The United States’ capital city of Washington DC is at once the very business-like center of the country’s government and one of the best tourist attractions in the US. Even without the vast number of completely free museums you can visit in this city, there are lots of pretty monuments and great areas for walking around – and in the Spring, the cherry blossoms make the city beyond beautiful. Unfortunately, unlike the museums, the lodging is not free – so you will need to find cheap hotels in Washington DC for your stay.
Staying close to the National Mall is a great idea if you are visiting DC, because most of the tourist sights will be within walking distance. You may pay a bit more for this privilege, but it can really be worth it. Alternately, you can hunt further away from the center for cheap hotels in Washington DC – just be sure that they are close to a Metro stop, because that will allow you to get to the tourist area easily and quickly (not to mention inexpensively) no matter where your hotel is.
Washington DC is not a huge city, but there are several different neighborhoods with distinct personalities and price points. The Penn Quarter area is where many tourists decide to stay, because of its proximity to the National Mall. You will find more high-end hotels in the West End and Georgetown, and may also want to look in the Dupont Circle and Shaw neighborhoods for cheap hotels in Washington DC.
Some of the cheap hotels in Washington DC which you may consider stayin in are The Embassy Inn (38 rooms, near Dupont Circle Metro station, free breakfast and WiFi), Hotel Harrington (“oldest continuously operating hotel” in DC, in Penn Quarter, half-block from Pennsylvania Avenue, 242 rooms), Tabard Inn (5 blocks from White House, 40 rooms, on-site restaurant), Liaison Capitol Hill (343 rooms, seasonal rooftop pool, on-site restaurant, a six-choice “pillow menu”), and The Carlyle Suites (in Dupont Circle neighborhood, art deco styled hotel, suites are great for traveling families, on-site restaurant).