Where to Stay in Washington, DC (2026): The Best Areas, 12 Hotels and the 15.95% Hotel Tax

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Washington’s hotel tax is 15.95% of the room rate, set by the city’s Office of Tax and Revenue, and on a $300 room that is $47.85 a night before you have left the lobby. The museums that fill most visits cost far less: the Smithsonian states that admission is free at all its locations except one in New York. So the room, and how far it is from a Metro station, is where the money goes.

This guide covers five areas, from Penn Quarter to Capitol Hill, 12 hotels, the airport links and the tax. The hotels are researched picks, chosen for location, what each property publishes and consistent guest feedback, and each was checked as operating in October 2026. No hotel pays to appear here.

The short answer

Not sure which area? Rank these areas for your trip: pick what matters and see the reasons.

Washington’s hotel tax

The city’s Office of Tax and Revenue lists one rate for rooms, lodgings and accommodations, and it is well above the general sales tax:

On a $300 room, 15.95% is $47.85, so the room costs $347.85 a night. That is our arithmetic, not a figure from the city. We found no separate per-night city charge on the Office of Tax and Revenue’s pages, but a hotel can add its own fees, so compare the total.

One date matters if you book far ahead. The Office of Tax and Revenue’s notice sets the 15.95% rate for April 1, 2023 to March 30, 2027, raised from 14.95%. For a stay after March 2027, check the office’s current rate before you rely on this number.

Getting in from the airports, and around

• From Reagan National (DCA), the airport’s Metrorail station is on the Yellow and Blue lines. Terminal 2 connects to it by two enclosed bridges on the concourse level; from Terminal 1, take an airport shuttle bus to the bridges. Weekday fares run from $2.25 to $6.75 depending on distance, and WMATA’s trip planner gives the exact figure.
• From Dulles (IAD), the Silver Line station is about a 600-foot walk from the terminal. The airport states a weekday-daytime fare to Metro Center of $6.75, and a ride of roughly 50 to 55 minutes to Rosslyn, in Virginia.
• From BWI, a free shuttle runs from the terminal to the BWI Rail Station, and from there a MARC Penn Line or Amtrak train goes to Washington Union Station, about 30 minutes by Amtrak and 35 by MARC, according to the airport. The MARC one-way fare from BWI Airport to Washington is $8 on the Maryland Transit Administration’s Penn Line chart, dated June 2021, which is the chart the agency still links. Union Station has a Red Line Metro station.
• In town, Metrorail fares are $2.25 to $6.75 on weekdays between 5 am and 9:30 pm, and $2.25 to $2.50 after 9:30 pm and at weekends. Buses are $2.25, with a $2.25 discount on a transfer between bus and rail within two hours. Tap a SmarTrip card or a contactless card at the gate.

Downtown and Penn Quarter: the first-trip base

Downtown, Penn Quarter and Chinatown are the part of the city closest to the White House, Capital One Arena and the National Mall; the hotels below describe themselves as steps or a walk away, and Moxy names a Metro station within walking distance. The Smithsonian’s museums charge no admission, although three locations need a free pass or ticket: the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, and the National Zoo. For a first trip it is the most convenient base.

Where to stay in Downtown and Penn Quarter

How the hotel links work: a hotel’s name goes to its own website. “Check rates” opens it on Booking.com through our partner Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

• Willard InterContinental Washington, splurge. At 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, steps from the White House, with all 335 guest rooms and 69 suites restored and the Round Robin Bar. Choose it for a landmark hotel at the White House’s door. Watch out: valet parking is $78 a night, and the hotel has no pool. Check rates on Booking.com →
• Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC, comfortable. At 700 F Street NW in Penn Quarter, in a restored landmark building, steps from Capital One Arena, the National Mall and the Smithsonian museums, with the Dirty Habit restaurant. Choose it for a historic building in the middle of Penn Quarter. Watch out: parking is extra; the hotel’s parking package values overnight parking at $65 a day. Check rates on Booking.com →
• Moxy Washington, DC Downtown, good value. At 1011 K Street NW, within walking distance of the White House, Capital One Arena and a Metro station, with the Lucha Rosa rooftop bar, Rosa’s Diner and bunk rooms that sleep two. Choose it for a lively base at a lower price. Watch out: it is a social hotel; check-in happens at the bar, which the hotel describes as lively. Check rates on Booking.com →

The Wharf and Southwest: evenings on the water

The Wharf is a waterfront district on the Southwest shoreline, with restaurants, a mile of riverside walk, a free SW Shuttle and a water taxi to Georgetown, which the Georgetown business district says takes 25 minutes, with up to six departures a day. citizenM, just inland, says the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station is right by its door and that the Wharf and the National Mall are minutes away.

Where to stay at the Wharf and in Southwest

• InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf, splurge. At 801 Wharf Street SW, overlooking the Wharf, with a heated rooftop pool above the Potomac, a spa and the Willowsong restaurant. Choose it for the pool and the water views. Watch out: the minimum check-in age is 21. Check rates on Booking.com →
• citizenM Washington DC Capitol, good value. At 550 School Street SW, with the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station right there, according to the hotel, an XL bed and blackout blinds in every room, the canteenM bar-restaurant open 24 hours and the Sushi by Bou rooftop bar. Choose it for Metro access at a lower price. Watch out: there is no on-site parking; the hotel points to a lot nearby at extra cost. Check rates on Booking.com →

Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom: restaurants and the Metro

Dupont Circle is a neighbourhood that one local hotel describes as plugged into the city’s diplomatic, business and academic life, with the Dupont Circle Metro station at its centre. Foggy Bottom, to the south-west, is the district around George Washington University, with its own station, Foggy Bottom-GWU, on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines. Between them they suit visitors who want a Metro station close and a choice of restaurants on foot.

