STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Irene · Dooney & Bourke

Washington DC hotels for thanksgiving weekend?

Hermione · Kate Spade

Irene -

I'm not sure about the hotels - being from DC, I've never had to stay in one! Dupont circle IS an excellent location though, so I'm sure any of them will be fine.

As far as monuments go, most of them are outdoor things where people come and go as they please - they are never "open" or closed. You should be able to check them all out! The only thing you might not be able to do is go up the Washington Monument, though honestly I'm not sure why you'd want to - it's just alot of stairs!

That Friday is a federal holiday so most of the museums, etc, will be closed - they are pretty much all run by the federal government.

erin · Chanel

the links didn't work for me, but i've only ever stayed in a hotel in dc once (but lived there four years). we stayed in the grand hyatt near the convention center. it was decent. super cheap and we got a great room. not the best if you are driving. (20$ a day for parking)

dupont circle is a great area to stay in. the jurys hotel, is a a little bit further of a walk from the main drag in dupont. i mean its definitely walking distance, but i would rather stay at the courtyard for the convenience of a few blocks. the dupont circle hotel listed is on a nice street. convenient to cvs/etc...and right near the circle. close to soho tea house, if you don't mind being swathed by the tragically hip. OH and the brickskellar, which probably makes me sound like a tourist, but it's a fun place to go if you like beer (which i don't but they even have a non-beer drinker selection).

some other areas i like: foggy bottom (in between georgetown and dupont, sort of), cleveland or woodley park (not far from adams morgan, close to the zoo). also, i just looked at quikbook, and there are some hotels listed as being in "dupont" that definitely aren't. (not that they aren't nice areas, but you want to get what you pay for!) i love adams morgan, but i wouldn't want to stay there for vacation. i mean over thanksgiving it might not be bad, but it kind of gets a huge "frat boy lean" vibe on weekends.

like indiekitten said, the monuments are outside, so it's not a big deal...but the museums are probably closed. the holocaust memorial appears to be open. definitely something everyone should see. the spy museum might be open too. (i didn't appreciate it as much as my hub did, though)

you could always make a trip to the inn at little washington for one of the best meals you might ever have! they even have a veg prix fixe. (huge splurge, but holiday is all about gluttony)

Irene · Dooney & Bourke

Sorry, when I said monuments, I meant also the museums like the aerospace museum. I have been to DC before but my husband hasn't and I thought it would be nice for him to see some historical stuff.

However, if they will be closed, then maybe that weekend isn't a good time to go.

jj · Kate Spade

Actually, the Friday after thanksgiving is NOT a federal holiday - employees have to use a vacation day. So museums should be open!

Edited to add: for work, our out-of-town clients stay at the Topaz Hotel (N St. and Connecticut), St. Gregory (M and 20th) and the Madera (New Hampshire, right off Dupont Circle) and they really really like them. Not sure how much the St. Gregory is, but the Topaz is around $179/night, the Madera a little less.

-- Edited by jj at 10:19, 2005-10-03

dc · Dooney & Bourke

I like JJ's recommendations. Topaz is good, madera is good, rouge is good... all are near Dupont. I am pretty sure they're all Kimpton hotels, too - a hotel group I like. Kris stayed at Helix when she visited me last - that's another in that group with the added advantage of being on my block, which is really more Logan Circle, not Dupont, but they're a few blocks apart. Except I won't be there that day. But you can bask in my vibes, anyway.

Jury's has another hotel right *on* dupont circle (DC girls - it's the hotel whose bar is Biddy Mulligans.. what is it called?). But honestly, it's not a big area. The idea is to be in proximity to the circle, but the actual restaurants, bars, are all around the Dupont cirlce neighborhood, so being right *on* the circle is not so important. It's like saying you want to be right ON Union Square instead of maybe a block or two over, you know? It makes little difference.

Oh - Dupont Circle hotel is under construction right now, so I think they have lower rates. If you don't care what the hotel looks like on the outside it could be a good deal. Excellent restaurants on that side of P St. - Al Tiramisu, Johnny's Half Shell, Pizzaria Paradiso... 21P is a new one - have heard mixed reviews.

You are checking hotel rates on quikbook, right? Because if you are not, I am going to wring your neck, given that I have recommended that site to you for like 4 years!

Irene · Dooney & Bourke

dc wrote:

You are checking hotel rates on quikbook, right? Because if you are not, I am going to wring your neck, given that I have recommended that site to you for like 4 years!

*hangs head in shame*

I always forgetthat website unless you mention it. I will go look now.

ETS: I just checked online and all of the Smithsonian museums are open every day except Christmas. Yippeee!

-- Edited by Irene at 13:18, 2005-10-03

Irene · Dooney & Bourke

Thanks ladies. So I spoke to hubby and we are going to stay at the Dupont Circle Hotel.