How much would you pay for a hotel ?

1. If you want a pool that is open, you should go for an indoor pool this time of year.

2. Free breakfast means that you get what you pay for. It is likely a buffet with cereal boxes, bagel or donuts, maybe some fruit.

3, I would go for non-smoking if you are not a smoker. Otherwise, the room may smell like smoke.

4. What neighborhoods are you looking in?

Will you have a car (personal or rental), or will you be flying in and relying on public transportation? How many people in the party, and any children? What do you want to do while there? Is a pool important to you?

@marinelife Hotels in Washington DC Down town are expensive. It looks like. SO right outside. I suppose inside is better never thought of that .Here is Florida you don’t have to worry about that good point. So your saying the free breakfast is not worth it?
@Pied_Pfeffer I will have my car. I hear it’s better to take the subway. Parking is a bitch, or driving. There will be three adults and one child. We will be seeing all the monuments and the museums. My daughter loves the pool.

Just know what you are getting, It is continental breakfast at best.

For inexpensive, reasonable quality hotels, look at Quality Inn & Suites.

A few more questions:
* Do you have specific dates, or are they flexible? Knowing the dates would be helpful, but if you aren’t comfortable sharing them here or in a PM, I understand.
* Would the 4 of you be willing to share a suite that has a bedroom and living room with a sofa bed?
* Do you have an estimated budget on how much you are willing to spend on a room per night?

Whenever I travel, I try to ask for advice for anyone I know in that area (if I know anyone). Hotels in DC can be a bit expensive depending on when you are going. There are a lot of hotels in the surrounding area though. The public transportation is good.Here is a link for the metro (to give you an idea of public transportation options).

When I stay in hotels, I always get nonsmoking. I’m not a big breakfast person so the continental breakfast is always good enough for me. I don’t worry about pools because I’m rarely in the hotel rooms, but my son does like having a pool (so it’s a bonus if there is one).

@Pied_Pfeffer We are going the last weekend of October for three days. I usually try to make my hotel $100 or less. Sightseeing . Museums, monuments.
@ Seaclouds Thanks for the link. True we are probably just there to sleep mostly. LOL

Thanks for the date information. There are a lot of city-wide sellout conventions that take place in DC, so knowing the dates and price range help. From the prices I shopped, it looks like a good time to go.

It really comes down to this: do you want it cheap, convenient, or good quality? Pick two.

Cheap: Look for places that provide free parking, since there is a car involved.A lot of DC hotels charge fees for parking that some people forget to factor in. Hotel taxes vary by location. Downtown DC does, or at least used to, charge addl. taxes for a convention center fund, and taxes in DC, Virginia and Maryland vary. The further out from the downtown market usually means a cheaper rate, unless there is some special event going on in the immediate area.

Convenient: Selecting a hotel in the downtown area will obviously be the most convenient for what you want to do. Most of the museums are within walking distance, so it doesn’t place you at the mercy of a Metro schedule and take up more of your limited time together. There are plenty of hotels close enough to a Metro station that you can walk, or the hotel may offer shuttle service to it. It just adds on to what will probably be a very long day the further out the hotel is.

Good Quality: There are some things that I won’t sacrifice for the sake of location or rate. Cleanliness is one, and product is another. Service is important to me when travelling on leisure and I’m not familiar with the location. And if I had my heart on using a hotel pool, I’d want to find one that wasn’t closed or in poor condition before I booked the reservation.

If it were me, and based upon the information you have provided, I would look into the Hampton Inn options in the Dulles area if you want cheap. Some of them are close to the Metro line and may offer complimentary shuttle service to a station. It will take freaking long to get into the city, but they are typically clean and have quality bedding. Plus their breakfast is much better than economy hotels because they are required to offer a variety.

If you use that reservation search link, I’d add in Homewood Suites and Embassy Suites as options, if you are willing to share a suite. Both offer a more extensive breakfast and a manager’s reception in the evening.

The Embassy Suites in Old Town Alexandria is nice as it is close to the Smithsonian and a very short walk to the Metro station. It’s the one I’d choose if the rest of the party was willing to share a bathroom. They also have a refrigerator and microwave should you want to chill beverages or reheat leftovers. Old Town is a wonderful, historic area should you want to take a stroll once everyone gets back from touring…and lots of great restaurants.

Another thought: you might want to select a location based upon the airport being used if someone is flying in. You mentioned that you had a car, but not the others. Old Town Alexandria is near Regan National Airport and a Dulles location would be much closer to Dulles. Depending upon their flight times, it might make it more convenient and less worry to choose a hotel location closer to the airport.

Splash out girl!! Room service, mini bar, massage etc. You deserve it!!

How much time are you planning to actually be in the room? I’d try to find a reasonable priced room just outside town unless you plan to use public transportation to the sights. Non smoking unless someone in your group is a smoker. The free breakfast consists of coffee, juice, bagels and donuts. Hardly worth paying extra for the room to get ‘free’ breakfast. Your daughter will be so tried she probably won’t miss a pool for a few days so I would elimate that option. When I stay at a hotel I want a clean bed and shower because I’m not in the room much. Hope you have a pleasant trip.