Econo Lodge Metro

The place is cute, spotless, and wonderfully quiet, and there are great restaurants nearby with friendly people around. Check-in was especially lovely. The woman who helped me was so kind, welcoming, and professional that she set the mood for the whole stay. Everything felt comfortable and easy, and I’d happily come back.

For under $100, this is a solid motel option near DC. East Falls Church station is an easy walk, and the ride into the city takes about 30 minutes. The rooms are plain, but they’re clean and roomy. I enjoyed my stay, and I’d return for a good-value place on a quick visit. It’s unusual to find a motel in decent condition this close to DC at this price.

The staff were really nice and handled everything I asked for. The location worked fine for me since there’s a train station nearby that takes you into the city, even if the hotel could be closer to the capital. My room was pleasant and the shower was easy to use. The TV was fine, though a few more channels would’ve been nice. I did have a couple of small room issues: the light switch was broken, so I had to unplug the whole system to turn the light off for sleep, and the bathroom door wouldn’t lock. Neither was a major inconvenience, and I may just have been unlucky with that room. Breakfast was pretty lackluster, but I won’t make too much of that. Overall, a decent hotel.

The hotel was very clean, but that was the main thing it had going for it. The TV is mounted on the wall, which makes it hard to connect a game console or other device. Breakfast was awful: they put a random bagel, cream cheese, and an apple on a plate and called it a meal. I also saw the person plating it handle the food without gloves, which put me off. There’s a First Watch not too far away.