Funeral at Arlington National Cemetary - Need Hotel Suggestions
 

My Dad is being buried at Arlington National Cememtary and initial online rate checks are showing hotel rates in the high $200 to $300s.

That is not a problem for me, but could be for some relatives. I am more than happy to liberate some frequent guest points (Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood).

Any suggestions for the nicest properties at which I could try to use points that are convenient to Arlington National Cemetary?

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Check out the 2 Marriotts at Crystal City. I seem to remember that Marriott Crystal Gateway is a little nicer. Both are connected by underground tunnels to the metro which goes to ANC, although you'll probably want to drive. There are a number of other motels/hotels near there as well (including a Courtyard I think).

For a bit more luxury, consider the Ritz-Carlton at Pentagon City. If available, you can use Marriott points for R-C's.

I just looked, and got the same prices. That's insane. I paid $59.95 for the Sheraton National a year or so ago on my Platinum bedroom run. Now $259.95. That place is a decent 2* hotel.

Give exact dates, so I can look some more.

I may start renting some of the extra bedrooms in my house. Great water view, 10 miles from capitol, full breakfast, only $22,000 a nite. If that sheraton is 259, 22000 is not outragous for a bedroom in my house.

Check the Manderin Orental web site for a deal. Nice hotel in a nowhere loction.

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Unfortunately no hotels are real close to Arlington Cemetary. In all cases you'll have either quite a long walk or a car/metro ride.

The following are hotels that might be a little bit less expensive and are near metros and/or very accessible to the cemetary on the road:

Jurys Washington Hotel ($150ish)
Radisson Barcelo ($150ish)
The Watergate Hotel ($170ish)
Marriott Crystal City
Washington Marriott
Residence Inn Dupont Circle

I agree, it's insane. As a business traveler, I am very accustomed to city hotel prices, but these seem inordinately high for the properties. The Marriott Courtyard was even around $250!

Now there's an idea. if I am going to use points or pay those kind of rates, i'd rather stay at the RC or FS any day.

Have you considered Priceline?
 

If you've got to book several rooms, is Priceline the way to go? I just had a look at www.biddingfortravel.com; don't use the Virginia listings, but check out Washington DC itself. It has a section for Arlington as well as one for Crystal City.

I am thinking about that. Never used Priceline, but there only seem to be a few 3* hotels in the area and any of them would be OK.

I did just reserve a room at the Hyatt Arlington for the AAA rate of $216. That's fine for me...but the terms say only one room per AAA member. Hyatt would not permit point redemption for 2 nights during the week, so I cannot help out the cousins.

Darn, why didn't I work on Hyatt FFN this summer?!!

Anyone have any input on the Sheraton Pentagon Old Alexandria? Recently renovated, rooms look nice in the pix and only 3-4K Starwood points per night; I could accomodate several relatives fairly easily.

Then again (and here is the flyertalker in me...) I guess if I can't redeem points for the cousins' rooms, I could pay for their rooms and earn points....

Oh and the good news is we don't need to be walking/metro distance because the funeral home transporting Dad to Arlington will provide limo service.

You might want to check Hotwire as well... They had some particularly good rates when I was looking for October (@ $100/night for a 4* in Crystal City).

Sorry for your loss,
- RightD

Thanks, RightD. Will do. I am a bit leery of Priceline because I have read about people getting 'tude from some hotels and being assigned tiny rooms. The last thing we need is attitude from anyone..
Can you tell me which hotel was the 4* in Crystal City?

I've never encountered much of an attitude from people about Hotwire, thankfully.

As far as the hotel goes,we ended up booking downtown so I can't tell you from personal experience. Orbitz lists the Hyatt Regency as a 4* in that area while Expedia points to the Ritz nearby in Pentagon City (YMMV, of course).

Good luck,
- RightD

There is a Residence Inn in Pentagon City and a Hyatt in Rosslyn in addition to those that others have mentioned.

BTW, I'm a retired USAF officer who has attended his share of funerals at Arlington. It's a very dignified ceremony, to say the least. At graveside, you will see a woman, accompanied by a soldier, whom you won't recognize. She will be the wife of an active duty general or other senior officer. Years ago, the wife of General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, the first USAF Chief of Staff, was walking on Ft. Myer and saw a funeral procession with no mourners. She went home and told her husband what she had seen. She contacted some of her friends who also lived on Ft. Myer and they decided that at least one of them would attend EVERY funeral at Arlington to ensure that there was at least one American honoring the deceased veteran. 50+ years later, this tradition continues. In addition to greatly expanding the list of volunteer wives, the only change was to include a male soldier to accompany the wife, so as not to give the impression that the woman that nobody knows could have been "the other woman."

Thanks for the additional suggestions -- and for the fascinating story!

The old Iwo Jima motel is now a Quality Inn. Rooms are $120 for mid Sept. Probably less with a AAA discount, etc. I think that is the closest hotel/motel to Arlington Cemetary.

Not mentioned, if driving to DC, downtown hotel parking, if available is close to $25 per nite.