Recommend a Baltimore/Washington DC hotel

August 15, 2004 11:04 AM

Baltimore/DCFilter -- Seems that I may have asked something like this before, but here goes anyway. I need a safe, comfortable, convenient hotel... [MI, of course.]

Upcoming family nuptial events will have me bouncing back and forth around the DC/Baltimore area like a superball over an upcoming weekend, from Owings Mills to Silver Spring to Adams-Morgan to Largo to Alexandria to Columbia to Hanover and back. Any recommendations on a good place to look for accomodations that will be reasonably convenient?

posted by Dreama to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

The Microtel in Lithicum (by BWI) sucks bad.

The Courtyard by Marriott in the same area (West Nursery Rd.) is really nice (sitting room and seperate bedroom). Since it's for busines travelers it tends to be very very quiet and the highspeed internet access is reliable.

We paid 199 a night but that was a last minute thing as the hotel in DC we were staying at (Hotel Helix) was horrid, so reservations on-line might be cheaper.
posted by Mick at 11:53 AM on August 15, 2004

Funny, I've stayed at that sucky Microtel in Linthicum, and it didn't just suck as a hotel (the hallways smelled of a cheap hair conditioner layered over a slight aura of tunafish) there was a hinky little bit of credit card fraud against me (to the tune of $350+) that took the legal department of AmEx more than two months to sort out. That place is a pit in every sense of the word (and has crappy, inadequate parking and anemic/fake orange juice on the breakfast bar to boot) and I'd never ever consider it (or anything in the Microtel chain, franchises or not) again.

The Hotel Helix is the location for this year's JournalCon which happens this coming weekend. I decided against attending this year, though I contemplated it long and hard. I'd love to know how the Helix is "horrid." I think I may be more glad than ever I'm skipping on the Con.

That said, I am well familiar with the hotels in Linthicum, as they're all about ten minutes from the place I routinely hang out in Hanover, but my DC area destinations are all a PITA drive from there. I'm thinking something somewhat southwest of BWI (maybe even in Montgomery County) might be a better bet. Anybody agree, disagree or have other suggestions?
posted by Dreama at 12:54 PM on August 15, 2004

Columbia is a good intermediary between Baltimore and DC, and is pretty close to BWI. The Marriott Courtyard is nice, in an office-park sort of way. I've also stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Owings Mills, which is nice, and right across the street from a shopping mall.

Closer to DC, consider the Rockville/Gaithersburg/Germantown area, lots of clean, no-BS chain-type places there.
posted by PrinceValium at 2:35 PM on August 15, 2004

The Doubletree in Largo is ok - it's closer to DC, but convenient to MD, Alexandria, etc. Not the most exciting location, but not a bad hotel and close to the new Town Center where the Cap Center used to be, so there are a few restaurants in the area.
posted by drobot at 5:48 PM on August 15, 2004

If you prefer to base your travels in DC, the Hotel Tabard Inn is right at Dupont Circle, close to Adams Morgan. Really cool place, quirky rooms, very European atmosphere. And the restaurant is terrific.
posted by schoolgirl report at 7:00 PM on August 15, 2004

Why the Hotel Helix sucks:

Patrons seem to be of the "snotty son/daughter of Senator/diplomat/k street lawyer" type.
The decor looks like Todd Oldham exploded.
The hallway wallpaper is scuffed up from countless drunken stumblings.
Whoever they hired to hang the waynes coating didn't own a level.
Dried blood stains on 4 items of linen.
One working elevator for 9 floors.
Only 6 people can fit on the tiny elevator at a time.
They pump REALLY BAD techno throughout the lobby and elevator.
Room service closes at 10pm.
$14 for a burger.
$10 for a pint of Ice Cream.
The in-room wireless connection was too weak to connect to.
It use to be a Howard Johnson's, and it shows.
posted by Mick at 10:34 PM on August 15, 2004