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I'll be staying with my future wife in Washington DC for 3 days in July (July 03 to July 06).
I have the following hotels in mind and would like a honest recommendation of the zones because of crime, surroundings and attractions.
We will be arriving by car which we will drop-off at Ronald Reagan Airport or at Union Station and we will catch a flight to Orlando at the end of our stay also from Ronald Reagan. We will probably the metro system to get around Washington DC or one of the Hop-on Hop-off buses if available.
Capitol Hill Suites (near the Capitol) Capitol Hill Suites (Washington DC, DC) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor
Pros: The best rate of these 3 hotels, with breakfast and internet access included. The closest metro station is a block away.
Cons: Seems to be on a zone that some say isn't the safest around.
Club Quarters (near the White House) Club Quarters (Washington DC, DC) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor
Pros: Has a metro station next door, complimentary internet access.
Cons: No breakfast and somewhat small rooms (we are from Europe so this shouldn't be a problem)
Crystal City Marriott (Near Ronald Reagan Airport) Crystal City Marriott at Reagan National Airport (Arlington, VA) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor
Pros: Safe zone but according with some comments it seems to become deserted at night. Metro station below the hotel. Breakfast included. Close to Ronald Reagan Airport where we will be dropping our car on July 03 and catch the flight on July 06.
Cons: $12.95/day for internet on the room. 15-20 minutes by metro to Washington DC.
Of the three, the first that I'd knock out is Crystal City. Nice hotel, really nothing wrong with it, but the neighborhoods of the other two are more interesting. Crystal City is predominantly an office/hotel district, so there really isn't much there beyond that.
The area around the Capitol Hill Suites is fine. It's a lot of quaint older townhomes and then the House office buildings, Library of Congress, etc. The biggest downside in terms of safety is that the Capitol South metro can be very quiet at night, but I generally consider that area very safe so it's not a big issue. Along Pennsylvania Avenue (a few blocks north) and 8th Street SE there are a bunch of shops and restaurants that you could check out.
Club Quarters is in a very nice area. You're close to the White House and the restaurants/shops in the Farragut and Dupont Circle areas. I often hear Dupont described as the most "European" neighborhood in DC.
If it were me, I'd probaby go with the one in Capitol Hill, just because the cost is less and there is more included (breakfast, internet, etc.). You're also walking distance from many of the sights you might want to see (Library of Congress, Capitol, Eastern Market, Smithsonian museums, National Mall, etc) and then have 2 metro lines at your disposal should you choose that option.
Unfortunately Capitol Hill Suites are already sold out so I guess I'll stay with my Club Quarters reservation and cancel the reservation I also made at Crystal City Marriott.
Club Quarters price is slightly lower than at Crystal City Marriott and we'll save on time getting from Crystal City to Washington DC so that more than makes up for the complimentary breakfast at Marriott.
Hi Everyone,
We'll be staying in Washington starting June 30th until July 5th. We're looking for a clean and safe place to stay in the DC area. The must will be to stay downtown, close to everything, but we can drive a bit.
We're not looking for a fancy hotel just something clean. We'd rather spend money out doing stuff than pay hundreds of bucks for a room we'll only use for few hours sleep and showers.
Thanks for you help.
Sincerely,
Mike
Take a look at Club Quarters link from the initial post (by me). Open the tripadvisor page, enter your dates, check the hotelclub.com option if it's not already selected and click check rates. I was able to get the best rate through HotelClub.
Club Quarters seems to be right in the middle of the action and you have a subway station next door.
Sorry for the delay of my answer. Well we finaly found a place to stay but not located in DC.
We're staying at the holidays inn in old town Alexandria. Vey quiet and clean. Frendly staff. And we got a good rate of 214,42$ for 3 nights all taxes included thru PRICELINE.COM
Big room. Very close to the waterfront. Minutes from restaurants. A giant food store right accros the street. Covered parking. Free wireless internet acces in the room. And not very far from Downtown DC.
We think it's a good deal.
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Same thing for us
. Well we finaly found a place to stay but not located in DC. 
