washington DC where to stay budget
Replies: 17 - Last Post: Jan 11, 2013 3:36 PM Last Post By: annettemrichter
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washington DC where to stay budget
Hi,I am planning to visit Wash DC in the spring. I have been told that it is hard to find a reasonably priced place to stay during the Cherry Blossom Festival so I should avoid that. However, the first week of April would be the best time for us. Comments?
Also, can anyone help me decide if we should try to stay in DC vs outside (say Alexandria VA).
If we stay at an inexpensive place in DC ($100-120 a night hopefully) is it likely we can drop in there to rest between museums, sights?
Would it be cheaper with better accommodations if we are outside of DC?
Is it much easier to get around if we are in town?
Am I being at all realistic here?
Thanks!
1
There are a lot of hostels in DC, and there are hotel deals on the weekends. But, for visits of up to a week,your best bet price-wise is usually finding lodging near a Metro station. Arlington, Crystal City, Alexandria
all work. The great thing about Alexandria is it actually has a colonial old town with restaurants and a nice
vibe. The Best Western Old Colony Inn, for example, offers free shuttle service to the Metro Station from
where you can zip into DC without any need for a car-- the only way to go when visiting DC. Just take
the Metro to Foggy Bottom and walk a couple blocks to the National Mall.
3
The venerable Hotel Harrington is down town but a bit above your declared budget... carracar4
The Mall is 2 miles long, so the "best" stop depends on where on the Mall you're going.As long as your hotel is right on the Metro, it's not essential that it be in downtown DC. And yes, quality for a given price point will rise as you go further from the center. But if short transport and low prices are the two key priorities, the HI hostel and Hotel Harrington are probably your two best bets. Rosslyn, Clarendon, Van Ness, Silver Spring, and Bethesda if affordable, provide other good options. If you're staying a full week, homeaway and airbnb have some listings worth considering.
Beware that the actual blossoms and the Festival often don't coincide.
5
If you can't find decent rates or availability in DC you could stay in Arlington. I recently traveled to DC a few times and stayed at three different hotels, two of which were in Arlington. The least expensive was the Americana Hotel which is nothing fancy but ok and very close to a Metro station. The other was the Marriott Crystal Gateway which was much nicer (and thus more expensive - but I got a deal) and has a Metro station link beneath it which is really convenient. It was only a few stops into the center of DC and the sights and you can buy a SmartCard pass for a stay of a few days. Overall not bad. I cam in via National Airport which also has a Metro station so it was pretty easy to get in and out, as well as around the city.6
The Harrington is right downtown in DC, location is excellent for the Mall, NEWSEUM, Spy Museum, Smithsonian Museums.Arlington has a full range of hotels, and is an easy Metro ride from DC.
8
I got Carlyle Suites at the price you are looking at. Du Pont Circle. It is a nice hotel.9
I've stayed in Arlington, near Metro, within your budget using Priceline and Hotwire. You wouldn't know the name of your hotel until you commit, but you could get an idea of what hotels others have gotten by using www.betterbidding.com. Last summer we got the Doubletree Crystal City/National Airport for $90 plus taxes and fees. If going on a weekend, you can get bargains easier: in February we stayed at the Hyatt Arlington, booking directly through them, for about $100 for room and parking, but the price zoomed up to $150+ on weekdays. You can check hotel reviews on Betterbidding and Tripadvisor.10
I usually end up staying in Arlington at the Courtyard Marriott. They often have $100 weekend rates. But it takes a good 20+ minutes to head into the city, so it would be hard to lounge at your hotel during the day. They have parking for $10/day if you need it.If you don't have to worry about parking, you might try Priceline. Note weekday hotels in D.C. are always quite high--too many business travelers.
11
One suburban area that I would not leave off you list to check is Silver Spring, MD, as tilted mentioned. Recommendations tend to lean toward Virginia, but Silver Spring close to the Metro is a good location with several hotels and has decent selection of restaurants close by.12
I lived in Silver Spring. There is a Crowne Plaza and Courtyard by Marriott (right in the new downtown Silver Spring, with restaurants, stores, cinemas, etc.) and a Days Inn or something like that within walking distance of the SS Metro station (further out than Arlington but doable). If using something like Priceline or Hotwire, be careful to not that some of the hotels they includein SS are further out, and not near Metro stations.14
Check out these places or do your own search. These are available the first week of April.https://www.airbnb.com/s/Washington-DC?checkin=04%2F01%2F2013&checkout=04%2F07%2F2013&guests=2&room_types%5B%5D=Private+room&price_bin_min=0&price_bin_max=2
