District of Columbia Hotels United States

Washington DC (District of Columbia) is the capital of the United States of America and the District was especially created under the US Constitution in the 18th Century to act as the permanent capital. The city’s population is around 600,000 but its working population is around 1 million people and the wider metropolitan area has a population of over 5 million people. The image of DC may conjure up images of dull museums and government buildings but it is in fact a lively, interesting, diverse city with great attractions for every kind of visitor. The initial tourist destination is inevitably the National Mall leading up to Capitol Hill, which is home to the White House; the numerous and wonderful Smithsonian (free) Museums; the Capitol Building, the memorials of Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt; the Washington Monument and the war memorials including the incredibly moving Vietnam memorial. Whilst you’ll have seen these buildings and monuments in countless films and on TV, seeing them close up really is quite something.

The additional Downtown areas of East End, West End and Waterfront hold even more attractions for visitors including dozens more museums, galleries, monuments, theatres, The Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, cinemas, restaurants, bars, parks and hotels. As well as the traditional attractions, visitors should endeavour to further explore the city – to the North of the Mall are the hip, arty districts of Dupont Circle, Shaw and Adams Morgan-Columbia Heights which should be one of your destinations for an evening out. These areas have great restaurants, live music, clubs, boutique shops and hotels.

Dupont Circle is also the hub of the city’s vibrant LGBT community. To the West of the Mall are the upscale districts of Georgetown and the Upper Northwest but don’t dismiss these as being just full of large, wealthy homes (though of course they are!) – Georgetown in particular is fascinating to walk around and is a really attractive part of town with colonial architecture, stately buildings, quirky shops, restaurants, the waterfront harbour, Dumbarton Oaks park and the Exorcist steps (made famous in the film The Exorcist). It also has some great pubs and nightlife thanks to Georgetown University students.

The National Zoo and the National Cathedral are the main draws of Upper Northwest but again, it’s also an incredibly pretty part of town to have a wander in and the Hillwood Estate Gardens and Rock Creek Gardens are great outdoor attractions. Every district mentioned has a wealth of hotels so finding accommodation isn’t a problem but deciding where to stay in the city might be! There are a number of five star options with rooms from £200 - £800 a night, located mostly in the Downtown and Georgetown areas. Mid-range 3 star hotels tend to average around £150 a night with locations throughout the city with 4 star options rising to around £350 per night.

There are a number of budget 1 and 2 star hotels located centrally for under £100 per night but there are also a number of B&Bs/Inns throughout the city too which may offer better value for money.