Many companies featured on Money advertise with us. Opinions are our own, but compensation and
in-depth research may determine where and how companies appear. Learn more about how we make money.

Washington, D.C.

Published: Mar 17, 2016
Off the Record bar, Washington, DC
Off the Record bar, Washington, DC
courtesy Off the Record

America’s capital city is chockablock with taxpayer-funded (read: totally free) activities, from all the Smithsonian museums to the airy outdoor memorials. Stay at the centrally located Renaissance Dupont Circle ($186), which is near D.C.’s historic Georgetown and right on the Metro. To rub elbows with politicos in one of the town’s most storied hotels, grab a $7 beer at Off the Record, a bar at the 1928 Hay-Adams hotel. Because it’s exceedingly glamorous (and in a prime location, just a grassy block away from the White House), it has been a home-away-from-home for everyone from Amelia Earhart to Angelina Jolie.