Washington D.C. City reflects the history and cultural heritage of a powerful nation. That’s why you can’t miss it when you travel to the United States. And to make your stay a success, we will tell you which are the best areas to stay in Washington.
Located on the banks of the Potomac River, Washington offers a wealth of buildings, educational institutions and major historical monuments that honor their ancestors. When strolling through the city, it is impossible to overlook the beauty of its iconic buildings that are known worldwide.
Washington perfectly blends historical environments with the modernity of a growing city. The capital of the United States of America offers places of entertainment, picturesque streets, parks, monuments, shops and museums that you cannot miss.
Explore the most popular areas and discover what’s around every corner. In Washington, you can delve into art and culture while learning about American history and admiring the sculptures dedicated to Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington.
You can also enjoy modern art galleries, shop in spectacular shopping malls, take an outdoor walk, cruise down the Potomac River to see the beauty of the surrounding area, or even engage in outdoor sports activities such as taking a bike ride in one of the dedicated lanes or taking a kayak.
The best areas and neighborhoods to stay in Washington DC
Unlike other much larger American cities, choosing a good neighborhood to sleep in in Washington is not that complicated. Here are the most prominent neighborhoods so you can decide which one is right for you.
Downtown: the most centrally located neighbourhood
Downtown offers the best places to stay in Washington. The benefit of staying in this area is that you can access more comfortably and quickly to places of greater tourist attraction.
Among the tourist attractions that you can easily visit are the White House or the National Mall, the eastern part of the city that includes the Washington and Lincoln Memorial, the National Gallery of Art, as well as the Smithsonian Museum and the National Museum of American History.
Downtown is also home to the National Museum of Women in the Arts, where pieces by Frida Kahlo, Sarah Bernhardt and Mary Cassatt are on display.
But downtown isn’t limited only to historical points of interest. The center offers luxury shopping and dining at the CityCenterDC. This area occupies several blocks and has a street designed in the best style of Rodeo Drive.
The center can be easily explored on foot, but also has access to taxis, and public transportation such as buses and subways.
Accommodations in Downtown
Capitol Hill: a combination of fairs and politics
The neighborhood is named after the U.S. Congress building that, with its majestic construction, dominates the landscape of this area. This neighborhood is a great mix of parliamentary buildings and second-hand shops, eclectic restaurants and street fairs.
Capitol Hill is a twenty minute drive from Reagan National Airport, and a forty minute drive from Dulles International Airport. The White House is quite close to this neighborhood, as public transportation is only a ten minute drive away. This is an area where it is easy to get around by public transportation.
The neighborhood is an excellent choice to stay in Washington, given its proximity to the Capitol, where centuries of American political history are housed. This building is the epicenter of Washington and at its feet is its botanical garden.
This historic district offers well-kept gardens and quiet parks where you can relax for a while. As you walk through the streets you can appreciate the air of a quiet neighborhood, but also vibrant thanks to its cafes. Its colorful villas decorate the neighborhood with vibrant tones.
This historic neighborhood is also home to markets where local farmers and second-hand vendors display and market their products. If there’s one thing the residents are proud of, it’s their well-decorated community activity spaces.
In the evening, the pubs are frequented by both locals and visitors, making them an excellent option to end the day.
Accommodations in Capitol Hill
Chinatown/Foggy Bottom: near the tourist attractions
One of the best neighborhoods to stay in Washington is, without a doubt, Chinatown. Firstly because it is a very lively area, and secondly because it offers an ideal location to access the city’s tourist attractions par excellence. However, you have to take into account that the hotel offer in this area is scarce, so prices are high.
Chinatown is a commercial and residential neighborhood. There you can walk through the door of Chinatown, eat at any of its Asian food restaurants, or visit its shops. This neighborhood is quite small compared to the Chinatowns of New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco.
Foggy Bottom contrasts with Chinatown for its federal office environment such as the famous Watergate and academic buildings that offer few areas to eat. However, the area has historical monuments, federal-style residences spread out along cobblestone streets and a shopping center.
Hotels in Chinatown
Dupont Circle/Logan Circle: Charming Trend-Setting Areas
Both neighbourhoods are in the centre of the city, so it is easy to move to other areas. It is a peaceful place to stay in Washington, as it offers a fairly quiet pace of life.
Dupont Circle offers a wide repertoire of hipster bars and restaurants, while its boutiques give this neighborhood a funky feel. This is a neighborhood that dictates trends, especially at the culinary level because of its tascas and where you can appreciate a contemporary sensibility.
This part of the city is famous for its leisure, its large park where people sit to contemplate, paint or read, and for its nightlife.
Logan Circle is also a good place to sleep in Washington as it offers a variety of modern storefronts, and elegant manor houses with the oldest architecture in the city.
It is the ideal place for shopping, because it offers specialized fashion stores. At the end of the day, you can stroll through any of its two historic districts, which include popular night spots where you can sample artisanal beers.
Logan Circle is an exclusive neighborhood where you won’t see many people, since it doesn’t have a subway stop. However, getting around this area by public transport is not difficult. Both the White House and Georgetown are just a few minutes away from this area.
These two neighborhoods have a great offer of accommodations, and the best thing is that they offer an excellent relationship between quality and price.
Accommodations in Dupont Circle
Georgetown: an elegant and exclusive neighborhood
Georgetown is the perfect neighborhood for its neatness and architecture, and is home to the University of the same name. Its streets, shops, historic houses, cafes and universities are very elegant, offering unique Gothic and Georgian architecture.
This area offers different tourist possibilities to its visitors. You can’t miss a walk to its bakeries, pastry shops and artisan ice cream shops located on the main street. The awnings of these businesses provide shade and color to the place.
You can admire the showcases of the famous “M Street” which is full of vitality, thanks to the enormous amount of university students. Its residential areas have a very peculiar air due to the cobbled streets.
To enjoy a serene and relaxing environment you can choose to take walks along the Potomac River. The C&O Canal combines several trails where you can admire architectural beauties of the 19th century. For those who prefer to venture into the river, it is possible to take a kayak and paddle in its waters. Along the way you can appreciate the fabulous view of the city.
Georgetown has the particularity of not having any subway stops, but it offers public bus service and is located very close to downtown.
Georgetown Accommodations
NorthEast (Union Station): a convenient and eclectic neighborhood
The NorthEast neighborhood is conveniently located near Downtown and the imposing train station is located there, as well as a significant amount of accommodation. This is a neighborhood that has been recovering its splendor and has been filled with small restaurants and bars where you can enjoy folk music. It is one of the main commercial areas of the city.
Union Station offers connections to New York, Maryland and Virginia, as well as a subway and taxi stop, car rental and parking. Sleeping accommodations in Washington in this area are a good choice, since it is very close to the Capitol and Memorial Mall.
The station is a unique location that brings together 130 upscale businesses and serves as a venue for world-class cultural events and exhibits. It is one of the most visited places in the city of Washington. Its food fair is a great place to enjoy something delicious for a good price.
From the station you can access the tour buses that offer tours of the city and its surroundings.
Northeast Hotels