Lodging Suggestions

As Washington, DC is the center of our trip, most of the recommended neighborhoods here will focus around areas near public transportation (specifically, Metro) in or near the center or other desirable areas. Of course, you are free to choose any location in the immediate metropolitan area as long as you are able to commute and meet at our designated meet-up spots each day.

We’ll be honest: DC is not a cheap place to stay. As the nation’s capital, location for dozens of museums, and the site of many events, there’s usually a lot going on that drives up the prices of lodging. Your best bet will probably be homestays, hostels, or venturing further away from the center city.

Some of the cheaper accommodations can be found in the suburban areas of Virginia and Maryland. For the super budget conscious traveler, there are some hostels and you could always try Couchsurfing. The local community is quite active.

Be sure that wherever you stay, you will be able to get to a reliable transportation source to get into the city for our designated meeting points, all of which will be Metro-accessible. This may incur additional charges to you for ride sharing and/or may take an hour or more, depending on the location.

Also be aware that staying within the District doesn’t always mean a shorter commute than a location further away due to the nature of transportation routes, traffic, detours, and other factors. Before booking any accommodation, reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

General Lodging Searches

Disclaimer: The accommodation suggestions here include affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Before focusing on neighborhoods, I’ll share a general Booking.com interactive map below. You may prefer Hotels.com, which offers similar searches. Another great option is the home rental site VRBO. There is also Airbnb, Misterbnb (LGBTQ+ focused homestay booking platform), Sonder, and Homestay, among others. We will elaborate on hostel options below in a separate section.

IMPORTANT: please be sure to revise with the arrival and departure dates that fit your schedule. As a courtesy, we’ve set the default parameters to a check-in date of April 30th and a check-out date of May 7th (one person), but feel free to adjust to suit your specific needs.

Hostels

Washington, DC has some hostels you may wish to consider in lieu of more expensive hotels or other lodging. Unfortunately, two major hostels here have closed. We have found that Hostel World offers a comprehensive listing of this type of lodging. For an overall listing of DC hostels, arranged in ascending price order with a check-in date of April 30th and check-out date of May 7th, we have prepared this listing.

A few noteworthy hostels are listed individually below:

  • Caravan Hostel: pod-like beds located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood and well-rated by travelers.
  • U Street Capsule Hostel: unique dormitory-style pods designed for maximum space efficiency and cost savings, located in a vibrant DC neighborhood that is featured on this CuriosiTrip.
  • DC International Hostel 1: good location on 7th Street in Shaw, this is a decent budget option near nightlife and not far from the Green Line.

Hotels

There is no shortage of hotels in the nation’s capital, though springtime tends to drive the prices up with the arrival of nicer weather and organized activities. DC will be hosting World Pride this year, which doesn’t start until May 17th, but even so that may affect pricing and availability.

Below are a few suggestions for your consideration. Bear in mind that we have not stayed at nor do we specifically endorse any of the hotels listed. They are simply ones that we selected based on budget range and proximity to a Metro station.

Budget Range ($150 or less per night)

  • HighRoad Washington DC: located in an historic Victorian mansion, this Adams Morgan hotel has rooms from dorm beds up to a queen.
  • Baron Hotel: budget range hotel located above a tavern specializing in German beers near Dupont Circle.
  • Days in by Wyndham Washington: hotel chain located near Van Ness Metro station on the Red Line.
  • Even Hotel: an IHG property located in Rockville near the Twinbrook Metro on the Red Line.
  • Cambria Hotel: a Choice Hotels property in Rockville Town Center, very close to the Rockville Metro station on the Red Line.

Midrange (between $150 and $250 per night)

  • Beacon Hotel: affordable hotel located at Scott Circle, between Dupont Circle and Farragut North Metro stations on the Red Line, and close to Logan Circle.
  • Hamilton Hotel: across from Franklin Park and near the White House, this hotel has a great location and is near the McPherson Square Metro station on the Orange, Silver, and Blue Lines.
  • Studio H St Corridor: studio apartment within walking distance of Union Station on the Red Line.
  • Moxy Downtown DC: smaller scale hotel chain in the heart of downtown, within walking distance of four Metro stations.
  • Logan Circle Living: apartment-style family room in a rowhouse near Logan Circle and within walking distance of the Shaw Metro station on the Green Line.
  • Generator Hotel: offerings from dorm beds to a superior king, this Connecticut Avenue location is near our embassy walk and within walking distance to Dupont Circle Metro station on the Red Line.

Upscale ($250 and higher per night)

Recommended Neighborhoods

We have tried to include both popular and accessible neighborhoods from where you can get to our meeting points either by walking or taking public transportation. Keep in mind that the most affordable options are generally located further away from Metro stations and often in suburban areas. However, there are a few hostels in Washington that are centrally located.

Logan Circle, Shaw and Cardozo (U Street)

These three adjacent neighborhoods are among DC’s most vibrant and hip. Rich in African-American history and filled with cafes, bars, and restaurants, many professionals have made their homes here. From music venues, LGBTQ+ establishments, and Howard University, there is a lot to offer. Accessible to the Green line of the Metro and within 30 minutes walking distance of Metro Center, this area offers some of the best of DC without being directly downtown.

Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan

These two areas are also next to each other, and are longstanding fixtures of DC. Adams Morgan has a multiethnic feel and was once the go-to nightlife area. Dupont is central to many nearby areas and is one of the main shopping and dining districts, having deep roots in the LGBTQ+ community. Together they are very accessible to Metro and some of the neighborhoods we’ll be exploring, including the Around The World Embassy Open House. Kalorama Heights is just to the west and is mostly residential and where a large concentration of embassies are located.

Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill and nearby Lincoln Park offer a much more elegant residential feel while still being relatively close to public transportation. Not necessarily a cheaper area, it offers a very different perspective as it sets east of the Capitol Building and historically was where many politicians made their homes (and some still do).

Brookland

This neighborhood is home to Catholic University and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, but is otherwise mostly residential. It has seen some changes in recent years as gentrification continues eastward and northward from the city center. While it is further away from the center, there is a Metro station and it may offer slightly more affordable accommodation.

Maryland

It’s time to move to the suburbs! Located on the boundary between DC and Maryland, Silver Spring is a small city and one of the larger suburbs. It also has one of the area’s largest Ethiopian communities, evidenced by a plethora of ethnic restaurants and businesses. A Metro ride downtown will take 30-45 minutes.

Takoma Park is another great community-oriented neighborhood with a history of grassroots activism, outdoor music, and community gardens. There is a Metro stop across the line in DC called Takoma, which is an extension of this neighborhood. It is one stop south of Silver Spring on the Red Line.

Rockville is about 30-45 minutes on the Red Line of the Metro to downtown DC. This is where John The Traveler headquarters are! We will be staying at our home, which of course will be featured on Day 6 of the CuriosiTrip. If you wish to join us for the daily commute into DC for our trip, we would be happy to coordinate. Rockville does have several Metro stations where many hotels are located. It’s also one of the country’s most diverse cities.

Virginia

Suburban Northern Virginia spreads out like a fan or collar south of the District of Columbia, offering a few pockets of more affordable lodging options and access to some noteworthy sites.

Falls Church is a rather small independent city between Arlington and Vienna, located along the Orange and Silver Metro lines and about a 30 minute ride into the city from either of two Metro stations. The city itself is somewhat quaint and offers suburban amenities within a slightly more urban environment.

Located at the end of the Yellow Line in Virginia, Huntington and areas nearby are just south of Alexandria. Metro should take about 45 minutes to get downtown, but is more convenient to Old Town Alexandria and Reagan National Airport.

Other Areas

Of course, there are many other neighborhoods in DC and cities and towns in Maryland and Virginia that could be options for your stay. We won’t be able to list them all, but there are a few more areas worth noting.

Columbia Heights is a good option just north of Cardozo and has several bars and restaurants. It’s also located east of Mount Pleasant, which is another neighborhood with stately homes and a heavily Central American influence in the businesses. The Columbia Heights Metro station is on the Green Line.

Petworth has gone through a lot of changes in the last few decades. Located just north of Columbia Heights and accessible from the Green Line, it has a mixture of residential developments and houses, coffee shops, and restaurants.

LeDroit Park and Bloomingdale are a little further northeast of Shaw, but may offer more options for lodging as well as nightlife without being too terribly far from a Metro station. The neighborhoods have significantly transitioned since the early 2000s, yet retain many charming rowhouses and parks.

Tenleytown, Cleveland Park, and Woodley Park are all stops on the Red Line in upper Northwest DC. Each offers a slightly different feel. Woodley Park is more upscale with sweeping views of Rock Creek Park below. The National Zoo is located between Woodley Park and Cleveland Park, which has a concentrated couple blocks of bars and restaurants. Tenleytown is along Wisconsin Avenue, but the neighborhood is not as quaint as the others and tends to have fewer unique establishments.

The H Street Corridor (sometimes referred to as the Atlas District) is connected to Union Station by the city’s only streetcar, which is free. The area is a lively mix of bars and restaurants that has undergone a transformation since the 2010s.

Golden Triangle, West End, and Foggy Bottom are all south of Dupont Circle and are where many of the highest end hotels and many businesses are situated. Foggy Bottom is the area where George Washington University is located. These areas are probably the most expensive but also some of the most centrally located in the city.

Navy Yard and Waterfront are on the southern side of DC. Southwest/Waterfront is located in the smallest quadrant of the city. Navy Yard and Near Southeast are the most recent burgeoning neighborhoods in the city where several government departments are located as well as the Nationals baseball stadium.

The list could go on and on, but this offers a pretty good summary of DC’s major neighborhoods and desirable places one would want to stay. We aren’t saying that neighborhoods not mentioned are dangerous or undesirable, but do tend to be less convenient to getting into the city or are simply residential. There are some areas that we do not recommend. If you have any questions, please reach out to us directly.