Looking for nice hotels in DC

January 14, 2005 8:10 AM

I am looking for nice hotels in the DC metro area. My wife and I need a nice holiday, so I'd like something with some real charm to it, not some chain with the cheap sheets and horrible quilted comforters. Any recommendations?

We'd like to do something downtown so we can visit some of the museums and maybe even take in a play (if that's possible).

posted by Irontom to Travel & Transportation around Washington, DC (12 answers total)

I'm a fan of the Kimpton Hotels. I've stayed in Rouge and Helix here in DC. Some people find them obnoxiously trendy though.
posted by JoanArkham at 8:38 AM on January 14, 2005

In DC, I like the Madera, though you do need to take a cab to get downtown. However, it is within walking distance of Kramer Books--bookstore, bar, and restaurant in one.
posted by dame at 8:41 AM on January 14, 2005

you do need to take a cab to get downtown

I would say Metro, rather than cab, myself.
posted by redfoxtail at 8:51 AM on January 14, 2005

A friend stayed in Rouge and loved it -- very trendy, but in a nicely comfortable way, and in a pretty area near Dupont Circle, which is (I think) one of the nicest areas of DC in terms of restaurants and people-watching and such.

Just a note: if you do stay downtown, it's pretty much tourists only, from what I remember. Not many people living down there. If you're just doing museums, that's obviously fine, but if you're looking for more ability to walk to hotels and bars and whatnot, you may want to check out places like Dupont Circle. And the city's small enough that transportation's pretty quick (you can even walk straight down 16th Street to the White House in 20min. or so from there).
posted by occhiblu at 9:02 AM on January 14, 2005

I stayed at the Watergate a few years ago, and loved it, although that might also have been because I was all excited about the history and such.
posted by milovoo at 9:04 AM on January 14, 2005

I've stayed at the Wardman Park Marriott several times. The rooms are quite nice. However the hotel is HUGE and may not be what you're looking for. It's on the same metro line, same stop as the National Zoo.

Next weekend, I'll be spending the night at The Hotel Monaco for my husband's company party. It looks really nice and seems to be in the part of town you want.
posted by onhazier at 9:12 AM on January 14, 2005

Best answer: i have had the tabard recommended many times. never stayed there myself, though.
posted by crush-onastick at 9:36 AM on January 14, 2005

(Up there, "walk to hotels" in regards to Dupont Circle should have been "walk to restaurants." Sorry.)
posted by occhiblu at 9:46 AM on January 14, 2005

I used to stay at the Georgetown Inn -- last time I was there, in 2001, it was still good and pretty inexpensive

The Morrison House is not in DC but in nearby (subway -- yellow line) Old Town Alexandria. very charming indeed.
posted by matteo at 10:49 AM on January 14, 2005

Best answer: The Tabard, most definitely! I stayed there twice this summer, and it is excellent. Very old world, lots of history, and interesting, quirky decor. No TV or radio in the rooms, just shelves full of strange old books. And a really excellent restaurant downstairs. The free breakfast is really good, particularly the oatmeal.
posted by schoolgirl report at 1:45 PM on January 14, 2005

Best answer: Yes, yes, the Tabard! It's wonderfully plush and quirky.

Go to the website crush-onastick provided and pick out a room. They're all charming but some are extraordinary. The last time I was there, I stayed in a suite that was all Art Deco Chinoiserie, which made me wish I'd packed a silk kimono.

The restaurant is excellent -- seasonal menu, everything grown locally, much of it on the owners' farm in Virginia.

Good location, near Dupont Circle with good Metro access and within walking distance (well, NYer walking distance) of the Mall, etc.

Best of all, it's really reasonable. I mean, not Motel 6 cheap, but you can get a room with shared bath for $85 a night, and the most expensive accommodations are around $200.
posted by vetiver at 4:02 PM on January 14, 2005

My gf and I just stayed at the Beacon on Rhode Island. I'd reccomend it, short walk to the mall and reasonable rates. They're doing some construction on the outside so there are deals to be had too.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 8:52 AM on January 15, 2005