Hotwire Hotel: 4* DC (White House - Capitol Hill) Grand Hyatt Washington

[RickyMartin]

I'm going to be staying at DC for the first time and really don't know the area, can you help me find a 3* + hotel at a good price(Not sure what the market price is) thats around the tourist spots? I'm not going to have a car so my next question is, are trains used alot to travel in the city?

I'm going to be staying for 4 nights from 12/28/2011 through 1/01/2012.

Thanks in advance for you help!

Richard

[dgelfuso]

This might help, Priceline Hotel List

[thereuare]

The most popular zones bid are:

White House-Downtown

Convention Center-Capitol Hil

Dupont Circle-Woodly Park

The Dupont Circle zone is a bit north of the other two zones but it's popular as it's a short metro ride to the 'downtown' area (yes, the train, or metro, is popular in DC) and also have a bit of a neighborhood feel with stores and restaurants nearby.

There are other options but your best bank for your buck, imo, are both going to be in the Dupont Circle zone...

$95 - Fairfax at Embassy Row

$115 - Hotel Palomar

Any thoughts on the above two hotels? Both offer an excellent value, imo, but from what i know of each, are quite different.

I've wanted to try the Palomar, a Kimpton run boutique property, which offers an evening wine reception each nite for guests. The Fairfax at Embassy Row is a bit more of an older/historic property.

Thoughts?

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

[RickyMartin]

Thanks for the recommendations!

After doing a little reading on this wonderful blog, I found a user that won a bid for the 3.5* DC (Convention Center-Capitol Hill) Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill for $75 on 8/20/11-8/23/11. The link that i found it was here:

Priceline Washington DC

JFYI. I also see this hotel listed on Orbitz and other sites for a nightly rate of $137 for my nights.

Do you think that I can get a hotel for around this price at around this location? I know the $95 - Fairfax at Embassy Row is a good price, but I wouldnt mind going for a little bit lower star rating for a little bit lower price.

Also, do any of these hotels include free breakfast?

Thanks for all of your help that you have given me. :)

Richard

[thereuare]

Surprisingly, rates are not that high for your dates. What zone(s), star rating and maximum bid price do you want to try for?

Complimentary Breakfast is not an amenity typically seen at 4* properties.

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

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.

[RickyMartin]

Thanks for getting back to me.

What I would really like is to get a hotel like the one that a user won a bid for the 3.5* DC (Convention Center-Capitol Hill) Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill for $75.

Right now the Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC Franklin Square hotel is going for $99 regular price in hotwire's regular site, no hidden name. Something like that for cheaper would also be ideal. (I'm just trying to get a nice deal since im a cheapo, hehehe)

How would I bid for a hotel like this?

Thanks for all your help!

Richard

[thereuare]

When you use the opaque suppliers you can choose the star rating and the pre-defined zone (and with HOTWIRE know the amenities offered at the property)... i'm not sure what aspect(s) you're looking for when you say "a hotel like this", but you if you intend to move forward with PRICELINE and/or HOTWIRE you should focus more on getting a nice deal at a 'x' star rated hotel... not a specific property (or aspects of a specific property)

Your objective(s) should be to consider which zone(s) you're willing to accept, what star level you want to try for, and how much you're willing to pay for it. For the most part that is all your have control over... if there is a certain amenity you're seeking then you can alternatively search HOTWIRE and see what is offered, but generally speaking HOTWIRE is usually costs a little more than HOTWIRE.

Let us know how you'd like to proceed and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[BGarcia]

You can use the subway to get around quite easily, I believe you can get a day pass for $8. Taxi's are quite cheap too, I found they are a bit hard to find if you aren't in a busy area.

[Doubleplay]

Since Congress isn't in session then and nothing is going on in town, you should be able to find dirt cheap hotels at that time of year, between Christmas and New Years. Since it's so far in advance, I recommend making ridiculously low bids for now while having a conventional rez made that you can cancel in your pocket. I would guess you could find decent rates without using HW or PL. Then, go have fun making bids. Your best zone will be White House Capitol Hill as downtown will be a ghost town. Your only challenge could be over New Years Eve. Maybe split your bid?

[RickyMartin]

Thanks for the suggestions Doubleplay! I will do as you said and keep on bidding until I get a very good deal. White House Capitol Hill sounds good, i dont want to be in a ghost town, no way jose. :)

I'm also open to splitting up the days with different hotels, that might be an option.

BGarcia thanks for the info!

[thereuare]

Keep us updated on your progress and let us know if we can be of further help along the way.

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

[RickyMartin]

I finally booked through HOTWIRE (using the link on here) the Grand Hyatt Washington for $89 a night! woohoo! :P The dates are 12/28-01/01/2012

Hotel Info:

The White House - Capitol Hill area hotel

4*

Amenities

Fitness Center

Pool(s)

Restaurant(s)

Business Center

High-Speed Internet Access

Tennis Nearby

Thanks for all your help betterbidding!

[AaronJB]

Congrats on your success. :)

Very nice deal for this Grand Hyatt property! Definitely a very nice deal for New Years!

Thank you for letting us know about the change in star rating for this HOTWIRE property so that we can update the site's Hotwire Hotel List.

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

Enjoy your stay.

[Jerry Hung]

Thanks for this thread for me to use as baseline comparison

I've started to look for 12/24 or 12/25 ~ 12/28 hotels and they are quite decent (e.g. < $100 on Hotwire, or even Travelzoo deals)

Guess it really is an empty town then