the metro. Any recomendations on hotel and location??

Thanks!!!

first time to DC

You might start by reading through some of the previous posts here - about a dozen people already asked the same question this past week! :-)

first time to DC

Also, it all depends on what location you want to be in. DC has so many wonderful hotels and a lot of them are accessible to metro. Cheaper hotels will probably be on the outskirts of DC but still easily accessible to the attractions (mall area, nightlife, etc.)

Do you want to be directly in the center of DC (Penn Quarter, Downtown, Chinatown) or would you prefer to stay on the outskirts like in Arlington (Pentagon City/ Crystal City, etc) or Alexandria (Old Town) These are all metro accessible.

-Will you have kids? How many will travel with you? Did you need a suite with a refrigerator, microwave or a small kitchenette?

*****Some nice hotels that might be in your price range, you never know with DC, the rates go up and down almost every other day. **********************************************************************

-Jury%26#39;s Washington (Dupont Circle Metro Station) near restaurants and nightlife. About a 7-10 minute metro ride to the Smithsonian station where most of the monuments and museums are located.

-JW Marriott or Marriott Downtown. Both are pretty nice. In a central location to the mall area. Metro accessible. Restaurants and shopping near by.

-Embassy Suites: Convention Center location or 22nd Street location. Convention Center location would probably be closer to the mall area. 22nd Street location is a little further away from the mall area but still convenient. Some nice dining. Close to Georgetown and Dupont Circle area for this one. Also one in Old Town Alexandria that is very nice

-Holiday Inn (Few locations, Capitol Hill and ';On the Hill'; they generally have nice rates. And both are convenient locations. One is in a more business district and the other is near Union Station with a little more to choose from as far as restaurants and shopping.

Hope this helps.

I think the best idea is to do a search on which hotels are available for your dates in your price range. Since those will likely be limited, you could find a few, then post back for specific suggestions as to which one would be best.

I noticed that Hotel Topaz and Hotel Madera (Kimpton Hotels) are both offering rooms for under $200 from 10/14-19 (just picking random dates). Both are close to metro in nice neighborhoods. You may want to check Kimpton%26#39;s website and the TA reviews to see if those might work for you.

Good luck.

Thanks!!

From what I have read so far I think we would like Dupont Circle. We don%26#39;t really want to be ';downtown'; but want to be w/in walking distance to the metro. I hate vacations where you are spending all of your time traveling and the metro seems to solve this problem.

No kids, just two of us in our twenties.

It was suggested to me to stay in VA and just use the metro from there. Since I have never been in the area I am afraid that will be too far away.

The hotel I think we will use is Hotel Madera. I want a hotel that is different from your standard Holiday Inn but that costs less than some of the $400 a night that I have been seeing.....:)

The Madera would be an excellent choice -- and it%26#39;s not often that you can snag a room there for under $200/night! Go for it :-)

I hope the Hotel Madera works out for you. Please let us know where you end up and how you liked it. You may also want to try the restaurant in the hotel called Firefly. It%26#39;s gotten some mixed reviews lately, but it has a nice atmosphere. Also, if you do end up at Madera, you might enjoy drinks at the Big Hunt or Lucky Bar on Connecticut Avenue (just a couple blocks away). They%26#39;re sort of dive bars, but they%26#39;re fun if you like a casual atmosphere. For something more trendy, there%26#39;s Dragonfly (on Conn.) or 18th Street Lounge (at 18th, just off Conn.) Have fun!

Given your personal situation, I think you%26#39;d be much happier staying around Dupont than over in Virginia. Unless, of course, you%26#39;re planning to drive up from Florida! :-D Then you%26#39;ve got to worry about directions, finding parking, paying for parking, etc. But if you%26#39;re flying into town, we%26#39;ve posted some advice on transportation from the airports in the Washington DC Overview Guide to your left. You%26#39;ll find similar advice by searching through some of these forums as well.