I know this is a longshot, but I'm trying to find a hotel in or near Washington DC arriving 1/17 and departing 1/23 (inauguration week). To make it even crazier, I'm trying to find said hotel room at the government rate of $153, or as close as possible. I'll be there on business for a couple of months, staying at the Westin Grand throughout. They were not able to provide a room that week, at anything less than several hundred dollars per night. Anyone else have luck with a similar situation? I've tried every hotel I can think of, with no luck. I was hoping someone who lives in the area might have an idea. Any ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Mark

Give expedia or one of the other major websites a try, there is always priceline and/or hotwire. If you arent sure about a hotel or location feel free to drop me a private message. I think your best bet would be across the potomac in Rosslyn or Arlington.

Mark:

Try looking at the Washington DC Convention and Tourism Corporation Website: www.washington.org.

There are 2 places to check:
1) Click Visitor Information and then find the link at the top called "Where to Stay." You'll probably find SOMETHING, but it won't be like the Westin Grand, and probably won't be in the City. You'll probably have to go out to MD or VA.

2) The other option is to check out their Members section, under accommodations. You'll find a category that says something like accomodation services, and it's been my expereince that they've been able to find rooms when few others could.

I hope this helps.

Just did a quick search using TravelAxe and there are many hotels under $150, although most are 3 stars or less, but some are right in the city. Download at http://www.travelaxe.com .

The Comfort Inn in Warrenton, Virginia, about 40 miles west-southwest of DC, is going for $85 a night for the dates you want to stay. The drive into town can take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours, depending on traffic. If you're coming and going at rush hour, it'll be faster to take the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) from the Manassas or Manassas Park stations rather than fighting the traffic on I-66. But if cost is your primary motivator, you might save by staying in Warrenton if you have access to a car---even considering the cost of fuel, parking, and/or transit fares.

You may want to push further south into Alexandria; unsure about availability but some choices are:

Hilton Alexandria Mark Center (just of 395/Seminary Road)
Hawthorne Suites (Van Dorn Rd, just off 395 as well)
Comfort Inn (Van Dorn Road, just off Beltway entrance)

My understanding (I just moved here a few months back) is that you want to stay inside the Beltway and north of the mixing bowl (the convergence of 95, 395, and 495/Beltway) because that gets UGLY during rush hour. An early morning commute from this area (non-HOV lane) takes approx 40 mins to get to Georgetown.

Alternative -- drive to Blue Line metro and ride into town. You can change to Yellow after 1 stop (King Street) or Orange Line at Rosslyn (the stop closest to Georgetown) or Red (Metro Center). Unsure where your ultimate destination is. You can download a metro map at www.wmata.com and plan a trip online as well to get a feel for trip times.



Happy Hunting.