D.C. Suburbs Offer Visitors Range of Lodging Options by Christine CubÈ In addition to the many hotels within the nationís capital, visitors to Washington, D.C., have a plethora of great options outside the city. Adriaan Radder, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, knows he has one of those great options. Heís got the top-notch staff, location, premier amenities and the personalized service to make for one of the best hotels in the nation. Radder admits he might be biased, but he makes a good case for his boasting. "[Itís our] attention to detail," he said. "We go to great lengths to find out about peopleís preferenceówhat they like and what they dislike. We cater to the individual rather than the crowd." The 366-room Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City (www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/pentagon_city) is located minutes from Washington, D.C., and features 24-hour room service, featherbeds, high-speed Internet connections, multilingual concierge, floral boutique, and a fitness center and pool. It also is located directly next to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, which houses more than 160 stores. The Grill, the hotelís restaurant, serves American cuisine and was noted by Washingtonian mag azine as the "Best Place for Brunch." The Ritzís Lobby Lounge offers complimentary morning coffee and high tea service every afternoon. Because of the hotelís proximity to the Pentagon, it receives a lot of business from the defense industry as well as area businesses. Rates range from $319 to $369. In the Crystal City neighborhood, great rooms can also be found at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City (www.crystalcity.hyatt.com), which is close to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The 685-room property boasts one of the largest hotel meeting facilities in the metropolitan area. In addition, the Hyatt Regency is close to shopping, offices, local restaurants and health clubs. Diedra McMillin, director of sales and marketing at the Hyatt Regency, noted that the contemporary, full-service property also offers convenient shuttle service to the airport and the Metro. A couple of blocks away from the hotel, on 23rd Street, the area is undergoing a major restaurant renaissance. Newcomers that are expected include Jaleo, McCormick and Schmickís, Cold Stone Creamery and the Spanish restaurant Oyamel. Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City range from $99 to $265. The Maryland and Virginia suburbs are overflowing with other lodging options. Hereís a sample of what you can expect: The Bailiwick Inn (www.bailiwickinn.com) in Fairfax, Va., is a historic and intimate property with just 14 rooms. The building was constructed in the early 1880s and has many stories that go back to the Civil War. For example, the first confederate officer casualty of the Civil War happened in front of the Bailiwick. Head innkeeper Chris Sandbank said his clientele involves mostly corporate groups, leisure travelers and folks who are looking to get out of the city for a while. There are no room numbers at the innóguest rooms are labeled with the names of famous Virginians, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. You can take a peak at the rooms online. Rates are around $225. Potomac Suites Rosslyn (www.potomacsuites.com) in Arlington, Va., is an all-suite property with fully equipped kitchens and living areas. Operations Manager Lydia Simone said the 55-suite property features studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. The property is a traditional hotel with comfortable furnishings, antique reproductions done in a Queen Anne style, and on-site dry cleaning and laundry services. Rates are $99 to $200. The Hilton (www.ithappensathilton.com) in Gaithersburg, Md., has 301 rooms and newly renovated function space. The hotel is one of the largest convention hotels in the Rockville/Gaithersburg area, with 14,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space, according to Mike Parent, director of sales and marketing at the Hilton, who noted that the grand ballroom can accommodate up to 400 people. The Hilton is 20 miles from the White House and is located alongside Montgomery Countyís I-270 technology corridor. "We have acres of free parking," Parent said, adding that the hotel is continuing to undergo a multi-million dollar renovation to maintain the propertyís high-end status. Standard rooms feature a king-size bed or two double beds and contemporary furnishings. Rates range from $109 to $199. Hyatt Regency Bethesda (http://bethesda.hyatt.com) at the One Bethesda Metro Center in Maryland has undergone a complete renovation in recent years, with the hotelís meeting space as its most recent project. The propertyís 390 guest rooms were redone in 2002 and 2003, said General Manager Phil Tufano, who proudly added, "Weíre the best hotel in Bethesda." Just in time to ring in the new year, the hotel is building a Mortonís Steakhouse scheduled to open in January 2005. The Hyatt Regency Bethesda is six miles from downtown Washington and within walking distance to theaters such as Roundhouse Theatre, as well as shopping and fine restaurants. Rooms range from $99 to $269. The Virginian Suites (www.virginiansuites.com) in Arlington, Va., the sister property to the Potomac Suites Rosslyn, features 261 traditional suites with fully equipped kitchens. General Manager Saleem Malik said the hotelís meeting space includes a boardroom and a small meeting room that can handle up to 85 people. The Virginian Suites, which was formerly an apartment building in the 1980s, went through a hotel renovation in 2002. The property features a large pool and fitness center, and provides shuttle service to the Rosslyn Metro station. The typical guest stay is anywhere from three days to three months. Rates range from $150 to $350. The Greenbelt Marriott (www.marriott.com) in Maryland offers quality service at an affordable price, all located just 10 miles from the District. Bruce Winton, director of operations at the 283-room Prince Georgeís County hotel, said the bulk of the propertyís guests come from the nearby NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland. Also, because the hotel is just seven miles from FedEx Field, it tends to receive a large number of sports teams and stadium business. Rooms are spacious with bright colors and traditional furniture. A new bar and lounge will begin construction in late January and will sport a contemporary, sleek look with plasma screens throughout and a lounge that will have a variety of seating styles from high-backed booths to communal tables. Room rates at the Marriott range from around $109 to $199. The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner (www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/tysons_corner) is adjacent to the very popular shopping destination Tysons Corner Center in Virginia. Just 12 miles from Washington, the hotel is roughly a 10-minute drive to Wolf Trap. The 398-room property comes with signature Ritz amenities, including 24-hour room service, premium European toiletries, marble bathrooms, twice-daily housekeeping and laundry/valet service. It also has complimentary overnight shoeshine service and town car service. The hotelís dining offerings include the award-winning Maestro, which serves contemporary Italian fare. There is also the Steak House and Lobby Lounge. Christine CubÈ is a freelance writer in Alexandria, Va.