AreaStays
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 the most residential and upscale of the areas in this guide, 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 is the one neighborhood in this guide without its own station — 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.

Rosewood Washington, D.C.

★★★★★
  • ❤️ Best for couples

Our take The most intimate of D.C.'s luxury hotels — a small, canal-side property that feels more like a private residence than a typical big-brand luxury hotel.

Good for

  • Luxury travelers
  • Couples

Couples looking for the most romantic, intimate luxury stay in the city, set right on the canal.

Why we like it

  • A small-scale property (just over 50 rooms and suites) that gives it a more personal, boutique feel than most luxury hotels this size of room count usually manage
  • Sits directly on the C&O Canal, in the quietest stretch of Georgetown, a short walk from M Street
  • A rooftop pool and well-regarded restaurant give you real reasons to stay on-site for an evening

What to know

  • With around 50 rooms, it books up quickly during cherry blossom season and busy weekends — reserve well ahead
  • It's the most expensive hotel in this guide, in line with its top-tier luxury positioning
Check availability on Booking.com

The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

★★★★★
  • 🤫 Best for a quiet stay

Our take The quietest of Georgetown's luxury hotels, tucked on the neighborhood's western edge away from the M Street crowds, with full Ritz-Carlton service to match.

Good for

  • Luxury travelers
  • Couples
  • Architecture lovers

Couples wanting a quiet, full-service luxury stay away from Georgetown's busiest blocks.

Why we like it

  • Sits on South Street at Georgetown's quieter western edge, a few minutes' walk from the busier M Street strip
  • Built inside a converted historic incinerator building, giving it an unusual industrial-to-luxury backstory
  • A full-service spa and two on-site restaurants mean you don't have to leave for a complete evening

What to know

  • It's a bit further from M Street's shops and restaurants than Georgetown's other hotels, though still walkable
  • As with the neighborhood's other luxury options, there's no Metro station nearby — plan on a bus or rideshare for trips further into the city
Check availability on Booking.com

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.

Good for

  • Couples
  • Architecture lovers

Couples who want a stylish, quiet Georgetown base close to M Street's shops and restaurants.

Why we like it

  • Tucked on a quiet side street just off M Street, so it's close to the action without the noise of being right on it
  • The Observatory rooftop bar is a genuine draw for an evening drink, not just a hotel amenity
  • A short walk from the C&O Canal towpath and Georgetown University

What to know

  • There's no Metro station in Georgetown, so factor in a bus or rideshare if you're heading 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 The most budget-friendly genuine option in Georgetown, with a location on Wisconsin Avenue that's hard to beat for the price.

Good for

  • Budget travelers
  • Couples
  • First-time visitors

Budget-minded couples and first-time visitors who want to be right in the middle of Georgetown without paying luxury rates.

Why we like it

  • 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 moving you out of 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.

You don't need a car to enjoy Georgetown itself, but having one — or budgeting for rideshare — makes it easier to reach the National Mall and other areas in this guide, since Georgetown is the one neighborhood here without a Metro stop.

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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