Family Vacation in DC

Washington, DC, has many highlights. The monuments for past presidents are awe-inspiring, as well as Arlington National Cemetery.

Musuems are a large part of DC, and no visit is complete without seeing at least one. The Smithsonian museums, including the Natural History, Air and Space, and U.S. History Musuems, are among the best and most popular.

Washington, DC, also features a state-of-the-art convention center and several professional sporting teams. DC has plenty to keep everyone in the family occupied and happy.

Quick Tips:

Try to get a hotel that is near a Metro station or has a reliable shuttle to a Metro station or national airport. This is much cheaper than staying downtown, and the Metro makes getting into and around downtown easy.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way of getting around is the Metro. The Metro is DC's subway system and services the DC area. The Metro has stops near all the major attractions, so it is ideal for tourists. There is also a company called tourmobile that runs buses to major attractions. For a set fee, passengers can have unlimited access to these vehicles.

Location:
The hotel is located on the southern side of the Washington metro area making it a convinent choice for those travelling from the south. It is located about 12 miles south of downtown 45 minutes from Dulles airport and about 7 miles from Reagan airport.
Getting There
The hotel is located directly off Interstate 495 so getting there is quite easy. If coming from the south on I-95 it is much easier to get off on Highway 1 (Richmond Hwy) and follow the road for about 10 miles. The advantage of this is you avoid all of the congestion on DC backup and avoid the 495 beltway.
Rooms:
The rooms are clean, well-maintained, and have all of the amenities you need and what you would expect from a good 3-4 star hotel. The rooms are quite spacious and the bathroom are among some of the largest, luxurious and cleanest I have seen. Although the hotel is located near the interstate, the rooms are quiet and no noise from the interstate can be heard in the room.
Cost
The nightly rate for a room is approx $99-$119 which is definetely competitive compared to other locations in the DC area.

Guest Services
The hotel has free on-site parking, which in the DC area is a big plus. As you get closer to the DC area, many hotels will charge guests a fee of $18-25 per day to park a car at the hotel. This is true of many hotels even in the DCA airport area. If you are flying into Reagan National airport and are planning to rent a car, it is more economical to stay somewhere where the parking is free.
Shuttle Service
The hotel offers a free shuttle bus service to Reagan National airport and the Huntington Metro station. This was great for our stay, as we could leave the car at the hotel and use public transportation during our stay. From the metro station downtown was about a 20 minute ride. Huntington Metro station was a 5 minute drive from the hotel and is one of the only metro stations to have on site parking so it is an option if you wanted to drive yourself to the metro station.
Other Guest Services
The hotel offered other services including a outside pool, gift shop and fitness center. The pool was clean, clear and patrolled by a lifeguard. We spent quite a lot of time at the pool. The fitness center was a standard center with treadmills, stair climbers and other machines that you would expect in a hotel fitness center.
Recommendation
The hotel is ideal both for couples and families and is a great alternative to paying much higher rates in downtown DC, yet it provides quick access to downtown. Our family has stayed at this hotel twice and will be our hotel of choice whenever staying in the DC area. Make it yours too.

The National Zoo is located in Washington, D.C. The zoo has a variety of animals from every continent, similar to many other major zoos in the United States. Its major feature is the great pandas that they recently obtained, and they are a popular attraction with guests.

Admission to the zoo is free, and the two most popular ways to get to the zoo is by car (there is limited parking onsite) or the Metro. The zoo has a number of gift shops and refreshment stands on site.

It is best to allow at least a few hours at the zoo, as there is a lot to see and the terrain can be somewhat hilly in areas. I recommend seeing the National Zoo if your itinerary allows time for it or reserving it as an option if the more popular attractions are booked.