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I'm headed to DC either next weekend or the weekend after and I wanted some info about the Melrose hotel (2430 Penn. Ave NW) and the surrounding area. I've heard from several people that it's great and that it's within walking distance of Georgetown University and the White House so that's a plus.
Also, since I'll be taking the train to DC, I'll be at Union Station - having to take the Metro to Foggy Bottom. I'll be here for the whole weekend so I wonder if it's worth to get one of those SmarTrip Cards.
The neighborhood is properly called "West End," although some of the hotels there now just (incorrectly) say Georgetown. It's a long 10 block walk (~ one mile) walk to either the WH or Georgetown University, but just a few blocks to either Dupont Circle and Georgetown. Both neighborhoods have plenty of nightlife with a broad mix of (wealthy) people since it's near GWU and many embassies. There's a Whole Foods Market and a Trader Joe's nearby if you want to grab some snacks.
Taking Metro will require a transfer; a slower but more direct route would be to take the Union Station-Georgetown Circulator bus, which runs right past the Melrose. Plus, it's just $1.
A SmarTrip card certainly makes things easier, particularly paying for buses & doing transfers. It's also faster. Whether that's worth $5 is up to you, but I always buy similar farecards for any city I plan to return to. (Heck, I have an EasyPayXpress.)
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