You’ve seen the photos. The brick-lined streets of Alexandria look like a movie set, and honestly, finding a place to stay that doesn't feel like a cramped colonial closet is harder than it looks. Most people headed to D.C. just grab a spot near the National Mall, but if you’re actually trying to enjoy your trip without losing your mind in traffic, the Embassy Suites Old Town Alexandria VA is basically the cheat code for the DMV area. It’s located right across from the King Street-Old Town Metro station. Seriously. You walk out the front door, cross the street, and you’re on the Yellow or Blue line heading toward the monuments.
It isn't just about the location, though.
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at how Hilton manages their "all-suite" properties, and this specific spot on Diagonal Road has a weirdly loyal following. Why? Because the space is massive compared to the boutique hotels down by the waterfront. If you’re traveling with kids or a pile of luggage, you need that separate living area. It’s the difference between a relaxing evening and everyone staring at each other in one cramped room until someone snaps.
The Breakfast Situation and the "Free" Drinks
Let’s talk about the food, because that’s usually where hotels lie to you. They say "complimentary breakfast" and you get a stale bagel and some watery yogurt. At the Embassy Suites Old Town Alexandria VA, they actually do the made-to-order omelet thing. It’s a bit of a zoo on Saturday mornings—fair warning—but it’s legitimate food. You’ll see a line, but it moves. If you’re smart, you get down there by 7:30 AM before the youth soccer teams or the wedding parties wake up and descend like locusts.
Then there’s the Evening Reception. It’s a Hilton staple. You get two drink tickets (usually) and some snacks. Is it gourmet? No. It’s pita chips, maybe some hummus, and basic well drinks or beer. But after a day of walking three miles around the Smithsonian, sitting in that atrium with a cold drink while the sun sets over the George Washington Masonic National Memorial—which is literally right there, looming over the hotel like a giant stone sentinel—is a vibe you can’t really replicate at a Marriott or a Hyatt in the same price bracket.
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Getting Around Without Losing Your Mind
Old Town is walkable, but it’s long. The hotel is at the "top" of King Street. The water is at the "bottom." It’s about a mile walk. If you’re wearing fancy shoes, don’t do it. Use the King Street Trolley. It’s free. It stops right near the hotel and shuttles you down to the Potomac River where all the expensive seafood and the Torpedo Factory Art Center are.
Honestly, the Metro access is the biggest selling point for anyone doing business in the city. You’re looking at a 15-to-20-minute ride to L'Enfant Plaza or Smithsonian. If you stayed in a hotel in D.C. proper, you’d be paying double the price for half the square footage and probably wouldn't have a fridge that actually works. Here, you have a microwave. You have a wet bar. You have a door that closes between the bedroom and the "office" area. It makes a difference when you’re trying to take a Zoom call while your partner is watching the news.
The Masonic Memorial View
If you can, ask for a room on a higher floor facing West. You’ll be staring directly at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. It’s this 331-foot tall Neoclassical tower that looks like the Lighthouse of Alexandria (the ancient one, not the Virginia one). It’s stunning at night when it’s lit up. A lot of people don’t realize you can actually go inside and take a tour, which I highly recommend if you’re into weird history or architecture. It’s one of those things tourists miss because they’re too busy looking at the White House fence.
What Nobody Tells You About the Parking
Okay, here is the catch. The parking is expensive. Like, "I could have bought a nice steak dinner for this" expensive. It’s valet or garage-based, and the daily rates in 2026 are hovering in that $40 to $50 range depending on the season. If you are driving a massive SUV, the garage feels a little tight. My advice? If you’re flying into Reagan National (DCA), don’t rent a car. Take a Five-minute Uber or just hop on the Metro for two stops. You don’t need a car in Old Town Alexandria. Between the trolley, the Metro, and your own two feet, a rental car is just a $50-a-day paperweight sitting in a dark basement.
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Room Quality and Reality Checks
The hotel went through a significant renovation recently, so the "old" complaints you might see on 2018-era TripAdvisor reviews aren't really relevant anymore. The carpets don't smell like the 90s, and the furniture is that modern-industrial-gray look that every Hilton seems to have adopted. It’s clean. It’s functional.
Is it luxury? No. It’s a high-end mid-scale hotel. You aren’t getting a butler or 1,000-thread-count Egyptian cotton. You’re getting a reliable, spacious suite with a staff that deals with thousands of people a week and still manages to be pretty nice. The atrium is the heart of the building. It’s loud. It’s airy. It smells like breakfast in the morning and chlorine from the indoor pool in the afternoon.
Speaking of the pool—it’s indoors. It’s not huge. If you’re looking to swim laps, forget it. But if you have kids who need to burn off energy so they’ll actually sleep in the pull-out sofa bed, it’s a lifesaver.
The Neighborhood Perks
Since you’re right by the station, you have some food options that aren't "tourist traps."
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- Joe Theismann’s Restaurant is right there. Yes, the football guy. It’s actually good. Great spirits, solid burgers.
- Whole Foods is a short walk away. Since you have a fridge and microwave in the suite, go there, grab some actual food, and save yourself from spending $100 on a mediocre dinner on the waterfront.
- Sweet-fire Donna’s is nearby for BBQ. It’s local, it’s tucked away, and it’s better than the chain stuff you'll find at the airports.
Why This Specific Embassy Suites?
There are plenty of Embassy Suites in the DMV area. There’s one in Crystal City and one in D.C. near the Convention Center. But the Embassy Suites Old Town Alexandria VA hits a sweet spot. Crystal City is boring—it’s just concrete and office buildings. D.C. is chaotic and noisy. Alexandria feels like a real neighborhood. You can walk out of the hotel at 10:00 PM and feel perfectly safe walking down the street to a CVS or a local pub.
The staff here usually knows the Metro schedules better than the WMATA website does. If there’s a delay on the Blue Line, they’ll tell you. That kind of local knowledge is why people keep coming back.
The Noise Factor
Because you’re near a train station, you might worry about noise. The windows are actually pretty thick. You might hear a dull hum of a train or the occasional siren, but it’s not the "vibrating bed" experience people fear. If you’re a light sleeper, ask for a room facing the interior atrium. It’ll be quieter, though you’ll lose the view of the memorial.
Actionable Steps for Your Stay
If you’re booking a trip here, don’t just click "reserve" and show up.
- Check the Metro Schedule: Before you leave, check if there is track work. The Blue and Yellow lines are notorious for "weekend maintenance." If the Metro is down, your commute to D.C. just got 40 minutes longer by bus.
- Join Hilton Honors: Even if you hate loyalty programs, join this one. It’s the only way to get the digital key (so you can skip the front desk line) and usually gets you slightly better Wi-Fi.
- The Water Taxi: Don’t just take the Metro. Walk down to the Alexandria waterfront and take the Water Taxi over to The Wharf or Georgetown. It’s about $20-$30, but the view of the city from the Potomac is something you’ll actually remember.
- Breakfast Strategy: If you want the omelet, arrive before 8:00 AM on weekdays or 7:30 AM on weekends. After that, the line becomes a test of human patience.
- Skip the Rental: Seriously. Save the $50 a day on parking. Use that money for a nice meal at Landini Brothers or Virtue Feed & Grain down the street.
The Embassy Suites Old Town Alexandria VA isn't trying to be a five-star resort. It’s trying to be a reliable home base that gives you enough space to breathe and enough food to get through a day of sightseeing. For most travelers, that’s exactly what they actually need.