DC’s Best Family-Friendly Hotels

A trip to Washington is a pilgrimage for many families, and fortunately, the city is replete with hotels that cater to this demographic. As any parent knows, choosing a hotel that’s close to restaurants and attractions and near the Metro is paramount; if it has a pool, a refrigerator, and breakfast on-site, even better.

Here are a number of accommodations that will make your family’s visit to Washington enjoyable.

Located near the Spy Museum [1], a couple of Metro stations and a bevy of restaurants, the Courtyard Washington Convention Center [2] is located in a cool old bank building and has something to please everyone, with a pool and a whirlpool, a fitness center, an in-house breakfast spot, and a Gordon Biersch Brewery.

Kids love the room service and swimming pool at the Embassy Suites [3] near the Convention Center; parents love paying for one room, tucking their children into the pullout sleeper sofa, and closing the door.

It’s hard to tell kids you won’t pay the exorbitant prices for the Pez in the minibar at the Hotel Helix [4]. So take advantage of the Bubbly Hour (champagne served gratis in the afternoon) and spring for the candy; you’ll get years of enjoyment listening to the “Remember that cool hotel we stayed at with the bunk beds and the Pez?”

With space to romp and roam and a huge swimming pool open during the summer, the Omni Shoreham [5] is a kid-pleaser. The Omni’s Sensational Kids program gives children backpacks filled with games and books and provides child-friendly menus. Also, the hotel is just a short distance from the National Zoo [6], a great place to take early risers, as the animals are “morning people” too.

The budget-conscious will enjoy the Residence Inn Courthouse [7] in Arlington, Virginia, directly on Metro’s Orange Line and which offers one- and two-bedroom suites at reasonable rates. Couple the spacious guest rooms with amenities like a swimming pool and nearby restaurant choices, and your family will quickly settle into this space, just 13 minutes by Metro from the Smithsonian Station.