Hotels

What is a hotel but a temporary home? And no matter how brief your stay, you should feel welcome, relaxed, and comfortable there. Beyond a basic level establishing that the lodging is clean, well-lit, and safe, offers good service and a snug bed, the word "comfortable" means different things to different people. Size of room, size of hotel, location, luxuriousness, ambience, clientele, kinds of amenities available both in the room and within the hotel, and of course rates, are just some of the elements that can turn you on or off during a hotel stay. I've kept all this in mind as I've visited and written about each of the hotels included in this guide.

If you have a favorite brand of hotel chain, you're likely to find it represented in Washington, D.C. The Hilton family of Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, and Hilton Garden Inn properties, offers good value for both business and leisure guests; the Marriott dynasty of 16 D.C. hotels includes upscale Renaissances, extended-stay Residence Inns, business-traveler mainstay Courtyard by Marriott, and the high-end traveler option, the JW Marriott; and our all-American Hyatt, Sheraton, and Omni brands offer a range, from the luxurious Park Hyatt to the more practical Four Points Sheraton.

International chains, like Ireland's gracious Doyle and France's chic Sofitel, are here. So is Kimpton Group Hotels, the un-chainlike chain, that now counts 11 hotels in the D.C. area and continues to up the ante on chicly whimsical lodging. Two of the newest brands to debut here are the hip Thompson Hotels Collection, in the form of Donovan House, and W Hotels, whose W Washington, D.C., property arrived in July 2009.

Luxury lodging is big business in D.C. The Four Seasons, two Ritz-Carltons, and the Mandarin Oriental vie with each other -- and with three exquisite smaller establishments, the Hay-Adams, the St. Regis, and the Jefferson -- for the patronage of the wealthy.

Washington also has quite a number of beloved, homegrown accommodations, from the romantic Swann House in the Dupont Circle neighborhood to the Georgetown Suites, always a remarkable deal given its buzzing locale.

You'll find descriptions of 50 hotels and inns within this chapter, along with tips on choosing a neighborhood, getting the best rate, landing the best room, and finding a place to stay when the whole city seems booked.

Choosing a Neighborhood

Most of Washington's hotels lie in the heart of downtown, near Dupont Circle, and in the Foggy Bottom/West End areas, with a handful scattered in Georgetown, on Capitol Hill, and northward on Connecticut Avenue.

If proximity to Capitol Hill is important to you, consider the cluster of hotels on the north side of the Hill, close to Union Station and just off North Capitol Street. If you want to be within a short walk of the National Mall, think about staying in either the lah-di-dah Mandarin Oriental or the family-friendly Residence Inn, each just a couple of blocks from the Smithsonian-lined Mall. Both the Capitol Hill and Mall-area properties are in the thick of things and convenient for sightseeing during the day, but can feel isolated at night -- especially those near the Mall -- when tourist sites and offices close and Hill staff, government office workers, and museumgoers go home. The hotels are not near residential areas, and restaurants and shops are few.

To take the pulse of the city as it goes about its business, stay in a downtown hotel. This is also where you should stay if you want to be able to walk to good restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Divided into two sections here, Penn Quarter (btw. 6th and 15th sts. NW) and Midtown (btw. 15th and 21st sts. NW), Washington's downtown is bustling day and night all week long. Hotels in the downtown segment east of 15th Street are close to theaters and several museums; properties on or near Pennsylvania Avenue, like the Willard or the JW Marriott, are within walking distance of the National Mall and the White House. The Hotel Monaco, between 7th and 8th streets, is just a few blocks north of Pennsylvania Avenue, the Newseum, and the National Gallery. Downtown hotels west of 15th Street are also within a stroll of the White House, as well as some smaller museums, like Decatur House and the Renwick and Corcoran galleries.

If you prefer the feel of a residential neighborhood, look to hotels in Dupont Circle and Woodley Park. For a taste of campus life, you might choose lodging in Foggy Bottom; the accommodations near Pennsylvania Avenue and Washington Circle border George Washington University's widening campus. And if you're a serious shopper, Georgetown should be your top choice, with Dupont Circle as your second pick.

This guide organizes hotels by rate categories, based on their lowest peak rates for standard double rooms: Very Expensive (from about $400 and up); Expensive (from about $250); Moderate (from about $175); and Inexpensive (anything under $175). But these categories are intended as a general guideline only -- rates can rise and fall dramatically, depending on how busy the hotel is. It's often possible to obtain a special package or a better rate than the first rate quoted.

