20008 Travel Guide
Fourth of July Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / Starwood Hotels / Hotel Packages / → All Tags
Even The Food Will Be Festive This Fourth of July at The Fairfax
The Fairfax at Embassy Row is taking the whole patriotic red-white-and-blue idea in a whole other direction—a tasty one. If you stay at the Washington, D.C., hotel on Fourth of July weekend, you'll get a flight of red and white wines and artisanal white and bleu cheeses.
The aptly named Red, White and Blue package is perfect for food-and-drink fans who'd rather celebrate the holiday by boozing it up. However, if you still want to see some fireworks action, the package will also give you two round-trip Metro passes from the Dupont Circle Station—which is just a block from the hotel—to the National Mall, where you can watch the big pyrotechnics show.
Memorial Day Hotels / Washington DC Hotels / 100 or Less / → All Tags
Roll Into DC on Your Hog For $99 Memorial Day Rates
One of the more surreal aspects of living in our nation’s capital can be the myriad meetings and conventions that are simultaneously occurring on any given day. You’re just walking down the street and, oh, look at that! Suddenly you’ve encountered a steady stream of gentlemen strutting around in their leather chaps, in town for — what else? — the National Convention of Leather Chaps Enthusiasts.
So that’s just a half made-up example, but you get the idea: Washington hosts all manners of conventions, and they tend to stay or congregate at the same hotels, often for discounted rates.
Memorial Day weekend being no different, this Sunday D.C. will host Rolling Thunder XXII, an annual motorcycle rally honoring American veterans. Angling to become a “Harley haven," the Washington Marriott Wardman Park is offering the “Roll into DC” package for just $99, free covered parking for your hog included. The deal is available for Friday and Saturday arrivals, as compared to normal rates that start at $119. Only a $20 discount, sure, but every little bit helps, no?
Book the deal using promotional code P51 (no proof of Harley necessary).
[Photo: Marriott Wardman Park]
New Years Eve 2009 Hotels / DC Hotels / Omni Hotels / → All Tags
Go French in the New Year for $209 at The Omni DC
If for some reason you’re really itching to pay Washington, D.C., a visit this winter but don’t want to compete with the inauguration crowds--or, ahem, take out a second mortgage--well, do we have a deal for you.
Just days before the Omni Shoreham transforms into a money-grubbing machine for the inauguration festivities, you can ring in the New Year there for a totally reasonable $209. (That’s literally 1/2,200ths of the cost of their flashy presidential package!) And since you’re not going to get a free puppy either way, we think New Year’s is the way to go.
Inauguration Hotels / Washington D.C. Hotels / Hotel Concerts / → All Tags
Party With Luda for Inauguration at Marriott Wardman Park
If you're gonna roll out to D.C. for Obama's inauguration in January, consider checking out the Urban Ball at Marriott Wardman Park on January 20th (part of the American Music Inaugural Balls) co-hosted by Ludacris and Big Boi from Outkast. According to MTV (yeah, we didn't just hear this by word of mouf):
Luda and Big Boi will co-host the Urban Ball, which is reportedly slated to include appearances from David Banner, Bobby Valentino, Lil Jon, T-Pain, Cedric the Entertainer, the Cheetah Girls, Fantasia and Monica. A number of former NBA players will also reportedly be on hand, including Jalen Rose, Kenny Smith and Alonzo Mourning.
Um, Monica? As in the other half of "That Boy is Mine"? Are both she and Brandy now performing at hotels as part of a grand buildup leading to a reunion performance of "That Boy is Mine" sometime soon? And can Ludacris referee the fight between the two of them? We'd gladly pay the $350 ticket for the Urban Ball to see it.
Or, for $450 at the same hotel, you can hit up Dionne Warwick and Yolanda Adams' Legends Ball, featuring appearances by Chaka Khan, George Clinton, and Reggie Miller.
[Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images via MTV]
Hotel Animals / Insane Hotel Packages / Omni Hotels / Inauguration Hotel Packages / → All Tags
Omni Shoreham's Inaugural Puppy Giveaway Cancelled
This puppy is not included in the Inaugural Package and that's a good thing.
Funny, the only bit we thought was worth the ridonkulous $440,000 Inaugural Package at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. was the part where you get a puppy of your choice.
However, according to the Washingtonian, many folks were pretty pissed about the puppy giveaway, even though the hotel's marketing director said he would work with local breeders and animal-rescue groups. Except that not even the Washington Animal Rescue League would partake in this package. The group sent a letter to the hotel that included the following:
Dogs are not commodities or possessions to be acquired—and perhaps later disposed of—at a whim. They are companions with whom we deliberately enter and build life-long relationships. We urge you, therefore, to rescind your offer of a puppy to your inaugural guests. Moreover, I believe you will find that those involved in the animal welfare community are of the same mind in this matter and would, given the opportunity, join me in voicing their reservations about your plan.
This letter and the 50 other angry calls the hotel's marketing director received have forced the hotel to rescind the puppy offer. Instead they will be donating some of the proceeds to the Washington Humane Society. Rejoice! The puppies are saved!
Inauguration Hotels / Insane Hotel Packages / Omni Hotels / DC Hotels / Recession Be Damned Hotels / → All Tags
DC Hotels Have Lost All Sense of Reality
You heard it here first, folks: D.C. hotels have officially gone, well, coco bananas. Apparently their zeal for inauguration events can’t be contained by normal, or even wacky, price tags, and the top hotel package for Jan. 20th has surged to an unthinkable $440,000 for four nights at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
Leading the loonies, the Omni Shoreham has crafted two package offerings billed to make you "Live Like a President" for the inauguration: the “44th Commander-in-Chief” ($440,000) and the “58th Inauguration” (at a “more reasonable” $58,000). With the presidential package, you might be getting your money's worth as it involves everything from private jet arrival to a jewelry shopping spree to presidential perfume and even a puppy of your choice on departure. Seriously, it's that cracked out.
Hotel Deals / Washington DC Hotels / Marriott Hotels / → All Tags
DC Marriott's 'Neighborhood Rate' is Easy to Book
The site of numerous presidential inaugural balls and several World Bank conferences, The Marriott Wardman Park in D.C.'s Woodley Park neighborhood knows a thing or two about Code Red security. With visiting dignitaries coming and going, and an entranceway along one of Vice President Cheney's motorcade routes, you know this hotel has a plan for when things go into high alert.