Where to stay in Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom

• The Dupont Circle, comfortable. At 1500 New Hampshire Avenue NW, part of the Doyle Collection, with rooms starting at 300 sq ft, a MICHELIN Key and The Pembroke restaurant. Choose it for roomy, polished rooms on Dupont Circle. Watch out: rates on the hotel’s site are quoted before tax, so add 15.95%. Check rates on Booking.com →
• Hotel Rendale, comfortable. At 1900 Connecticut Avenue NW, just around the block from the Dupont Circle Metro station; the hotel says it has taken a new name. Choose it for a boutique hotel next to the Metro. Watch out: parking costs $23.60 for up to four hours and $47.20 for four to 24, tax included, by the hotel’s own rates. Check rates on Booking.com →
• Hotel Hive, budget. At 2224 F Street NW in Foggy Bottom, in a historic building, and billed as DC’s first micro-hotel, with rooms of 125 to 250+ sq ft. Choose it to save money in a central position. Watch out: the smallest rooms are 125 sq ft. Check rates on Booking.com →

Georgetown: historic streets and the river

Georgetown is Washington’s historic waterfront neighbourhood, with M Street’s shops and restaurants, Washington Harbour, Georgetown University and the Kennedy Center nearby. It has no Metro station of its own: the Georgetown business district points visitors to Foggy Bottom-GWU, a 15-minute walk, and to Rosslyn, across Key Bridge, and says several Metrobus lines serve the area. Choose it if you would rather walk the streets than ride the train.

Where to stay in Georgetown

• Rosewood Washington, D.C., splurge. In Georgetown, with CUT by Wolfgang Puck, the CUT Above rooftop bar and historic townhouse suites next to the hotel. Choose it for a luxury stay in a historic neighbourhood. Watch out: the rooftop bar has DJs on Friday nights. Check rates on Booking.com →
• The Graham Georgetown, comfortable. A boutique hotel where M Street is steps from the door, with a rooftop bar and The Alex Craft Cocktail Cellar & Speakeasy. Choose it for a hotel in the middle of Georgetown’s shopping streets. Watch out: the nearest Metro station, Foggy Bottom-GWU, is a 15-minute walk. Check rates on Booking.com →

Capitol Hill and Navy Yard: the Capitol and a quieter evening

Capitol Hill is the district around the Capitol and the Supreme Court, where the Capitol Hill Hotel occupies 19th-century row houses. Farther south, Cambria describes its address as the Navy Yard Riverfront and points guests to Nationals baseball and to soccer at Audi Field. Both suit visitors who plan to spend their days at the Capitol and on the Mall.

Where to stay in Capitol Hill and Navy Yard

• Capitol Hill Hotel, comfortable. At 200 C Street SE, in 19th-century row houses, steps from the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, and newly reimagined. Choose it to be on Capitol Hill itself. Watch out: parking is extra; the hotel’s Park & Stay package values daily parking at $50. Check rates on Booking.com →
• Cambria Hotel Washington D.C. Navy Yard Riverfront, good value. At 69 Q Street SW, with 154 accommodations, the RowHouse restaurant and a rooftop lounge; the hotel points to Nationals baseball and Audi Field. Choose it for a modern hotel at a lower price near the ballparks. Watch out: valet parking is $58 a night. Check rates on Booking.com →

How to book Washington

• Count the tax. Add 15.95% to every room rate: a $300 room costs $347.85. A hotel’s own fees come on top, so check the total.
• Count the parking. If you drive, the hotels here charge for it and the city adds 18% tax on parking: $78 a night at the Willard, $58 at Cambria and up to $47.20 at Hotel Rendale. citizenM has none on site.
• Check the Metro. Georgetown has no station of its own. Look at the walk from a hotel to a station before you pay for the location.
• Check the room size. Hotel Hive’s rooms start at 125 sq ft, and The Dupont Circle’s start at 300. If you need space, book the category above the cheapest.
• Compare totals. Hotel booking sites compared goes through where to book.

All 12 at a glance

Before you go

• Before you fly, sort out mobile data (the best eSIM for the USA) and cover (the best travel insurance). For other US cities, see where to stay in New York and the hotel taxes around the world.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

• DC Office of Tax and Revenue: Tax Notice 2023-01, sales and use tax rate increase on transient accommodations
• DC Office of Tax and Revenue: sales and use tax FAQs
• WMATA: Metro fares
• WMATA: airports and train stations
• Reagan National Airport: Metrorail
• Dulles International Airport: Silver Line FAQs
• BWI Marshall Airport: Washington, DC
• Maryland Transit Administration: MARC fares
• Maryland Transit Administration: MARC Penn Line fare chart (PDF)
• Smithsonian Institution: plan your visit
• Smithsonian Institution: entry and guidelines
• Georgetown Business Improvement District: getting here
• The Wharf
• Official websites of each hotel named above, checked in October 2026

Prices, fares and hotel terms change. Every detail here was checked in October 2026; confirm rates, room types and cancellation terms with the hotel before booking. These are researched picks, not reviews. This article contains affiliate links: hotel rates on Booking.com and other booking sites through Stay22, and tours, transfers and eSIMs through our partners; if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to be included.

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