East End

Odd to see such a cheap hotel next to the Mall! It's not clear how they've managed to maintain this old clunker here in such a high-real estate zone for so long, but if you don't mind your hotel looking a little older and shabby, this is a great budget option.

A pretty great hostel; you can't beat the price for such a central location. The building is old and somewhat dingy-looking from the outside, but inside it's clean and in good shape. Offers free breakfast, Wi-Fi, nice kitchen and a comfy common room. That the management is maintaining a heavy focus on customer service is an added plus.

Red Roof is usually a bottom budget dusty motel chain on barren stretches of highway. It's strange to see it here. And those prices are low for a reason—next to the Verizon Center it may be, but it's run down.

Average location of an average hotel chain, with average prices, and slightly above average continental breakfast. Small indoor pool, jacuzzi, fitness center, free coffee in lobby.

Marriott number two the third, JW Marriott is the most expensive. Nicer lobby, larger rooms, a really good gym, and another small pool + jacuzzi.

A nice, small, historic, non-chain hotel amidst the big chain monsters. Its amenities are fewer, but its charm obviously greater. Free WiFi.

An independent hotel with a little Southern flair in a Civil War-era mansion. As you would expect, the amenities cannot quite compete with the Hotel Monaco, but this is a charming, unique place to stay, and a good spot to sip a mint julep on the porch.

Kimpton hotels are almost always lovely, and this one benefits from its location in a grand old nineteenth century building though this means the halls are a bit old, weirdly mixed with very modern decor. Huge pool and jacuzzi. Free wine-cocktails hour. And don't forget to request your free in-room goldfish!

Full-service business center, 32 meeting rooms, in-lobby Metro Center access, and a nice fitness center are the pluses. A rather absurd downside, though, is that they make you pay to use their gym. Another hotel that you should only use if you get a good deal.

Surprisingly, there are budget options here. The mainstay, though, are big chain hotels—a few of them very upscale. If you are staying in the East End, you have a good location already, but the further southwest you are, the better unless your destination is the Convention Center.