Bill, THANK YOU! I really appreciate your posting all these different hotels. And, Crystal City is a great suggestion. Thanks again! Hope to meet you in D.C.!
For my past 2 FREEPS with the DC folks, I've stayed at the Holiday Inn, Keybridge/Rosslyn. It's one block from a metro on the blue/orange line ("rosslyn") and a quick ride into the mall area. Parking is free, which is a HUGE benefit; make sure you check on that issue when you're looking at hotels; I've seen some that charge $20 or more! You can get a full breakfast for $5, too. Not much to do in the area at night but a friend and I walked across the key bridge to walk down M street in Georgetown.