Priceline Hotel: Best area for tourists??

[Aprilmay]

My husband and I are planning a four-night Spring Break trip to Washington DC in March. We have never visited DC, and have no idea which part of town to look at. Which are the best zones for the typical tourists(Hotwire and Priceline)? We would like to see the White House, Arlington Cemetary, Smithsonian, etc. Also, is the considered a busy time of year for tourism in DC?

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

April

[TravelGuy]

From an earlier post with some changes:

If you're interested in a 4*, I think that Dupont Circle/Woodley Park is a very good choice. You get an urban vibe blended with somewhat of a residential feel - the excitement of being in town, yet the peacefulness of being a bit removed from it. If you're interested in this zone, I would definitely use Priceline.

There are two 4*'s that have come up in the Dupont Circle/Woodley Park zone, the Westin Embassy Row and the Omni Shoreham. The Westin Embassy Row is a swanky, pretty formal hotel with a great location on the embassy lined portion of Massachusetts Ave., just before where the downtown office buildings begin. It's just a short walk from the Dupont Circle Metro stop.

The Omni is a large, very good hotel with flourishes of elegance, although fairly old school and somewhat convention-like. It's in Woodley Park, a primarily residential setting, but with restaurants and cafes, and still quite close to downtown. The Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Metro stop is just a half block. The hotel has unusually large, very well appointed rooms (I believe around twice the size of the average hotel room.)

Another good 4* option would be the Convention Center/Capital Hill zone, further downtown, closer to the Smithsonian and National Mall. (But IMO it gets rather dead down there after the workday has ended - and here you are smack in the middle of the downtown office buildings.) The White House/Downtown zone would work well also, lots of Metro stops to get around to the sights, but again, lots of concrete.

Spring is the most beautiful time of year in DC weatherwise. April and May are best (you picked a good screen name :) ), but mid to late March should be nice as well. Busy in Spring, but fairly tolerably so - as opposed to Summer, when the museums are mobbed and the heat and humidity can be oppressive.

Lastly, I wouldn't bother with Hotwire unless Pricline isn't turning up anything, which would be unlikely. The odds are quite good that you'll get the best deal through PL in DC.

[thereuare]

I was hoping TravelGuy would reply to this thread as he's very knowledgable about the area and also the pros/cons of each Priceline and Hotwire zone. <as always thanks for the info>

Based upon the insight he provided let us know your zone thoughts and we'll be happy to supply a strategy to follow and we'll take it from there.

[KatiesMom]

AprilMay,

I have made two trips to DC in the past few months. The second trip we drove all around and I got a good lay of the land. In my opinion, the best areas for tourists to stay are the DuPont Circle/Woodley Park areas.

Why, you say?

1. Nice residential areas. Can walk around, lots of nice restaurants.

2. Convenient to metro stops, a necessity for tourists. Park your car and forget it.

3. Not as remote at night as Downtown DC.

By the way, the 3* Marriott Wardman Park (in Woodley Park) and 3* Jurys (in DuPont Circle) look wonderful! We stayed at the Omni Shoreham, a 4*, also excellent. But I would be comfortable at either of those 3* places.

[Aprilmay]

My appreciation to all three of you for replying so quickly. As soon as I settle on dates, and find cheap enough airfare from Atlanta, I will request bidding help. One additional question, though. Are weekend nights typically less expensive than weekdays? Or vice versa? I am planning a four-night stay, but if the weekend is significantly cheaper, I'll include a couple of weekend nights.

Thanks again.

April

[TravelGuy]

Occupancy rates generally go down on the weekends, and rates are lower.

[steve20832]

White House is the best Priceline areas (Hotwire calls it Kennedy Center - White House) to be in and near the tourist attractions you want to be in the White House area. Arlington Cemetary is about a mile or so from the White House. Be prepared to do alot of walking while you are in town. One end of the tourist area is the Capitol building while the other is the Lincoln Memorial (about 25 blocks apart) The White House and Washington Monument are in the middle of everything. The first week of April is busy with the Cherry Blossom parade and celebration but the rest of April is a good time of year. Temperature high around 70 and lows around 50 so bring a light jacket. Really no need to rent a car since Metro takes you everywhere in the downtown area. Bring lots of $1 bills or expect alot of quarters back in change if you ride Metro.

[cakobau]

Bring lots of $1 bills or expect alot of quarters back in change if you ride Metro.

Re: the Metro, many (most?) stations now feature at least one farecard vending machine that accepts credit cards. I find them a little slower than the MTA machines in NYC, but they work. More credit card charges for everyday expenses = more miles = more cheap travel... :)