Choosing hotel in D.C.
 

I'm visiting D.C. for a weekend in late January/early February next year and arriving on Amtrak.

I'm trying to decide on a hotel and also open to suggestions. For now I've been looking at the Sofitel or the Hilton Capitol Hill, would either of them be good options?

Havent stayed at either of those, but I have had nice stays at the Hotel George, a Kimpton property, just 2 blocks from Union Station.

Off the cuff, some good "DC" hotels would be The Jefferson, The Hay Adams, The Willard, and The Mayflower. All depends on where your business is taking you around town, of course.

If you're arriving via Amtrak at Union Station, the Grand Hyatt (I think that's the one, at least) is literally on top of Metro Center on the Red Line.

We love the Conrad DC

Conrad looks lovely but is unfortunately a bit beyond my budget.

The Willard and Hay Adams are historic properties, close to the White House. IIRC Willard is still IC, although I don't remember it having a lounge.

Hotel Washington (used to be the "W") has a wonderful rooftop bar/lounge that is next door to both the Willard and Hay Adams. Also, Old Ebbitt Grill is a DC institution around the corner from those two.

Indeed, Old Ebbitt's was an institution many decades ago......

What are you looking for and where do you want to be?

Unless the focus of your visit is Capitol Hill you are probably better off saying somewhere other than the immediate vicinity of Union Station. A taxi or, better, Metro, can get you to other locations nearby quickly and cheaply that are probably more attractive for a visit, with options depending on your budget.

What is your budget?

Up to US$1200 for three nights

If you can catch a sale on IHG Rewards points (0.5¢/point), you could get three nights at the IC Willard for just under $1,200. And three nights at the IC on The Wharf for just under $800.

Still enjoyable (once) for nostalgias sake.

Do you HAVE to stay in the District itself? You can usually get better deals staying in Maryland or Virginia at hotels near the subway stations and taking the trains to where you need to go in DC. My favorite neighborhood is Crystal City in Virginia. There are several hotels within an easy walk of the Crystal City metro station (and one hotel is at the station). The Yellow Line quickly gets you to DC. Of course, as others have also asked, where exactly in DC do you need to be?

If you do indeed want to be in DC itself, given that you will be arriving at Union Station, which is on the Red Line, have you considered the Hampton Inn Washington-Downtown-Convention Center? It is a short walk from the Gallery Place Station, which is just 3 minutes by Metro from the Union Station Metro station. I stayed there once and enjoyed it. There are a lot of food options around Gallery Place, including authentic Chinese.