Priceline Hotel: Looking for DC hotel for family

[SpeedDiva]

We're planning on a trip to DC from 5/20-5/25/2011.

I need a hotel for 4 (2 adults, 2-14 y/o) within 10-12 miles with free parking and prefer a metro stop nearby.

My max is around $120/night WITH tax ($600)

Is there a "best" timeframe to book? I'd like to get something like the 3.5-4* hotels for under $100 I've seen people reporting but nothing under $149 is coming up for me right now using the parameters I've set.

any suggestions?

[AaronJB]

Welcome to Betterbidding. :)

I'd suggest sticking with HOTWIRE, given that PRICELINE only guarantees double occupancy/1 bed. While rates do generally go up in the Spring, one other factor that may cause problems in mid-to-late May is if there are local college graduations, which tend to run rates higher in some cities such as Boston and DC. Not sure if that is the case here, but it may be.

There is no way to know the best time, really; it depends on if there are things going on during your dates of travel, time of year, if traffic comes in above/under demand, accounting for possible "walk-ins" and other factors.

It's still a little on the early side, but I would be persistent in trying to lock something in for this time period.

Which areas would you be interested in staying? There is no way to guarantee a hotel with free parking (or proximity to transit), although the chances of free parking probably do increase further out from the downtown.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[SpeedDiva]

Thank you.

I didn't think of graduations, I know there is a Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center that weekend. We were looking to avoid Memorial Day weekend, thus the weekend before.

As for neighborhoods, we're pretty open. Just would like within 10-12 miles. I've looked at Arlington, Silver Spring, Georgetown, & the Reagan Airport area. Cheapest thing I've found is a boutique hotel on Hotwire for $108/night but after research it doesn't sound really kid friendly.

[Doubleplay]

You might find better prices if you split your bid to weekend and weekday. Weekend should get you better prices, especially at the business type hotels. Also, Memorial Day weekend might be cheaper than you think. There are no business travelers in DC over that weekend so hotels like the Hyatt on Capitol Hill and near the convention center are usually pretty empty and you might be able to find good rates.

[SpeedDiva]

We ended up just taking our 5th Wheel & staying at a national park campground. Had a great time.

[AaronJB]

Thank you for closing the thread.

[thereuare]

Thanks for closing this this thread with your decision for this trip.

Please remember to follow-up your threads with whatever you end up doing for the stay, even if you choose to book direct, cancel your trip, etc.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.