Is your priority that you are close to the convention center, or do you want to be near stuff/public transportation?
If you just want to be near the convention center, then the Washington Renaissance Hotel is good, it's a few blocks from the convention center and there's a metro at the convention center. The Hotel Monaco is awesome (one of my favorite bars in the city) and is right near the metro, two stops from the Convention Center. It's really nice, but they do a government rate of $226.
The convention center is also a stop for the DC Circulator, which takes you all over the city.
erin, I'll be working both nights, but I'd love to see you at my bar!
Thank you so much, Vortex! Being near the convention center's probably my best bet, as that's the one place I know I'll need to reach, daily. I'll send your suggestions to my org's travel department and see what they can book for me.
I'd be happy to meet people at J's bar too!
Calli, the Grand Hyatt is also fairly close to the convention center.
Thank you, Toddson. It looks like a lovely hotel. Sadly, government contractors don't qualify for Hyatt's government rate, so it's not an option. (It's nice that they spell that out on their website, though. I've been to places that only mentioned it when I checked out. Finance was not happy.)
Calli, I live too far out for dinner or drinks to be a good idea, but I can easily Metro up to your area for lunch one day.
Can't really recommend much in the way of hotels in my area. There's a Holiday Inn at -- I think -- 5th and C, SW, that's about two blocks from L'Enfant Plaza Station. From which it's easy to Metro to the Convention Center. But I don't know how nice the hotel is, and it's in a neighborhood of government offices, so there isn't much there at night.
Thanks, Fred. I'll check out the hotel rec. And grabbing lunch one of the days would be great!
Calli, there's also a Marriott on 12th Street at H - they might be better.