Are you willing to look at hotels which are in the suburbs but close to a Metro stop?

Which one of the hotels you listed doesn't come with a bathroom?

We stayed last year at the Hilton Garden Inn Arlington/Shirlington. I can not recommend it enough - it was perfect. We were two families with kids ages 2-9. The hotel ran a free shuttle to the nearby Metro station. It's set in a nice little area with restaurants and a grocery across the street. Pool is indoors, small, but the kids were happy to have a place to splash around after a day of walking around. Parking was free, too.

The Hilton Garden Inn in DC is in a perfect location for sightseeing - the metro station entrance is across the street, but it's walking distance from the mall, the White House etc. Large rooms. Goid shower Very comfortable.

Forgot to add - the DuPont Circle Hotel is great but better for adults than children - very stylish, but the rooms are small.

>> I am looking for a hotel that is kid friendly, not far from the Mall area (either by it self or via metro), and not over the top expensive.<<

What is your budget?

I've stayed at the Palomar and the Dupont Circle, both are very lovely, neither are particularly family friendly, as sf7307 said, more suited to adults. Neither are inexpensive tho you can get deals depending on your dates of travel.

I think sf's suggestion of the Hilton Garden Downtown is a good one for location.

The Omni Shoreham is more of a hike to the Mall and monuments than the others you've listed so I'd pass on that unless the Zoo is one of your destinations.

It's worth mentioning that with a larger group, especially if any are younger kids, staying downtown affords you a chance to split up and return to the hotel if someone needs a break from sightseeing. You can do that with hotels outside of the city but it's obviously more of a schlep and costly to ride the metro in and out of town.

obxgirl makes a good point about traveling with younger kids. If that's not a concern for you, take a look at the Americana Hotel in Arlington. www.americanahotel.com We (dh, my 17yo son, and I) stayed there last October. It's about a 10-minute walk to the Crystal City Metro station; they have a free shuttle if you'd rather use that. A pretty decent continental breakfast and free wi-fi are included in the reasonable room price.

Lee Ann

I also concur with obxgirl.

Especially that DC hotels are a much better choice than those in the Virginia suburbs - it cost a little more to stay in DC than in VA but it's worth every extra penny. I would advise staying in Arlington or Crystal City, VA ONLY if you simply cannot afford a DC hotel.

For many reasons - a few are: easy walk to sites, multiple Metro lines within an easy walk, Circulator buses, convenient for splitting up, easy to head back to hotel a few times a day to rest, infinitely more (and much better) dining options in all categories/cuisines/budgets, more interesting for walking around at night, movie theaters, etc.

Of the hotels you listed, Hilton Garden Inn (the one at 815 14th St. NW) is a great family friendly choice. Another top choice would be Embassy Suites (the one at 900 10th St. NW).

For an all adults group or adults with teens, I would suggest Palomar if budget allows or Dupont Circle Hotel if the Palomar is out of price range.

Thank you to everyone for the replies. Obxgirl we looked at the Palomar but the half wall of frosted glass and the window on the bath that opens to the rest of the room is not enough privacy for me or either of my pre-teen boys. The guest reviews on TA seem to agree that it is better for couples than families.

I will take a look at the Hilton. We were looking at the Embassy Suites one seemed to be in a little better neighborhood than the other. I will let you know what I find.

I think it's The Dupont Circle Hotel with the half wall of frosted glass. I stayed at the Palomar and the bathroom had a closing door.

The Dupont Circle Hotel shower does have a frosted glass enclosure, and I definitely wouldn't share it with my kids, but it's not open into the room, at least in our room, you first hit the vanity, then turned to the left to enter the shower. Either way, I wouldn't share with them (I wouldn't even share a room in Madrid with just my daughter because of a shower like that. Thanks anyway - I like my privacy!)

I often recommend the Embassy Suites on 22d for families-- it's a few blocks outside of Dupont but still a pretty good location (but I know some people would rather be across the street from the metro further out).

