Planning a weekend getaway to Washington, DC, and looking for the perfect place to stay? Are you trying to get as close as possible to the National Mall and all of the free things to see and do? If so, we have the perfect place for you to stay. The Holiday Inn Washington Capitol-National Mall is just steps away from everything.
You won’t find a closer hotel that gets you steps away from the National Mall. All you have to do is walk out the front and go one block and you will be in front of the National Air and Space Museum. Or with a few minute walk you could be standing on the states of the Capitol Building.
Not only is the Holiday Inn so close to everything. It is a budget friendly hotel that doesn’t feel budget at all. With two different restaurants on site, a Starbucks, and even a roof top pool overlooking the Capitol Building, you will wonder why it’s so cheap.
I recently stayed here for one night on a Saturday in December. The price of the room was at least $50 cheaper than some of the surrounding hotels and I knew the parking garage was very big and I wouldn’t have a problem finding a spot. Parking in DC can be very expensive and spots can sometimes be hard to find.
While it will cost you a little over $50 a night to park here (comparable to the area), you do get in and out privileges once you check in. Below you will find our review of the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol-National Mall and a little about the surrounding area. I will say that we will be staying here again.
Hotel Overview
The Holiday Inn Washington Capitol-National Mall is located on C Street SW right across the street from the US Department of Education and only a block away from the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall. Right across the street you will also find the L’Enfant train station.
This hotel also has three different options for getting a bite to eat. You can choose from Starbucks, 21st Amendment Bar & Grill, or the Capitol Bistro. On the night we visited the 21st Amendment Bar and Grill was very busy. The next morning for breakfast, the Capitol Bistro was also very busy. Sadly, we were not able to eat at either place since we had dinner down in the Wharf and had Brunch reservations on Sunday.
The Holiday Inn is 9 stories high with over 80 rooms per floor. Rooms 51 and higher (odd numbers) do face the railroad tracks. We were on the 9th floor and really couldn’t hear passing trains but I am sure lower floors would hear them a little bit.
On the ninth floor you will also find the fitness center and the pool. The pool (when open) is a roof top pool and you can see the Capitol building. Just note that the pool is opened seasonally from Memorial Day till Labor Day. However, the fitness center is open year round and is open 24 hours a day.
The fitness center does have a little bit of everything. It is comprised of two different rooms. One with cardo equipment and some machines. The other room has some dumbbells’ and benches. It really has a little bit of everything to get a quick and decent workout in.
ROOM
The rooms at the Holiday Inn are big. We recently stayed in a two queen bed room on the 9th floor. There was plenty of room to move around and we never felt like we were on top of each other. This could easily fit a family of four and still leave you with plenty of room.
The beds were very comfortable and a little on the firm side. The provided pillows were very soft. Overall, it made for a very good nights rest which was helpful after walking over 14 miles that day.
The bathroom is nice and large as well. You won’t feel cramped trying to get ready in the morning or after you come out of the shower. Speaking of the shower, it had amazing water pressure and the temperature was easy to adjust.
I have stayed at a lot of different hotels in the past couple of years and I must say, the water pressure here might be one of the best. This also goes with the flushing power of the toilet. You might was to be careful, the toilet seems like it will suck down anything.
While the room does lack a small little table with two chairs, it does have a single chair, a bench, and a pull out table. There is also a mini fridge with tiny freezer and a Keurig coffeemaker. Plus you have a TV in the room but I must say it feels like it lacks a lot of channels.
One thing that the room does lack is drawers for your belongings. I personally don’t use them often so it wasn’t a big deal to me but for some people this can be a problem. The other thing that the room lacks is USB outlets. While there are plenty of outlets in the room. There are none that you can plug a USB cable into. You will need to remember to bring your own plug.
Surrounding area
The surrounding area is one of the best when it comes to free attractions. Most of the museums in the area are free to enter and offer a lot to see. Museums like the National Air and Space, National Museum of the American Indian, National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and many more.
Plus there are tons of memorials and monuments in the area. Visit places like the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Capitol Building, White House, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, or the US Marine Corps War Memorial. It would take you at least two days to visit everything and than you will probably still miss many amazing memorials.
You won’t have trouble finding a place to eat in the area. Although, it won’t be cheap. We had a hard time finding somewhere to eat that was cheap. However, the places we did eat on this trip were very good.
Grab a pizza over at &Pizza on E Street, or head down to the Wharf and get some fish and chips at Gordon Ramsey’s Fish & Chips. Or just walk along 4th, 7th, or 14th street and choose your favorite food truck.
If you are looking for all you can eat steak, a visit to Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse is a must. We just love Brazilian Steakhouses and couldn’t pass up the chance of getting brunch here. With over 15 different meats served hot right at your table, you just can’t beat it.
As you can see, the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol-National Mall really is the perfect budget friendly hotel located close to all that DC has to offer. We wouldn’t think twice about booking a room here again in the Spring for the Cherry Blossom festival or any other time of year. It really is in the perfect location and for the right price.
Have you ever stayed at the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol? Have you stayed at any other DC area hotel? Are you planning on visiting Washington DC in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
Kozmo Photos 
Sounds great. I wonder how long it would take to get there, not going 95🤔
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I usually visit DC once a year but have never stayed there. I will have to check out this hotel. The rooms look really nice.
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