So my camera club is planning a trip down to DC for veterans day. I was curious whats a nice cheap hotel (but not scummy) with access to the metro, outside the city? Any help is greatly appreciated.
I recently stayed at the Doubletree in Crystal City (Arlington). Hotels.com is listing it for $119/night. It's fairly convenient to the metro. The amenities are nice...they even have a lounge bar that rotates with views of Washington. There are lots and lots of hotels in that neighborhood and some good dining nearby. Be sure to check last metro train time if you're going to be out late.
My preference is always to stay near Columbus Circle...but the hotels there are generally pricier.
edit to add: the title of your thread may be hurting your responses...people who live in DC probably have little experience in staying in hotels there....maybe you can get someone from SC to re-title it something like "Hotels in DC--suggestions?"
I'm no expert considering I've only been there a handful of times, but I'd suggest finding a spot somewhere on the outskirts of the city where there's a nearby Metro station. That way you can get cheaper rates than right in the city, and you have easy access to everything.
My wife and I stayed somewhere in Virginia (I'm thinking it was Alexandria) and this worked very well for us. We kept our car parked at the hotel (for free) and had walked to the nearby Metro station.
There is a Red Roof in Rockville that is close to your price range. If you go to the Red Roof website and put in Washington, D.C. you will see nearby options.
I've never been to DC, so I can't really help you with a good local recomendation. But, I've used Travelocity to research local hotels/motels and read the reviews there from regular people. You can get some good insight there, as opposed to just seeing a diamond or star rating. Comfort Inn, Courtyard, and Best Westerns are usually a safe bet and more reasonable than a Hilton, etc, plus they usually have decent "upgraded" continental breakfasts. Alanfreed makes a good point about staying in an outskirt next to a train station to save some money since you'll pay premium for staying in the heart of any metro area. 10-20 minutes outside can save you a lot of money. Hope this helps, have fun.
I always stayed at the Holiday Inn right near the National Air and Space Museum on the mall, and found the prices very reasonble, but not cheap. A lot more than 70-80, so I don't think I am much help there. I personally prefer to stay there because I liked walking right out the door and being next to the mall and capitol building. It is also right by a metro.
I recently stayed at a little place called The Inns of Virginia: Falls Church. It's okay. Price was $79 per night for two double beds. It is in a safe neighborhood, about three minutes drive to the metro station. Metro ride into DC was about 25-30 minutes. We came up by the Smithsonian.
As far as the hotel, it was definitely not the Ritz Charles. But, it was clean enough and safe (I took my eight-month old from IN to VA to visit a friend in Falls Church. My sister came along and we made a road trip out of it.) I felt safe walking the half-block to the convenience store for some snacks. They advertise free wireless internet, but I didn't have time to test it out. They also advertise a continental breakfast. I suggest skipping that and just driving to McDonald's (on the way to the metro).
If you would like any more info on this place, let me know.
Greenbelt is cheap and close to metro. But don't walk to the metro at night. Take a cab or park a car. I wouldn't stay near any other stop in Prince Georges County. Trust me, I live there. Bowie is a possibility, but its not near the metro. You would have to have a car.
Bethesda is more pricey but you can walk to the metro from the close hotels. I wouldn't stay in Rockville because there's nothing there, but I'm biased - I hate Rockville. :) Silver Spring is a good choice as the neighborhoods are getting much better and there is something to do at night.
Don't rule out DC - weekend rates are sometimes lower. Good luck! There's lots to do...
I found a holiday in for $88 a night, 1 mile to the metro with a courtesy shuttle to the station.. Im guessing this is a great price...
Anyone know if its a safe place to be?
2650 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY
ARLINGTON, VA 22202 UNITED STATES
Probably fine...Arlington is a boring, red-brick ghost town after sundown(IMO)...but I doubt I'd feel unsafe staying there. Find out how late the shuttle runs if you're going out and ask if you can call for pick up (some hotels will have a driver on standby when a guest calls the night desk).
Now that you mention it, this is very close to where we stayed that one time. We definitely stayed in Arlington (not Alexandria, like I said earlier). We had no problems there at all. I don't think we stayed at the Holiday Inn... I'm almost positive that we had a very, very short walk to the Metro station, but the overall area seemed fine. We lived to tell about it, anyway :)
Originally posted by jmlelii:
I found a holiday in for $88 a night, 1 mile to the metro with a courtesy shuttle to the station.. Im guessing this is a great price...
Anyone know if its a safe place to be?
2650 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY
ARLINGTON, VA 22202 UNITED STATES
Now that you mention it, this is very close to where we stayed that one time. We definitely stayed in Arlington (not Alexandria, like I said earlier). We had no problems there at all. I don't think we stayed at the Holiday Inn... I'm almost positive that we had a very, very short walk to the Metro station, but the overall area seemed fine. We lived to tell about it, anyway :)
Originally posted by jmlelii:
I found a holiday in for $88 a night, 1 mile to the metro with a courtesy shuttle to the station.. Im guessing this is a great price...
Anyone know if its a safe place to be?
2650 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY
ARLINGTON, VA 22202 UNITED STATES