Our family did that trip this summer and we stayed with the Fairfax at Embassy Row. Call the concierge... He will be sure you get adjoining rooms and take excellent care of you! Look for our family's review of the hotel on trip advisor... I am raleighgrl there.
Have a great trip!

We usually stay at the Embassy Suites in Alexandria:

http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/virginia/embassy-suites-alexandria-old-town-WASOTES/index.html

Right across the street from the King Street Metro station which takes you to the Mall and many other places in DC. Within walking distance to Old Twon Alexandria, with tons of restruants and pubs

We stayed in a great hotel a couple of years ago-Carlyle Suites near Dupont Circle. It was like a studio apartment with a tiny kitchen...art decoy decor, and affordable. Loved it.

Art DECO...

We stayed with grandkids at the Embassy Suites near GW University hospital and used a combination of metro and taxis. It worked well and the kids loved it.

Residence Inn by Marriott is a nice option for family. DH and I stayed in the Pentagon City location twice. we traveled once with my mom and once with friends - both times we got the 2 bedroom suite with a kitchen, dining room table, and nice living room. I know you're going to DC to sight see so won't be in the room a lot but it is nice during those few minutes of down time to have a little bit of extra room. The hotel is a short walk or shuttle to the Pentagon metro stop. It's close to the Pentagon (obviously) is also near Arlington cemetery and the metro stop is at a mall in case you want to hit a food court. Free breakfast is great. Hotel staff are wonderful. No, it's not right in DC but the metro is awesome and it's just a short ride to downtown. Have fun!!

I didn't think there were any hotels without bathrooms, although I think there are just a few B&Bs that may not have private bathrooms for each room. I'd avoid them, but there aren't many.

I don't think of the Palomar as budget or for families, but I wouldn't reject the Omni Shoreham for location. It sounds like you aren't going to be in walking distance of the Mall for most of these ideas, and it's right on the red metro line and just a few more minutes past Dupont Circle on it. That's convenient enough. And there are plenty of restaurants along Connecticut Ave near there. I like it but I've only been there on business.

I think a lot of families like the L'Enfant Plaza hotel, maybe it gives good rates and it is near some Smithsonian museums. Trouble is it isn't really an urban area so it clears out around there after work. Meaning you don't walk out the door to a lot of restaurants or anything like that. There is a mall under it with some fast food or such restaurants, but not sure what time it closes. http://www.lenfantplazahotel.com/

I think some families like it because it has a pool, which is rare in the city proper.

Then there is the Marriott, of course, which is very convenient down near metro center. I do like Embassy Suites on 22nd, though, and the Hilton Garden Inn for location.

I stayed in the Embassy Suites on 22nd with my dad and 2 DDs (they were 9 and 10 at that time). The girls loved the indoor pool. I love Embassy for families. The manager's reception and full breakfast is great and saves you having to go out and the rooms are big. There was a hop on-off bus that stopped right outside that we took on 2 different days. It was June though- may be a summer thing? FYI-it's not right in town, but the Smithsonian at Dulles was the highlight for our family. I didn't want to go, but we were in DC for my dad (he wanted to go to the WWII memorial as he was a WWII vet) and he wanted to see the planes. Glad we did!

I don't get what location that could be. If Union station is within one block of it, it cannot be a 10 min walk to the White House. And there is no other metro station within one block of Union Station metro stop. The website basically says it is in Chinatown (loosely), or one block from Judiciary Square metro and 2 blocks to Chinatown metro. If you count two entrances to the same metro stop as 2 metro stations (not the same thing), you could have two within a block. It appears that building is at the corner of H St NW and 4th ST, which is certainly not within one block of Union Station and a real busy intersection of Mass Ave, H St and 4th Streets, several blocks to the NE of the Building Museum. The website also claims it is Penn Qtr, which it is not. It's over a mile to the White House.

It may be a good deal for some sure, but the location isn't what you describe.