Using a Local Reservations Service

If you suffer from information overload and would rather someone else do the research and bargaining, you can always turn to one of the following reputable -- and free! -- local reservations services:

• VisitDC.com (tel. 800/VISIT-DC [847-4832] or 202/452-1270; www.visitdc.com) will find you a hotel that meets your specific requirements and is within your price range. Formerly called Capitol Reservations, the 26-year-old service works with about 100 area hotels that have been screened for cleanliness, safe locations, and other desirability factors; you can check rates and book online.
• WDCAHotels.com (tel. 800/503-3330 or 202/289-2220; www.wdcahotels.com), formerly known as Washington, D.C., Accommodations, has been in business for 25 years and, in addition to finding lodgings, can advise you about transportation and general tourist information and even work out itineraries.
• BedandBreakfastDC.com (tel. 877/893-3233 or 413/582-9888; www.bedandbreakfastdc.com), in business since 1978, works with more than 30 homes, inns, guesthouses, and unhosted furnished apartments to find lodging for visitors.

When All Else Fails

If your luck and time are running out and you still haven't found a place to stay, these ideas are worth a try:

• Call one of the free reservations services, including the Bed & Breakfast Accommodations service. Talk to someone "on location" who can work with you to find a place.
• Check out the Vacation Rental by Owner website, www.vrbo.com, and enter "Washington" as your city to read about furnished apartments for rent around the city.
• Consider house swapping. Try HomeLink International (Homelink.org), the largest and oldest home-swapping organization, founded in 1953, with more than 13,000 listings worldwide ($110 for a yearly membership). www.homexchangevacation.com and InterVac.com are also reliable.
• Call Washington's tourism bureau, Destination D.C. (tel. 202/789-7000), and ask the tourist rep for the names and numbers of any new or about-to-open hotels. If the rep isn't sure, ask her to check with the marketing director. Up-and-coming hotels may have available rooms, for the simple reason that few people know about them.
• Consider lodging outside the city.

Inside and Outside the Beltway, Beyond-D.C. Hotel Options

Normally, I don't like to recommend hotel options outside the capital, since I believe that to get a real sense of a place, you need to wake up in it. Circumstances sometimes dictate otherwise, however. If you have an early flight to catch and want to be close to the airport, or if you're having a hard time finding available and/or affordable rooms at D.C. hotels, look to the following options.

In northern Virginia, Route 1, also known as "Jefferson Davis Highway" within Crystal City limits, is lined with hotels for every budget, though most are aimed at the high-end traveler. Crystal City and its Northern Virginia neighbors are also prime locations if you want to stay near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is less than a mile away. (National Airport, by the way, is only 4 miles from downtown Washington.) So, whether you're looking for vacancies or affordable lodging, or simply want to guarantee a free shuttle and a quick trip between your hotel and National Airport, go to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority website (www.mwaa.com), click on "Travel Tips," under the National Airport section, and then click on "Local Hotels," in the Local Tourism section on that page to discover a long listing of hotels. One of the closest to the airport is the Crystal City Marriott (1999 Jefferson Davis Hwy.; tel. 703/413-5500).

Likewise, if you want to stay as close as possible to Washington Dulles International Airport, refer to the same website, but click on the Travel Tips line in the Dulles box, then the Local Hotels line within Local Tourism. Of the hotels listed, one is actually located on airport property: the Washington Dulles Marriott (45020 Aviation Dr.; tel. 703/471-9500).

Finally, the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport's website, www.bwiairport.com, directs you to its list of nearby hotels: Click on "To and From BWI," and then "Hotels and Services Near BWI." As at Dulles Airport, only one of the many hotels listed is located on BWI airport property: the Four Points by Sheraton (7032 Elm Rd.; tel. 410/859-3300).

Extended Stays in the Heart of the City

Travelers to Washington, D.C., who plan to visit for a week or longer should know about the centrally located AKA White House District apartment/hotel (1710 H St. NW; tel. 202/904-2500; www.stayaka.com). The D.C. location is one of 10 AKA properties (most are in NYC), all of which offer luxuriously furnished one- and two-bedroom apartments that are available for per-night rates (a minimum of 4-7 nights is generally required) or negotiated lease terms for extended stays. Federal employees will be happy to learn that AKA accepts the government's per-diem rate. Check out the website to see for yourself some of the property's fine appointments and amenities, including fully equipped kitchens, stylish decor, free Wi-Fi, on-site fitness center, washer/dryer (in each apartment), and complimentary continental breakfast. K Street law offices, the White House, the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, and excellent restaurants, like the Taberna del Alabardero, are just some of the property's notable neighbors.