Hotels at Tysons Corner
 

I'll be in DC for a quick business meeting later this month. Arrive Thursday evening at Dullles and leave the following late afternoon. I'd like to combine my meeting with Christmas shopping - I live in Europe.

I thought of staying someplace very close to Tysons, i.e. walking distance or one that has a regular shuttle to the mall. (I can have my meeting at my hotel.)

Any suggestions ?

The Ritz-Carlton is connected to Tysons Galleria (Macy's, Saks, Neiman-Marcus). Also in the immediate neighborhood is a Marriott Courtyard, which I believe has shuttle service to both Tysons Galleria and the larger Tysons Corner Center (Macy's, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales). There are many more hotels nearby. Are you interested in any brand in particular?

Marriotts are your best options - you have the Tyson's Corner Marriott, a Courtyard Tysons Corner, and the Ritz Carlton. There's also another hotel - which is right next to the Courtyard - it used to be Holiday Inn, but it may have been rebranded to something else, I can't recall - either that, or it got redone to be a much nicer Holiday Inn. There's also a Westin which used to be an Embassy Suites on the other side of the Beltway. It's technically walking distance, but I wouldn't walk it with any sort of bags. I don't believe any have shuttles. The best bet for walking distance is the Ritz or the Tysons Marriott.

Agree with your recommendations. Posting here to update on the "Holiday Inn" reference. They did a major inside/outside rebuild - and it is now a Crown Plaza.

Speaking of Marriott family hotels, there are also 2 Residence Inns in the neighborhood. But neither is easy walking distance to the malls.

Ritz Carlton is likely to be the best choice if you're looking to combine hotel with shopping. It is attached to the Tysons II Galleria, which makes for very easy shopping access. Likely to be the nicest hotel in Tysons, although I'd imagine that it is priced commensurately at Xmas time. Stores are somewhat higher $$ than those at Tysons I.

slightly off topic, I was on the opening staff of that hotel 16 years ago...great job for a recent college dropout. Helped to convince me to go right back to college the next year.

Tim

Tyson's I has more stores. I would go with the Marriott Tyson's Corner - you can walk. I am not sure if the Ritz is really connected.

I'd make the call based on shopping budget ... Ritz and Tysons Galleria are more upscale; Tysons I and the Marriott nearby are more moderately priced.

You could also do the Sheraton (8661 Leesburg Pike · Vienna, Virginia 22182) - which is not walking distance to the mall - but they have a free shuttle service for a 3 miles radius.

Yup...there is a hallway that goes straight from the Ritz into the second floor of Tysons II. I think it enters on the lobby level of the hotel, but it's been a few years since I entered the hotel that way. Around Xmas time, you see a steady stream of guests carrying their presents back into the hotel.

Tim

The mall is formally known as Tysons Galleria. It is only informally known as Tysons II because it was built after Tysons Corner Center (informally know as Tysons I).

And, yes, you walk directly from the second level of Tysons Galleria (just above the Starbucks on the first level) into the lobby level of the Ritz-Carlton.

If you want to access Tysons Corner, you should stay at the Tysons Center Marriott. They run a shuttle to Tysons Corner until the evening. I believe it runs on the hour by request. When you need to be picked up, you call the hotel and tell them where to pick you up in the mall.

Thanks
 

Truly appreciate all your assistance. I did book into the Ritz Carlton.

Enjoy the Ritz. If you have the time, eat a meal at Maestro, the in-house restaurant. It comes very highly recommended.

Tim

I actually had a pretty poor experience at Maestro, and not a much better one at The Steakhouse. There's good dining within walking distance, though, with some upscale chainsters in the Galleria, but my favorite in the area is The Palm.

Maestro closed with the departure of Chef Trabocchi earlier this year (it is still open for breakfast). It's not taking reservations until March 2008 at the earliest.