phiota

Just wondering if there is any hotels (belonging to big chains) relatively near the Reagan National Airport( DCA) that is worth using points to book for one night in Mid October. I've checked IHG and Carlson hotel groups but nothing worth using points (instead of cash) came up. thanks.

MSPeconomist

In addition to places designated as airport hotels or properties with shuttles, you can consider many other places that are located close to metro stations, including some hotels (downtown) in the district. Start with a metro map and check possibilities from there.

You seem to be focused on getting good value for your hotel points compared to paying cash for the same hotel, right?

BTW, what points do you have? Any hotel chain elite status? And what are your flight times?

phiota

I'm in many points programs but the only ones I have enough points for a free hotel room is Club Carlson, IHG, Starwood & Hyatt. My flight times is 8:10am in the morning to Chicago>Tokyo. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Washington DC - Crystal City (Oct 15th) is my current booking (cash) just seeing if any better options with points.

meb226

The Willard is a historic (and beautiful) IHG hotel with good restaurants and bars. Right next to the White House and Treasury. One of the top 5 hotels in DC:

http://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/...ha/hoteldetail

paytonc

Is your question about maximizing point value, or hotel quality? You won't be able to find great values on points in this area: Most chains assign high category levels to even mediocre inside-the-Beltway hotels, since they charge fairly high room rates to weekday business travelers. As for quality, few of the hotels with DCA shuttles are all that inspiring.

If your 8 AM flight is on a weekday, you can stay elsewhere along the Metro and take the train to DCA. If on a weekend, though, you can't, as the Metro doesn't start until 7 AM -- but hotels throughout the city are generally cheap on weekends.

So, in general, DC's not a city you visit to maximize your point values. Either you're visiting on a busy weeknight and you'll pay a lot in either cash or points, or you're visiting on a quiet night (weekend, holiday) and the cash rates are low while the point prices are high. Points can sometimes be a nice value on very high demand nights, or for less-accessible locations.

phiota

FWIW booked Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel (Oct 15th) for 7k spg points ($161 in how I value the points) for a room that is now going for $251 (including taxes). A little far from airport but they have free shuttle to airport starting at 6:15 each morning.

paytonc

Ah, good call. I forgot that the Sheraton was downgraded from Cat 4 to Cat 3. It's in a weirdly central-but-not-walkable location, but for one night that's fine.

SPG also has some low-category hotels around IAD and BWI.