As Congress and the White House launch their much-anticipated 2007 battles this week, thoughts turn to the US Capital and its attraction as a not-to-be-missed nerve center of the world. However, having lived in the Washington, DC happily off and on since the '60s, I'm alarmed what a struggle it is to visit now for work or pleasure. The region is practically unnavigable! Cultural expansion, a wealth of historical and political tourism and a breathtaking influx of new residents from home and abroad have resulted in a transportation nightmare (an overburdened Metrorail system, gridlock on the roadways and a dearth of downtown parking). Since 1960 the DC area has more than doubled in size to 5 million, and the giddy lack of planning controls is unfortunately evident today.
Fortunately there are bright spots -- the major improvements finally starting to go on line at Dulles International Airport and the growth of urban centers in surrounding communities, making a trip downtown often unnecessary for business travelers.
One tip for making DC manageable is to stay in one of the dozens of new hotels in close-in suburbs, such as Arlington, Virginia. Thirty years ago Arlington's Ballston area was a suburban crossroads of auto dealerships and small retail stores; today it's a bustling urban center served by Metrorail, Interstate 66 and hundreds of restaurants (many of them, particularly in the Clarendon area about two miles east along the same corridor retaining their Mom-and-Pop ethnic or neighborhood pub feel). A Ballston center dining highlight was the hibachi-style Matsukake Steak & Sushi Restaurant, where knife-juggling hibachi chefs entertain diners at large communal counters. There's also a new P.F. Chang's and, less expensive quality options in chain specialties such as Chipotle, Panera Bread and Chevy's Fresh Mex. (Beware of long lines by office workers at lunch.)
This explosive growth also is bringing spiffy new hotels, including the Westin Arlington Gateway, a high-rise structure at the multi-lane intersection of Wilson Blvd. and North Glebe Road. As a longtime Westin and Starwood hotels fan, I wish I could be more positive about the experience.
The Westin Arlington Gateway has upsides -- the classy restaurant Pinzimini, knowledgeable and helpful concierges, free Wi-Fi in the lobby and at the connecting Starbuck's and a well-equipped fitness center with individual TVs and free earphones. But clearly the entire staff has not absorbed the Westin brand, which promises personalized service through such features as "Service Express" on room telephones. Like staff in many DC hotels, the quality of service is inconsistent, often nonchalant and occasionally indifferent. (Once a bored Service Express attendant referred me to the room mini-bar when I tried to order a glass of wine through Room Service. It would have been hilarious had I not struggled valiantly just to get to the hotel in a horrendous rainstorm.) After three visits since the hotel opened last spring, I had to check off "unlikely to return" in my last customer survey.
If you're a business traveler still allowed to spend big bucks on hotel rooms, here's another perspective on the best downtown DC hotels for business travel.
