Last updated July 9, 2026

Healy Hall, Georgetown University's Flemish Romanesque clock tower and main building, on a clear day

Photo by Warren LeMay (Wikimedia Commons), Public domain (CC0)

Washington, D.C.

Where to Stay in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

Georgetown predates the city of Washington itself — a former tobacco port on the Potomac, now a historic neighborhood of cobblestone side streets, rowhouses, and the C&O Canal, anchored by M Street's shops and restaurants and the Georgetown University campus above it. It's one of D.C.'s most residential and upscale neighborhoods, with a waterfront promenade along the Potomac and none of the government-building backdrop the rest of D.C. is known for.

What it's actually like to stay here

Genteel and historic — brick sidewalks, ivy-covered rowhouses, and a mix of Georgetown University students, shoppers on M Street, and joggers along the canal towpath and waterfront.

Stay here if

Good for couples who want a quieter, more romantic base with waterfront restaurants and canal-side walks, and for anyone drawn to the neighborhood's Federal-era architecture. It also has a genuine luxury hotel tier for travelers who want to splurge.

Stay elsewhere if

Consider another area if you want to be right on the Metro — Georgetown has no Metro station of its own — or if you're prioritizing proximity to the National Mall's museums, which are a 30-40 minute walk or a short bus/rideshare away.

Walkability
Very walkable within the neighborhood — M Street, the waterfront, and the university are all an easy stroll from each other — but Georgetown itself sits apart from the rest of downtown D.C., so reaching other areas means a bus, rideshare, or a longer walk.
Noise at night
M Street stays busy with shoppers and diners into the evening, but the residential side streets a block or two off it are quiet, and the waterfront is generally calm at night.

Best Hotels in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

The Graham Georgetown

★★★★

Our take A comfortable, well-located boutique option for Georgetown that puts you close to M Street's energy without being on top of it.

Highlights

  • On a quiet side street off M Street, near the action without its noise
  • The Observatory rooftop bar is a genuine evening draw, not just an amenity
  • A short walk from the C&O Canal towpath and Georgetown University

What to know

  • Georgetown has no Metro station, so allow for a bus or rideshare to the National Mall or Capitol Hill
  • Weekend rates run higher, reflecting Georgetown's popularity for weekend visitors
Check availability on Booking.com

The Georgetown Inn

★★★★

Our take A traditional, lower-priced hotel for Georgetown, set right on Wisconsin Avenue in the middle of the neighborhood's shopping and restaurant strip.

Highlights

  • Sits right on Wisconsin Avenue, in the middle of Georgetown's main shopping and restaurant strip
  • Noticeably lower rates than Georgetown's boutique and luxury hotels, without leaving the neighborhood
  • A traditional, colonial-inn feel that some travelers prefer over a modern boutique aesthetic

What to know

  • It's an older building, so rooms and bathrooms are smaller and less updated than at the neighborhood's newer hotels
  • Being on Wisconsin Avenue means some street noise, especially in rooms on lower floors
Check availability on Booking.com

Transportation & practical information

There's no Metro station in Georgetown — the DC Circulator bus and Metrobus connect it to Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom, and rideshare is the fastest way to reach the National Mall or Capitol Hill.

Skip the rental car. Parking downtown is expensive and limited, traffic can be heavy, and the Metro, bus network, and walking cover the central neighborhoods well — Georgetown, which has no Metro stop, is still an easy bus ride or a 20-minute walk from Dupont Circle.

Related areas

The Friendship Archway, a Chinese-style paifang gate spanning H Street NW in Washington's Chinatown

Photo by Omar David Sandoval Sida (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0

Penn Quarter

Best for: First-time visitors, Families, Budget travelers, Architecture lovers

The marble Dupont Circle Fountain at the center of the traffic circle, with the surrounding park in view

Photo by AgnosticPreachersKid (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 3.0

Dupont Circle

Best for: First-time visitors, Couples, Architecture lovers

The brick Victorian facade of Eastern Market, the historic public market building on Capitol Hill

Photo by AgnosticPreachersKid (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 3.0

Capitol Hill

Best for: Families, First-time visitors, Budget travelers

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