Travel Deal of the Day (March 17, 2010)

TravelZoo.com is offering the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC selected weekends through May 10, 2010 for $109/night. This offer applies during what is supposed to be the best weekend for viewing cherry blossoms in the Washington, DC area. Certain restrictions apply, and availability is limited. Rates must be booked by March 28, 2010. For more information, go to the Omni Shoreham Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 10, 2009)

If you considering a visit to some of the major tourist attractions in Washington, DC, you may be able to obtain discounted admission to at least a few museums that normally charge admission fees. Here are two current examples:

(1) Newseum: The Newseum is offering 50% off standard admission ($10 off standard $20 admission price) during August 2009. Tickets are non-refundable once purchased. See this link for more details and all terms/conditions.

(2) National Museum of Crime & Punishment: The National Museum of Crime & Punishment is offering admission for $6 for entry after 6PM for residents of DC, Maryland and Virginia. See this link for more information and for full terms/conditions.

Travel Deal of the Day (July 9, 2009)

TravelZoo has a great offer at the Hilton Washington, DC.

The Deal:
Obtain rates as low as $99/night for select weekend night stays at the Hilton Washington, DC. (Some weekdays are available for $109/night.) Rates must be booked by July 17, 2009 and the rates are valid for stays until September 7, 2009. Rates include 50% off parking.

How:
Go to the TravelZoo Hilton Washington DC Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (March 27, 2009)

Here are two Washington, DC area deals:

(1) If you are contemplating a visit for the Washington, DC Cherry Blossom festival over the next two weeks, there are still good deals on hotel rooms. To save the most money, I would use:
Priceline, Hotwire or LastMinute (providing last minute packages including air/hotel, air/car, hotel/car or air/hotel/car). Because of the bad economy, you may find numerous great deals this year for what is normally a high-demand and expensive period to visit DC.

(2) If you are looking to stay in the Washington, DC area for an extended time this summer, the Marriott Residence Inn in downtown Bethesda, MD is offering an entire suite/apartment including kitchen, bedroom, living room and bathroom as well as free internet and free American breakfast for around $83/night for AAA members. The rate is valid on Thursday-Sunday nights with a three night minimum stay. This is an excellent deal for an extremely convenient hotel that is walking distance to the Metro. Full rules/restrictions and booking details can be found here. (Though the link states rooms start at $97/night, I have found suites with King beds starting at $83/night.)

Travel Deal of the Day (March 25, 2008)

Starwood is offering a third night free promotion at many of its Washington, DC area hotels.

The Deal:
Starwood is offering a third night free for hotels in Washington, DC as well as nearby hotels in Maryland and Virginia. Rates are valid until the end of May 2008.

How:
Go the Starwood Washington Third Night Free Deal.

The Inside Scoop:
Be sure to check standard rates for all three nights to ensure that the third night free rate is actually saving you money for your chosen hotel.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 26, 2007)

Are you coming to D.C. for the National Cherry Blossom Festival? In case you are not familiar with the festival, it is a two-week long festival held in Washington, D.C. during the time the cherry blossom trees bloom (March 31-April 15, 2007). It is a great time to visit D.C., but it can be very expensive. Here are some good ways to save some money visiting D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival.

The Deals/How:
1) Hotels: Take advantage of the buy two, get one night free Marriott and Starwood promotions which apply to all of those chains hotels, including D.C. hotels. Here are the links: Marriott Promotion and Starwood Promotion. Be sure to look at not only D.C. city-center hotels, but also less expensive hotels in D.C. suburbs such as Arlington, VA, Alexandria, VA, Bethesda, MD, and Rockville, MD.

2) Airfare: Check for last minute airfare specials on www.smartertravel.com. Be sure to check for airfare into all three D.C.-area airports: DCA (Reagan National), IAD (Dulles) and BWI (Baltimore/Washington).

3) Transportation: If you are flying to DC or arriving via train, do not rent a car. D.C.’s public transportation system is incredible. Stay at a hotel near a Metro (train) stop, and commute into the festival area by train. If you fly into Baltimore/Washington Airport, you can take the train (which comes directly to the BWI Airport train station) to Union Station in D.C. If you are driving to D.C., try to use public transportation instead of driving to festival events.

For more information on the National Cherry Blossom Festival, see the Official Website.