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[britmom]

I couldn't find any previous posts on this topic, but apologies if I've missed them....

I'm planning a research trip to Washington in early January (Library of Congress). The last time I was there I stayed here: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasrr-residence-inn-arlington-rosslyn/ It was fantastic, but at $249+ per night it's more than I wanted to pay. I'm looking for somewhere in a safe area, close to the metro, with internet access, kitchen facilities and close to a supermarket/eating places. I'd rather not spend more than $180 per night. It doesn't have to be fancy, but I need it to be clean. Does anyone have any suggestions?  Or am I dreaming?

Thanks,
Britmom.

[bibliothecula]

I'd take a book at the B&Bs:

http://www.bedandbreakfastdc.com/
http://www.bbonline.com/dc/washington.html

In January, rates should be pretty low. Also try

http://www.capitolhillsuites.com/--ver near the LoC.

Finally, the Folger (near the LoC, has this page with lots of links to lodging options:
http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=311

Good luck, and have a great trip!

[neutralname]

I got some useful feedback for a similar question:
http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,47768.0.html

[magistra]

It's all about the Metro.  If you're near a stop, particularly if it's on the same line as the LOC, you can be in Maryland and it won't matter much.  The Metro closes around midnight, though it's later on weekends.  The closest Library of Congress stop is Capitol South.

http://www.wmata.com/default.cfm

[daurousseau]

We found a good price in Northern Virgina and then spent enough on gas driving in circles trying to find it that we would have been better off staying in town.

[paultuttle]

Or you could use the youth hostels in DC, if you're not hung up on missing such amenities as room service.

Try http://www.hostels.com/us.dc.html. I've stayed at the William Penn House for a conference, and everything was rather nice (for a hostel), particularly the price per night (under $50).  Parking was six or seven blocks away, but the Metro stop was only four blocks away, if I remember correctly.   

[tee_bee]

I had very good luck with hotels.com. Got me into the Hotel Rouge, a Kimpton hotel (love 'em) four blocks from Dupont Circle (Redline) for $165 last week. And it's a great business hotel, even though it's pretty trendy/funky.

I second the motion for Northern Va, if you are on the subway. Courthouse, Virginia Square, and Clarendon on the Orange line have decent hotels, although they are rivalling downtown DC prices. There's some two stars out in Ballston too, which is convenient (near NSF).

Other hotels I like are the Lombardy near GWU (Foggy Bottom, Blue and Orange lines) and the George Washington University Inn (ditto, although a slightly longer walk).

Other folks will have better ideas than I do, but it's really hard to find a decent hotel in DC near a metro stop for less than the GSA per diem of $201 a night. DC is absurdly expensive.

[samspade]

I have done research numerous times in Washington and I have found that to be near the Library of Congress and do it cheaply, I stay at hostels. Yes its a pain to share a room with eight others (and to be fair, I felt sorry for the others because I snore) but I ended up only paying around $30 a night. And since you are in no rush to get back to the hostel, it motivated me to stay at the LOC every night until closing.

[madhatter]

Kimptons are nice. I also like the Beacon Hotel, between DuPont Circle and the K Street district. It's modern with nice rooms and a good restaurant.

[blackbart]

Are you an employee of a state school? I stayed this summer at the Capitol Hill Suites, which is across the street from the LoC and has government rates at around $170, if memory serves. It's explicit about offering the rate to state and federal employees, though no one ever asked for government ID when I arrived--I just got the rate, no questions asked.

[losemygrip]

Once again, use Priceline.  Anything else is just ridiculous, unless Priceline has no availability. You can get a very nice room at a Marriott or the like for less than $100/night, in most cases.

[daurousseau]

The Mayflower and the Shoreham are still OK, I think.

[mickfed]

A Residence Inn-Fairfield Inn type hotel near the New Carrollton Metro stop (Prince George’s County, MD) runs about $180.  For safety reasons you will want to travel during rush hours.  A similar hotel near Dunn Loring –Merrifield Metro Stop in Northern Virginia will run about the same.

An alternative is to stay near Quantico or Stafford Virginia (40 miles south) for about $95 and rent a small car.  Catch the VRE at Quantico or the Metro at Springfield-Franconia (leave car in parking lot).  Thousands of people make that commute daily.

[anglophile]

An off the wall possibility somewhere between the hostel and a Marriott would be a guest house/ B and B. There are several in livable parts of town which would run about $100.
This http://www.edenparkguesthouse.com/rooms_and_rates.php is less then 10 minutes walk from the red line and its a reasonable, walkable area (Takoma Park).
Motels near the University of Maryland/College Park metro can also be had at a decent rate- this would be less of a commute than dunn-lorning or quantico at any rate. I wouldn't walk back super late, though.