response 10 of 126:

May 29 20:25 UTC 2007

Let me know how it goes.  It's a great location and it would give you 
the chance to be able to cook for most meals.

response 12 of 126:

May 29 20:44 UTC 2007

Staying outside the city and driving to a Metro station seems reasonable
enough; as a kid I saw Toronto that way (albeit camping, not in a motel)
and it worked out nicely.

Exceeding the maximum occupancy is kinda hard to predict.  If you were
just going to be there one night to crash during a road trip then it
would probably be fine, but if you're spending a whole week there and
using motel amenities like the pool then it seems more likely that
somebody (housekeeping, or guests in rooms around you) might notice and
say something.  A well-placed $20 "gratuity" might get it taken care of
but it's hard to know for sure.

response 14 of 126:

May 29 21:34 UTC 2007

I suggest giving up on the pool and kitchenette and bringing a one-burner
hotplate to cook on (and a pot) or an electric frying pan.  It would increase
the number of places available and reduce the price - what does the
kitchenette cost per day?  We have a large tent (four person?) you could
borrow if you have enough camping mats, but I doubt there is any campground
in DC.  Why do you want a kitchen and to have someone else cook breakfast?

response 16 of 126:

May 30 02:18 UTC 2007

re room stuffing / getting caught:

Any moral issues aside, I don't think getting caught with extra people
in a room is something to worry about.  With 3 kids (albeit younger than
yours), we've "over-occupied" on trips, never got caught.  As long as
you're not blatant about it (such as the whole group going to the front
desk to check in), there's so many people running around that the staff
can't keep track, or doesn't much care.  

Of course, that will require that a couple of kids sleep on the floor,
and there will be competition for bathroom time, but that still beats
camping, maybe.

response 18 of 126:

May 30 03:10 UTC 2007

re #0
Find yourself a Super 8 in a sleazy neighborhood.  So long as you don't leave
the compound then you should be fine.

response 20 of 126:

May 30 14:03 UTC 2007

re #11 jep, I lived in D.C. for years.  You have got to concede some 
things to get what you want.  Your wife should be willing to stay in 
a "smoking" room.  If somebody smoked in that room six weeks ago, you 
won't know the difference.  Kitchenette?  In the city?  Forget it.  
The hotels want you to eat out.  It helps their friends the 
restaurants.  

For what you want, you may need to look outside D.C., rent a car and 
get a mom and pop motorlodge maybe thirty minutes or an hour outside 
town out on the highway in maryland or virginia.  

response 22 of 126:

May 30 14:16 UTC 2007

Or look in Baltimore, its only an hour away by cheap local commuter 
train.  Plenty of people commute from there.

response 24 of 126:

May 30 14:58 UTC 2007

Yeah, the MARC is not cheap.  Besides, then you still have to pay for 
metro, and then it's getting pricey.  

I think the idea of a kitchenette in the burbs is a great one.  
Especially if you're in a hotel that has a shuttle to the metro.  

response 26 of 126:

May 30 15:29 UTC 2007

Yeah, wow. I just checked and the *one way* fare on MARC from Harper's 
Ferry is $9!!! (but that is to Union Station). ON the other hand, one 
can drive from Harper's Ferry or thereabouts to the nearest Metro 
station. Harper's Ferry is a location I am suggesting just because it 
is so pretty there and because there are some historically significant 
places to visit there as well. 

response 28 of 126:

May 30 15:54 UTC 2007

resp:20 Umm, if a person smoked in a room 6 weeks ago then yes- you may
still be able to smell it. Some people have a REALLY hard time dealing
with cigarette smoke. My father is one of them, and cannot sleep in a
room where there have been smokers. He also travels with a smaller air
purifier... 

response 30 of 126:

May 30 17:29 UTC 2007

I like the way some Grexers think out of the box!  If you'd all come
over to M-Net, I'd give you some gribblies.

I like the idea of taking an electric skillet or griddle.  That'd almost
have to violate safety codes for any place that doesn't have a
kitchenette, but it'd sure save a lot of money.

We'd want a kitchenette because, for at least one meal per day, we could
eat in the room and not spend money.  We'd want a free breakfast
because, for one meal per day, we'd eat outside the room and not spend
money (even though the room costs more if a free breakfast is provided).
Also, it will take 1/3 of the time that going out to eat will take.

And we can take sandwiches for most of our lunches.  We'd still be
buying snacks and drinks, no doubt.  But eliminating the cost of 3
restaurant meals per day for 6 people is significant.  McDonald's for 6
is about $40, Red Lobster tops $100, you're talking $200 per day in
saved meal money.  

re resp:20: There are things you concede and things you don't.  There's
always an alternative.  If it's a choice between a smoking room and not
going, we won't go.  But we're not alone in that kind of decision
making.  Hotels have plenty of non-smoking rooms and do not charge extra
for them.  Why would they?  They're cheaper to clean and less prone to
damage and accidents.

re resp:23: Now that's the sort of tantalizing remark that I find
frustrating.  Just how would you go about finding a hotel with free
shuttle service to the DC Metro, while maintaining a full time job and
everyday family life?  Answer me that and I might send you some
gribblies through an inter-Backtalk banking transfer.

Thanks everyone!

response 32 of 126:

May 30 17:43 UTC 2007

Ok, I looked at the Residence Inn in the Fair Lakes area of Fairfax - 
they have a 2BR Suite (w/kitchenette) for $149 per night.  They 
include a free breakfast, 2 BR and a sleeper sofa - you can call them 
to ask if they have a shuttle to the metro, but most places do.  The 1 
BR suite is $99 per night.