Hotels near the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

The small space houses a collection that has spanned the globe and flown to the Moon.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is one of the most popular attractions in Washington, D.C.  More than 3 million people visited the Museum in 2019, the last calendar year before lockdown.

I’ve toured the Museum many times, with local friends or guests from out of town.  Once I attended a state-society Inaugural Ball there, juggling my glass of wine and butter plate of hors d’oeuvres, as my gentleman friend and I walked amid some of the Museum’s extraordinary artifacts, including:

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• • the Wright Flyer, in which Orville made the first sustained (12 seconds) manned airplane flight, while his brother Wilbur watched, on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
    
    

• • the Spirit of St. Louis, the plane that Charles Lindbergh flew on the first trans-Atlantic solo flight during May 20-21, 1927, from New York to Paris
    
    

• • the Columbia, the Command Module for the Apollo 11 mission, when Americans first landed on the Moon on July 19, 1969

There is also a planetarium showing short space-related documentaries.

Like most Smithsonian venues, the main building of the National Air and Space Museum is located on the National Mall.  (There’s also an annex in Virginia.) There are lots of suitable hotels within walking distance:

Waldorf Astoria Washington D.C.

The luxury Waldorf Astoria took over the Old Post Office Pavilion building that once housed the Trump International Hotel.  It boasts spacious rooms, excellent service, and a spectacular lobby bar displaying an enviable collection of crystal decanters.  The closest Metro station is Federal Triangle on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.  The hotel is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Air and Space Museum.

Riggs Washington D.C.

This historic hotel occupies one of the few remaining Romanesque Revival buildings in Washington.  It used to house a leading bank, and 23 presidents are known to have conducted business there.  The closest Metro stop is Gallery Place on the Yellow, Red, and Green lines.  The hotel is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Air and Space Museum.  It is also near Ford’s Theater, where you can see a show, take a guided tour, and view the flag-draped (no-longer-used) Presidential Box.

InterContinental Washington D.C. — the Wharf

This business hotel boasts waterfront views, a rooftop pool and bar, and contemporary rooms with smart TVs, Nespresso machines, and floor-to-ceiling windows.  The closest Metro station is L’Enfant Plaza on the Yellow, Blue, Orange, Green, and Silver lines.  The InterContinental is a 10- to 15-minute walk to the Air and Space Museum.

Kimpton George Hotel

This boutique hotel features a French bistro, a complimentary daily wine hour, and modern rooms with accent walls displaying cursive lines from George Washington’s first Inaugural address.  I once toured the building for a conference I was hosting, and the staff rep sent me back to my office in a limousine, complete with flags flying from the hood, and me struggling not to open the window and wave at all the people stopped to wonder who I might be.  The closest Metro stop is Union Station on the Red line.  The hotel is a 15- to 20-minute walk from the Air and Space Museum.

Hilton Washington D.C.
National Mall the Wharf

This upscale hotel sits in L’Enfant Plaza, midway between the National Mall and the Wharf, a vibrant waterfront strip teeming with lots of restaurants and shops.  The building formerly housed the Loews L’Enfant Plaza Hotel (where my parents used to stay when they came to visit me in college).  The closest Metro station is L’Enfant Plaza.  It is a 10- to 15-minute walk to the Air and Space Museum.  It is also steps away from the International Spy Museum.

Holiday Inn Washington Capitol —
National Mall

This midscale hotel has two restaurants, a spacious lobby, and a roof-top pool and bar.  The closest Metro stop is L’Enfant Plaza.  It is a three- to four-minute walk from the Air and Space Museum.

Residence Inn by Marriott
Washington D.C. National Mall

This extended-stay hotel offers spacious rooms with full kitchens, a comfortable lobby with a gas fireplace, and  complementary breakfast buffet daily and social receptions three nights a week.  The closest Metro station is Federal Center SW on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.  It is a five- to ten-minute walk to the Air and Space Museum.

Hyatt Place Washington D.C. | National Mall

This select-service hotel offers spacious rooms, complementary breakfast, and a roof-top bar.  The closest Metro station is Federal Center SW.  It is a five- to ten-minute walk from the Air and Space Museum.