Everything on the hotel website boasted that this hotel was nice and in the perfect location. After staying there for five nights, I disagree. Yes, the location was close to some of the tourist sites. (It is only a block and a half from the National Air and Space Museum.) But it is located right in the middle of all of these ugly cement government buildings. FEMA is right next door. The Dept. of Ed. is across the street. So, the location is actually kind of odd.

The problem with that is that there are no restaurants close by except Quiznos and McDonalds. That was a big disappointment. We didn't have a car, so we had to take the subway to get to any decent restaurant.

We went on a tour of the city, and found that the area around Ford's Theater/the Spy Museum is actually the better spot to stay. Many more restaurants, lots of other hotels.

I liked the rooftop pool at the Holiday Inn, but it was small, so most of the time it was completely crowded with young children.

We were within a decent walking distance to the Capitol building, so that was nice. We also walked all the way to the Lincoln Memorial and back--but that was a really long walk.

Internet access was free, which was nice. But the other annoying thing about the room was the air conditioner. In order to cool down the room, the air conditioner ran on high "arctic blast" (as we called it) and froze whoever was sitting at the desk.

So, all in all, it was an okay hotel. The location was close to the National Mall, but far from any restaurants. It did have a pool, but it was too small. The price was expensive for what you got.

Stayed at Holiday Inn Capitol Aug 2-3. Got a pretty reasonable rate thru AAA - $115 plus $25 overnight self-parking in garage beneath hotel.
We had a very nice, clean room facing the courtyard & I never heard any train noise - which I was a little worried about based on some other posts.
This hotel was only one block from Air & Space Museum. Very convenient for sightseeing. We are big walkers so we walked everywhere - Jefferson Mem, FDR, Lincoln, etc.
There are not many restaurants for dinner in the area around the hotel. We ate dinner at the Market Inn which was about a 7 or 8 block easy walk. Food was pretty good (seafood & steaks) & entrees were about $25/person.

I would recommend this hotel for people mostly interested in sightseeing. If you want more restaurants/nightlife within walking distance, it would probably be better staying elsewhere.

Stayed 4 nights here, given location was extremely important in this relatively quick visit, I settled on something less salubrious but closer into town.

Overall, it was ok, couldn't really complain about the service, nothing went wrong with the house-keeping. Room service was a bit expensive but there was one night where I was just sick and didn't really want to get out of the hotel, so I paid for it.

The beds were of a good standard, very large. Interior was a bit drab but it was standard Holiday Inn fare.

Location is very good - National Air and Space Museum is 2 blocks away, L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station about 5 minutes walk. The Mall is 3 blocks away and the Capitol is not too far. Very safe area of DC - although at night the area is very very quiet, the area is full of government agencies so security is very tight.

I organised a tour to Mt Vernon through the agent downstairs and this was organised very satisfactorily, no complaints there. Other handy features was a Starbucks that is connected to the hotel - so no need to walk outside if you want a quick coffee or sandwich.

Just a quick note re location. I took a cab from Union Station and asked to be taken to the Holiday Inn Capitol. There is another Holiday Inn (called Central I believe) but which is actually CLOSER than this Holiday Inn - just be careful the cab driver takes you to the correct one.

We decided to stay in Washington for one night in March, on our way down to North Carolina. Unfortunately, it was pouring the entire time we were there, but we were still able to see most of the sights on one of the bus tours. Anyways, we were only there for half a day and 1 night so the hotel served it's purpose for us, a place to rest for the night on our way down to NC.

Check in was easy, staff was friendly and efficient. The lobby looked outdated but very clean. In the room, the handle on one of the cabinet drawers was hanging off but this didn‘t bother us since we were only staying for one night. Our room was at the back facing the train tracks. Trains are frequent during the night, especially freight trains, but the noise wasn’t too bad. The A/C drains out the noise of the trains. If you’re staying longer than one night, try to book a room that does not face the train tracks.

The location of the hotel is great, it's a short walk from the mall and the National Air and Space Museum. There are 2 restaurants in the hotel, Smithsons Restaurant and 21st Amendment Bar & Grill. We never went to either, but we browsed the menus and like most hotels, the prices were expensive for what was offered. There is a Starbucks in the hotel and a CVS, Quiznos and McDonald’s located beside the hotel. Both closed early when we were there so there aren't many places to get a meal or snack after 10 pm as there are no restaurants (other than the one’s in the hotel) within walking distance and the area surrounding the hotel is usually deserted at night. If you’re trying to find the hotel entrance to the Starbucks, it’s on the left side of the lobby (facing the exit) around the corner from the sitting area. There is a rooftop pool with views of the Capitol Building, but the pool was closed when we were there (it opens in May) so I can’t comment on that. Parking is $25 a day and the parking garage is easily accessible from the hotel. L'Enfant Metro Station and I-395 are located nearby.

Holiday Inn Capitol is an average hotel, it serves the purpose as a place to stay after a long day of seeing the sights and it has a few extras like a rooftop pool, a restaurant and a Starbucks. The staff seem friendly and willing to answer any questions / concerns. I would recommend this hotel for anyone looking for an affordable hotel conveniently located to all the major sights in Washington DC.