Too good to be true

Our family of 5 is planning an after Christmas trip to DC. Back in Aug I found a fantastic deal on AAA at a hotel in Arlington - a 3 BR suite at the Clarion Collection Arlington Residence Court (was the Quality Inn, I believe). Well, I like to go back and check for better rates and in the process I have found that the RC may (or may not) be finished with renovations by that date. Not wanting to get stuck I have made 2 back up ressies. Which would you choose, if we have to change:

Embassy Suites 22nd St. - I like this one over the other ES%26#39;s because it offers queen size beds. But I have read it is about 4 blocks to the Metro - that can be long if the weather is cold and wet.

Our other ressie at this time is at the Omni. Also a 1 BR suite with 2 queen beds. The rate is about $200 more for the entire stay (which is doable) and is closer to a Metro.

Some info about us:

We have 2 teens (18 %26amp; 17) and an 11yo.

Like to try good local restaurants.

Our plans in DC include the monuments, Smithsonian, Spy Museum and Arlington Museum.

We will be driving in (arriving in afternoon)

Between ES 22nd St. and the Omni is the Omni worth the extrda $200??

Too good to be true

natanya, here%26#39;s my suggestion: call both hotels and inquire as to the square footage of their respective suites, and when speaking to the Omni, ask if a rollaway bed could be brought into the suite there so that each kid could have their own bed (I know the ES%26#39;s living room is too small to squeeze in a rollaway when the sofabed is unfolded). The answers to those questions may swing the vote for you -- well, at least I think the more elbow room the better when traveling with teens :-)

The very immediate area around that ES is rather skimpy on family dining restaurants, so you%26#39;d probably end up going to the Dupont Metro area (and even beyond the Metro entrance) for a greater variety of choices. So, if the walk to the Dupont Circle Metro station is giving you pause, then that ES isn%26#39;t as advantageous as I was thinking when I suggested it in response to your thread a little while back.

The Omni, on the other hand, is right atop the large cluster of various eateries at the Woodley Park Metro station. (The Omni%26#39;s dining room itself offers decent enough food but it , as is almost always the case with hotel restaurants, is overpriced.)

Whether the difference in roominess (if any) at the Omni and its greater proximity to the Metro %26amp; more restaurant choices is worth $200 to you is the kind of personal decision you know better than I do :-)

Too good to be true

Cocklecove,

The Omni site states the 1BR is anywhere from 526-711 sf. I couldn%26#39;t find a size on the ES room. The location and closeness to restaurants and the metro is a big plus, especially if we end up with rough weather.

The Omni looks so great. Does anyone know about the rooms at the Omni. The site says some have balconies. Also, what about views? I have to admit I am leaning towrard the Omni, but it rates so much lower on this site than ES.

If we do have snow the grounds at the Omni would be nice.

Any other input?

The suites at that ES are reportedly 550 sq. feet.

I like ES%26#39;s, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the Omni because I also really like staying in a non-';cookie cutter'; chain establishment -- especially those set on a nicely-landscaped piece of property as this one is (altho%26#39; ithe grounds won%26#39;t be as attractive in winter as during the other 3 seasons); my own stay there awhile back was fine, abeit not jaw-dropping awesome; and I love its more residential neighborhood %26amp; the fact that it generally overlooks Rock Creek Park... if you take a look at the candid pics posted with the traveler reviews here at TA, I think you%26#39;ll see what I mean. If it%26#39;s not arctic %26amp; your family has the stamina for a mile-long stroll, it%26#39;s a lovely walk down Conn. Ave. across the picturesque Taft Bridge which spans Rock Creek Park, past some wonderful vintage apartment buildings %26amp; embassies -- check out the big gargoules atop 2101 Conn. Ave -- down to Dupont Circle.

But you may not share all these preferences of mine. If you do make a reservation at the Omni, join their Select Guest program either just before or just afterwards which will get you, e.g., free AM beverage service %26amp; newspaper delivered to your door -- and can improve your chances of a free upgrade to a better room/suite. And since you%26#39;re (a) a party of 5 and (b) coming at a slow time of year, I would think you%26#39;ve got a good shot of getting one of the larger suites.

Hope this has been of some help to you -- or have I only made your decision more difficult :-)

No you haven%26#39;t added to my confusion. I do that well enough on my own. I also like the non ';cookie-cutter';. In reading through the reviews I noticed that a lot of the lower rated reviews came from people who booked through Hotwire or Priceline. I can understand the low rating in that case. We ';won'; a bid for the Gaylord in Orlando and I thought WOW. But even though the resort was awesome the rooms we were given were definately ones set aside for the ';internet'; bookings. Our 2 days there were horrible - if I had written a review I would have given the Gaylord 2 stars at most. So taking that into consideration I take those reviews with a grain of salt.

