Neighborhoods

Near Capitol Hill and the National Mall

A handful of hotels forms a cluster just north of the Capitol, adjacent to Union Station; southwest of the Capitol, near the National Mall, three or four standalone hotels are scattered over several blocks.

Best For: Travelers who have business at the Capitol and tourists who want to be as close as possible to the National Mall, Smithsonian museums, and the Capitol.

Drawbacks: Lively during the day, these neighborhoods grow quiet at night. This is most true for the southwest pocket, where you'll need to take the Metro or a taxi to find nighttime entertainment.

Penn Quarter

At the center of the city is this hot locale, jammed with restaurants, bars, museums, theaters, and the Verizon Center sports/concert arena. The plentiful hotels include modern venues catering to convention crowds and historic properties switched up for luxury-loving funseekers.

Best For: Those who love being in the thick of it all. Business travelers are within easy reach of downtown offices, the convention center, Capitol Hill, and the area around the White House. Likewise, the Penn Quarter is prime home base for exploring tourists.

Drawbacks: Crowded sidewalks and noisy traffic can be annoying -- even overwhelming.

Midtown

Think of the White House as center stage, with an array of hotels, law and lobbyist office buildings, and restaurants at its feet. Several stunningly renovated, historic hotels, as well as less sophisticated, more affordable, contemporary properties, are among the options.

Best For: Travelers interested in a central location that's less raucous than the Penn Quarter at night. Also those on business with the Executive Branch or at one of the law, lobbying, or association offices that line K Street.

Drawbacks: Budget accommodations are lacking in this part of town.

Adams Morgan

The hotels listed here are situated just north of Dupont Circle, more at the mouth of Adams Morgan than within its actual boundaries. The handful that perch along this Connecticut Avenue slope represent a vast range in hotel size, from one of the city's largest to one of its smallest.

Best For: Those seeking rooms with a city skyline view and travelers who want to stay "in" the city but out of the fray.

Drawbacks: The closest Metro stop (Dupont Circle) is several blocks away.

Dupont Circle

This neighborhood of quaint town houses and beautiful embassies, bistro restaurants, art galleries, and bars is home to more hotels than any other in the city. Boutique hotels reign supreme, though a few chains have outposts here, too.

Best For: Travelers who love a city scene, minus office buildings. Also for gay and lesbian visitors, since Dupont Circle is LGBT-central.

Drawbacks: If you have business on Capitol Hill or in the Penn Quarter, this might not be your first choice since you'll be that much farther away.

Foggy Bottom/West End

This section of town is halfway between the White House and Georgetown; Foggy Bottom lies south of Pennsylvania Avenue, and the West End north. Together, the neighborhoods are home to town house-lined streets, the George Washington University, International Monetary Fund offices, World Bank headquarters, and mostly all-suites and upscale lodging choices.

Best For: Parents visiting their kids at GW, international business travelers, and those who desire proximity to the Kennedy Center, which is also located here.

Drawbacks: 11,000 students attend GW and sometimes make their presence known throughout the Foggy Bottom neighborhood in ways you'd rather they wouldn't. The West End side might seem too quiet, if you like being where the action is.

Georgetown

Bustling day and night with shoppers and tourists, Georgetown has surprisingly few hotels. The city's most sublime accommodations, as well as one that I believe to be the best value in town, are among your options.

Best For: Shopaholics, and parents and academics visiting Georgetown University.

Drawbacks: Crowds throng sidewalks; cars snarl traffic daily. College kids and 20-somethings party hearty here nightly, but especially on weekends.

Woodley Park

This Connecticut Avenue-centered upper northwest enclave is a residential neighborhood of little stores and restaurants, the National Zoo, and Washington's biggest hotel.

Best For: Families who like a tamer experience than found downtown, and proximity to Rock Creek Park and the zoo. Business travelers attending a meeting in one of Woodley Park's big hotels.

Drawbacks: This area may be a little too quiet for some, especially at night.

Glover Park

North of Georgetown, south of the Washington National Cathedral, Glover Park is a residential neighborhood of family homes and group houses for Georgetown and American University students, all of whom gather at the bars and low-priced eateries that line the main drag, Wisconsin Avenue. The couple of hotels located here are unfancy and moderately priced.

Best For: Visiting professors and parents of college-age children at nearby American, George Washington, and Georgetown universities; those on business at area embassies; and families on vacation.

Drawbacks: Glover Park has public bus transportation, but no Metro stop.

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. 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, currently lists only one hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton (7032 Elm Rd.; tel. 410/859-3300), which is the sole hotel located on BWI Airport property.