by Scott Laird
Last updated: 1:50 PM ET, Thu July 28, 2016
Many big city hotels often have special deals on the weekends when higher-rate paying business travelers leave for home. Washington D.C. is no different, with the legislature and courts out of session during the weekends. Lower hotel demand translates into rates and packages that are tailor-made for leisure travelers and families. While summers in the District are notoriously hot and sticky, it's prime time to take advantage of lower rates and better deals than during higher demand periods in cooler seasons.
Pick Your Party in Dupont Circle
The Dupont Circle is a member of The Doyle Collection, rising high above the gracious social hub just minutes from the District's exciting core. Through Election Day, Nov. 8, the hotel is offering The Slice of the City: Your Vote, Your Stay Package from $629 per night.
The package price is somewhat less eye-popping after reviewing all of the value-adds and experiences that are included in each version of the package. Both packages include a $150 gift card to Brooks Brothers, a favorite retailer of both parties, puzzles featuring the Presidents of your chosen party, party-themed chocolates from a local chocolatier, and a voucher for a favorite meal of a representative party president at the hotel's Bar Dupont.
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Then the package takes a bipartisan turn, with travelers selecting one of the two major parties "experiences":
The Democratic Party Experience includes two tickets to The Spy Museum to view the James Bond exhibit (a favorite of JFK's), a private tour of The Verizon Center, where Barack Obama played basketball, and a copy of President Obama's favorite movie, "Casablanca," to take home.
The Republican Party Experience includes two hand-rolled cigars from Ulysses S. Grant's tobacconist, a round of golf (Dwight Eisenhower's favorite pastime), a selection of Presidential books, a teddy bear (whose namesake is Theodore Roosevelt), and a copy of the film "Knute Rockne - All American" to be enjoyed with jelly beans - the favorite snack of Ronald Reagan.
Lions, Tigers and Bears… Oh My!
The Ritz-Carlton Washington DC tipped a hat to Dorothy Gale's famously pensive lament in "The Wizard of Oz" when naming its family-themed package for zoo-goers. Advertised from $329 per night (but a spot check found it priced at $299 this weekend - already a lower rate than many Ritz-Carlton properties this summer).
This package is packed with extras for families or the young-at-heart, including Ritz Kids amenities starting with a cuddly stuffed lion at turn down, a Ritz Kids backpack filled with Zoo and "Wizard of Oz"- themed activities and souvenirs. Go on the Smithsonian's National Zoo Scavenger Hunt, and get directions to the free Museum of American History to see the famous ruby slippers. Finally, there will be animal cupcakes, full breakfast for two adults and two children, a complimentary in-house movie (the 1939 classic is of course among the offerings), complimentary Internet, complimentary rollaways, and overnight valet parking.
For those with summers already packed solid, this package is available through Dec. 31.
Revisit Scandal at the Watergate Hotel at a Discount
The notorious Watergate Hotel is just off a multi-million dollar renovation and is in the middle of a soft opening phase before the pool and restaurants are up to full running order.
During this introductory period, the ultra-posh hotel is offering a 20 percent discount on one-night stays. Using the promotion code SCANDAL, a spot check of rates found them starting at $252 for the weekend of July 30. The Watergate Hotel is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, and members of iPrefer will also score free Internet, a room upgrade, and late checkout, subject to availability.
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Dollar Breakfast in Georgetown
The Kimpton Hotel Palomar Washington DC is in a prime location between Dupont Circle and Georgetown, and is offering Continental Breakfast for $1 more than their lowest available rate. This offer is exclusive to the hotel's website. In typical Kimpton style, the hotel offers a complimentary wine hour each evening and also has a second-floor outdoor pool for cooling off during DC's notoriously warm summer evenings.
That's it for this week. We'll keep an eye out for more unbeatable deals in the District and throughout the country, so check back in for more deals.
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