Radisson Hotel Reagan National Airport - Arlington, VA Review

My family recently spent one night at the Radisson Hotel Reagan National Airport, which is just outside of Washington DC.  We were on our way to the coast and needed a hotel for a quick stop-over on our way to our destination.  I chose this hotel because we wanted to see some of the sights in Washington DC without spending a fortune on a hotel right downtown.  We were very happy with our stay.

Location:  The Radisson Hotel Reagan National Airport is only one mile from the airport and the Pentagon and is a very short drive into downtown Washington DC.  The area around the hotel is called Crystal City, which is a very clean, vibrant area with many restaurants and shops.  Several shops are underground, which my children, ages four and five, thought were really neat.  Unfortunately for us, the shops closed at 6pm on Saturday night and wouldn't re-open until Monday morning.  The metro station is very close to the hotel, which is convenient for anyone who wishes to avoid driving into Washington DC.  Overall, this hotel is in a great location and my family felt very safe walking around the area.

Room:  Our room was a typical hotel room containing two double beds, a microwave, and a refrigerator.  The room was spacious enough to accommodate our party of five and a blow up air mattress, which my son used at night.  The hotel highly totes its Sleep Number beds, however we were unable to get either of the Sleep Number beds to work.  We could have asked for help from the staff but it wasn't that important to us and the beds were comfortable enough for all of us to have a good night's sleep.

Staff:  Both check-in and check-out went very smoothly and the staff was very friendly.  The concierge also served as our bellman and was very friendly and helpful.  We used his services more than once on our first day and were pleased with how pleasant and informative he was.  The gift shop attendant was friendly, even after he overcharged me twice and we had to figure out the correct amount of my transaction. 

Swimming Pool:  The pool was a decent size for a hotel pool (sometimes they are much smaller than they appear in pictures) and was heated.  The pool area was pretty crowded but we managed to snag a couple of lounge chairs.  More people were lounging around the pool than actually swimming in it.  The hotel had a life guard on duty but I'm not sure how much "guarding" she was actually doing.  The life guard seemed to be text messaging most of the time and It looked like she was sleeping at one point.  I definitely wouldn't have counted on her to rescue my children, much less supervise them.

Other Features:  We did not use the following features but I think that they are still worth a mention.  The hotel has a fitness center, which was on the small side but that seems common with most hotels.  Also, there is a restaurant inside the hotel and room service is available.  High-speed internet access is available in all of the rooms. 

Parking:  It will set you back $20 per day for parking but that's expected in a large city.  The parking garage was on the small side but we did manage to find parking on the top floor each time we left the premises.   

Rates:  I was able to get a room for just under $90, including taxes and fees.  Adding parking, it cost us approximately $110 for one night.  That was a deal compared to hotels in downtown Washington DC.  We were very happy with the price and think that we got our monies worth.

My Viewpoint:  I highly recommend this hotel for anyone who wants to stay in the Washington DC area without spending a car payment to do so.  It's a great hotel with a friendly staff and a nice location.