Hubby got a nice bonus, and he’s taking me on a short trip. We were thinking D.C. - hit the museums, maybe go to the movies, hopefully use the metro and avoid driving around the city. We’re going December 26-28.
AAA is spitting back quite a list of 4-diamond hotels, many of them starting around $150 a night, which is great (Four Seasons is right out). But I’m wondering if y’all have any good inside information on what places are the most fun, in the best location, or otherwise notable.
To give you an idea, here are some from the list that sound promising:
The Fairmont
The Fairfax at Embassy Row
Hyatt Regency Reston
The Mayflower
The Westin Alexandria
The Hotel Monaco (which offers a complimentary goldfish for your room - LOL whut?)
Omni Shoreham
Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City
I sometimes go to DC for work reasons, and when I do I usually stay at the Capitol Hill Suites. They are about a block from the nearest Metro (Capitol South), and handy to a lot of nice restaurants on or near Pennsylvania Avenue SE. As with a lot of places in DC, weekend rates tend to be less than M-F rates, because a lot of their custom is people visiting Congress or the Library of Congress on business. And my boss stays there all the time, and if she likes a place, you know it’s good.
I haven’t seen the renovated rooms, but I would really check out the W Hotel. It is formerly the Washington Hotel, and the rooftop bar was home to probably the best views in the city, overlooking the White House, the Mall, and generally the whole damned downtown. It is currently among the hottest bars in DC.
The Marriott Renaissance – a very high-end place – has rooms for $99 a night on those dates ($109 including parking). They’re nonrefundable, but this is a terrific deal. I assume you have to book fast, though.
This is the type of hotel that NFL teams stay at. Very luxurious and a good location not far from a Metro station. The cheap rates are because it’s a business hotel and rooms are often empty during weekends and holidays. Renaissance is Marriot’s high-end brand.
I recently stayed at the Hotel Madera for a weekend. Its a Kimpton hotel, which is a top-notch boutique chain. A wine reception every evening, cookies and milk in the lobby at night, and amazingly comfortable beds.
It’s near Dupont Circle, which is filled with good restaurants and is an easy Metro ride from the Mall and all the museums and monuments there.
I recommend Kramer Books & Afterwords Cafe for some fine eatin’. It’s a restaurant/bookstore… how could that NOT appeal to a Doper?
I never use hotels in DC so I have no helpful suggestions, but from your list the Hyatt Regency Reston is way farther out than you’ll want to stay – and nowhere near a Metro station. The Westin Alexandria is three blocks from Metro, though, if you want to be outside-but-near the city (and Alexandria is a cool town; I can even recommend a piano bar there if you’re into that sort of thing!).
As Misnomer mentioned, Reston is way the hell out there and not really Metro-accessible. Ritz at Pentagon City is fine if you want to go shopping at the Pentagon City mall.
For the sake of convenience, I would go with the Fairmont, Fairfax, Mayflower or Monaco. You may also want to check out The Dupont Hotel, which overlooks Dupont Circle; very conveniently located. My workplace has hosted guests there and at Courtyard Embassy Row.
If you’re into history at all, the Mayflower would be fun. The rooms are a bit on the smaller side because it’s older, so if you like to spread out a bit this might not be the place.
Definitely second the recommendation on the new W, but I’m a fan of the Starwood line in general. I believe it might still have the old “Hotel Harrington” sign on the building (could be confusing to someone looking for it). The bar there is awesome–we were there for a friend’s 40th recently and they had great cocktails.
Of all the ones you’ve listed, Monaco is closest to the museums. If you’re into nightlife, stick with ones in the Dupont/Embassy Row area, or the W.
Thanks everyone - I knew I could get some good insider info here!
Now I just have to sift through the suggestions, which is actually a fun job. Though that Marriott deal sounds really good. I’ll have to the husband and see what he thinks.
I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Washington last May and enjoyed it there. It was a bit pricey at the time but pretty comfortable. Looking at it now, I see that 12/26-12/28 is anywhere from $99 to $399 a night.
The Monaco hotels are charming and a bit quirkier in their decor than the major chains. The one in DC is extremely conveniently placed; across the street from the Metro, the Portrait Gallery, and the lively Gallery Place restaurant/bar area, as well as walking distance from the Mall. The one in Alexandria is less Metro-convenient but right in the middle of Old Town.
The Metro station is right in front of the Ritz at Pentagon City…the SO’s apartment is right there, so that’s the station I use the most, and it’s very convenient. But I’ve never stayed at the Ritz.
There’s a reason so many people are saying that it’s important for the hotel to be near a Metro station. Downtown DC is bigger than it looks on a map. Walking distances are long and floors and sidewalks are hard. After a day of museuming and monumenting, your dogs will be barking pretty loud. Cabs can be hard to find when you want one, too.