I like the idea of a Diner across the street. I will hold onto my ressies for now. Thanks for your help.

Hi:

I say, go for the Omni if it doesn%26#39;t stretch your budget too thin. Your teens will enjoy Adams Morgan if it%26#39;s not too fridgid to make it across the bridge. There are some good restaurants right at Woodley Park as well.

As for the Residence Court - I called them a couple weeks ago and was informed they would not be opening until January! As of July, it seemed like the Sept. 1 opening was right on track, but apparently not. Lucky for you, you had some back-up plans.

Have a great trip.

My wife and I stayed at the Omni in March of this year and it was very nice.

There are two sections to the Hotel - the older section and a newer one called the ';Park View.'; The Park View part of the hotel is all the way at the back of the propery and the top floor is at the same level as the lobby. The elevator takes you down to the other 4 floors.

Our room was in the Park View section and it was fine. It wasn%26#39;t a suite, and the room was no bigger than other average hotel rooms.

The restaurants around the hotel are not bad at all - we ate dinner at two of them while there - a chinese plave and an italian one. Both were pretty good and not too expensive. And we had a very nice breakfast at the restaurant closest to the Omni (I cannot remember the name) one morning.

There is also a small grocery store, a McDonald%26#39;s and a Pharmacy located on the same street.

The Adams-Morgan area is not too far to walk if it is warm (and you are not too tired from that day%26#39;s walking), but there is also a bus right on the corner by the Omni that will take you there and back. We had dinner at a couple of places in Adams-Morgan.

BTW: the walk to the zoo, should you decide to go there, is quite long and all uphill from the Metro station. Be prepared!

And have a great time! :)

I%26#39;ve been to Washington, but I%26#39;ve never been to me. Seriously though, as an independent reader of the various posts on this thread, the Omni sounds more alluring than the Embassy Suites. Admittedly, $200 is an appreciable sum of money. But you do not tell us whether you%26#39;re staying for two days, three days, five days or even a week. If the entire stay is for three days or more, I would be inclined to bite the bullet and shell out the extra $200 for a suite which is conveniently located near a metro and above a selection of different restaurants.

Insightful, we are staying for 3 nights. The difference comes to about $65.00/day.

Modcon, is there anyway to request the newer area. Or since we will be paying the full rate (with AAA) and have signed up for the Omni Select Guest Program will we most likely be in that area?

natanya, I wouldn%26#39;t assume that the Park View section is the one you must have: as I recall, it%26#39;s actually only the original (older) rooms with the better views and balconies.

Unfortunately, the person who posted the pics of the lovely suite, with balcony, which accompany this review

tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g28970-d8408…

doesn%26#39;t indicate the number/location of their suite, but her reference the style of the doors %26amp; moldings depicted in the photos suggest to me that it was not in the Park View section.

natanya, at the end of the day, the decision will rest with you. Even if the suites with balconies are not in the Park View section of the accommodation (and, by implication the Park View section is less alluring), chances are that - during the quiet period just after Christmas day - the Omni may be able to offer you what is effectively an upgrade in the form of a spacious room with a balcony. In the final analysis, the proximity of the metro and the availability of the restaurants are two factors which tilt the balance in the Omni%26#39;s favour.

Now, if you could persuade them to upgrade you to a lovely room, you would really be flying. I arrived late into Washington from Dublin in mid-September and the hotel I was staying in upgraded me from an ordinary room to a suite. The four factors which seem to have influenced the hotel were as follows: (i) obviously the suite was free during the two days of my stay ; (ii) they saw me as a potential future customer and wanted to give me somewhere really comfortable to stay after my relatively lengthy flight ; (iii) I was carrying a laptop bag (although, interestingly I didn%26#39;t have a laptop in the bag) and (iv) I was wearing a business-type jacket. After enjoying two memorable days in a 2,500 square foot suite, I must say that I have become a convert to the hotel group in question. And I%26#39;m booking with them again when I visit Paris in December.

Appreciate that you%26#39;re on a family holiday and are driving from SC, so many of the above variables do not apply to you. But I think if you%26#39;re pleasant to the check-in-staff and look reasonably smartly dressed, they generally respond positively in terms of upgrades (if the space is available).