Even if they're on the bus routes, METRO is one of the best public transpo systems in the nation.

Absolutely.

There are many hotels near the Metro that would make it easy to move back and forth.

A bit cheaper than off base for comparable facilities.

Ah, those perks.

https://www.facebook.com/AmericanaHotel

http://www.americanahotel.com

We stayed here when my husband was asked for a last minute interview in the area a few years ago. We looked around for hotels in the area and were floored at the rates compared to other hotels in the area (it was the beginning of Cherry Blossom season).

They have recently renovated the rooms. It older and not as fancy as some of the bigger hotels in the area, but it is still family owned. For myself, that's a big plus and rare for the area.

The rates are fantastic and it is really close to DC and area restaurants in Crystal city. You can walk easily to the Crystal city or Pentagon City Metro stops.

Check out the website and see if it is for you.

Hope you have fun! We ended up moving here and love it!

When I do the math with airfare, that would be less then many of the bundles on Hotwire... Also the place looks to have an awesom retro look about it. Like the awesome place I stayed at in Wisconsin Dells last year.

We found the staff to be really nice as well. It was perfect for us when we stayed here. It's a good location and a great price. I hope you enjoy your vacay in DC!

I'm still on the fence. I haven't been there since our band trip in high school back in the 90s.

There's no way I would stay downtown unless someone else was picking up the hotel bill. Nobody takes a car into DC because it's just too big of a hassle so the vast majority of hotels are going to be located where it's easy to use public transportation. Just outside the beltway, hotels are easily half what they are downtown and there's a lot of nice restaurants and bars for evening relaxing. Just call the hotel and ask them how to get to the metro. Chances are there's a bus stop within a block that will take you right to one of the metro stations. Farther out near the commuter train lines the hotel prices drop even more.

Another tip is you might want to order a metro card before you go from the metro web site. They cost a couple of bucks but it will save you money in the long run over paper cards. You can also recharge them online which is nice.

or anything that charges by the hour...

I had work in the DC area, I stayed in the Crystal City area... not bad prices and easy access to Metro and bike trails...

The room was $300 per night. Good thing I wasn't paying for it.

I guess that's because all the business and political people book during the week.

But I guess for only major events (i.e. Cherry Blossom season, Capitol Fourth, mass rallies, etc.)