What to expect: The Hilton’s lobby mixes contemporary with the classics, welcoming guests with marble floors, wood pillars, potted palms, and a Starbucks outlet. With a mix of Sinatra and more recent hits playing overhead, guests can pick up a fresh apple and a copy of the Alexandria Times before heading out to enjoy Old Town’s shops, restaurant, and pubs.

Amenity highlights: Guests wanting to spend some downtime on the property have indoor and outdoor options, including taking in the sunshine on the brick courtyard, lounging on the patio by the indoor pool, and unwinding in the fitness center’s sauna. The fitness center also includes locker rooms, weights, and exercise machines.

Insider tip: One of Old Town Alexandria's more unusual sights is the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, just four blocks from the hotel. Perched on Shooter's Hill, the previous site of a Civil War-era fort, the neoclassical building houses a number of artifacts relating to Washington and Freemasonry. Free tours are conducted throughout the day, and the view from the enormous stone tower is worth the walk up the hill.

What to expect: A luxurious retreat just across the Potomac from the bustle of Washington, D.C., the Morrison House Boutique Hotel, a Kimpton Hotel, attracts a discerning clientele of business travelers looking for unique accommodations and leisure guests seeking a romantic getaway. The hotel is a perfect reproduction of a Federal-style mansion, complete with a parlor and library, luxurious silk wallpaper, Italian marble floors, and period engravings on the walls.

Amenity highlights: Guestrooms evoke Alexandria’s Federal period, with references to nautical and international trade and local history. Each room is individually furnished: Some rooms have two-poster beds, others four-posters. Some include fireplaces, some crystal chandeliers. The hotel’s public areas have neoclassical moldings and pediments, and antique furnishings. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available throughout the hotel. With only 45 guestrooms, Morrison House is small enough to pamper each guest.

Insider tip: The Old Town Alexandria neighborhood has a fascinating history dating from before the American Revolution. The concierge can arrange for guided walking tours of this historic area. Especially popular are the ghost tours—offered only after dark on Fridays and Saturdays—that illuminate secret infamies and the restless spirits of Old Town’s gaslit streets.