My extended family and I stayed at the Holiday Inn Capitol at 550 C, SW a few years ago. It is a mere blocks from the Air and Space Museum. It was very reasonable in cost when we were there, and it has a McDonald’s on the same block which was handy for shoving a little food into the kiddies in a hurry. Metro stations are also nearby.
May want to check into it, see if the rates are still so good.
I was in DC a few times over the past few years, and both times I had excellent luck using Priceline (www.priceline.com). I had a Four Points Sheraton room in Alexandria (VA) for about $50 a night that had a king bed and a foldout couch in an excellent suite, and a Hilton in Bethesda for about $33 a night. The Alexandria hotel was closer to main attractions, but the Bethesda hotel was more out of the way and closer to a Metro station. With Priceline you can pick areas you wish to stay in, which is nice.
And no, Priceline hasn’t paid me for this blatant plug. hehe. I’ve just had some really nice rooms through them. Remember, though: once you submit your bid, you’re locked in if it’s accepted.
Thanks, Phoebestar, I’ve used priceline in the past for plane tickets, but never thought to check there for hotel rooms.
Oh, another note. I have stayed both in and out of the city on visits. Staying outside of the city is cheaper, but I found that the time spent on the Metro was frustrating during a limited stay. It’s nice to have your hotel closer to where you’re being a tourist, especially when you have kids who might need some downtime in the middle of the day. Just my $.02.
Maeglin is on to something there. Not only is The Brickskeller Inn affordable, it’s attached to the best bar in town which is in one of the city’s coolest neighborhoods. Might be worth considering.
Not a good idea to use the escalator at that Metro station if you have a problem with heights.