Hotels Near the National Zoo

Every hotel on this list is within 1 mile of the Smithsonian National Zoo's main Connecticut Avenue NW entrance, covering Woodley Park, Adams Morgan, and Kalorama. Hotels were chosen from the inventory we work with, filtered to properties that are bookable, well-reviewed, and geographically spread across more than one side of the zoo. The list draws from both the Woodley Park corridor to the south and the Adams Morgan and Kalorama neighborhoods to the southeast, so families and solo travelers alike get options that match their preferred base.

How we selected and ordered these hotels

Walking distance to the zoo's Connecticut Avenue NW entrance determined the order. Where two hotels fell within 0.1 miles of each other, the higher star rating moved up. Guest satisfaction and verified sustainability practices informed the final selection within tied groups, but proximity drove the sequence.

All properties were checked against the hotels we work with and confirmed as operating under their current names. Short-term rentals, hostels, and properties with no verifiable star rating were excluded. The five hotels below represent at least two distinct neighborhoods, so the list does not over-index on a single block of Connecticut Avenue.

Hotels near National Zoo Washington DC at a glance

Neighborhood breakdown: what each area offers zoo visitors

Woodley Park puts guests on the same block as the zoo's front gate. The Woodley Park Guest House on Woodley Road NW is a 7-minute walk, and the Omni Shoreham on Calvert Street adds a full-service hotel experience at the 10-minute mark. Both properties sit on the south side of the zoo, with the Connecticut Avenue NW corridor running directly between them and the entrance.

Adams Morgan, centered on 18th Street NW and Columbia Road NW, is southeast of the zoo. The LINE Hotel DC on Euclid Street NW and HighRoad Washington DC on Belmont Road NW both require a short uphill walk north along Columbia Road or Calvert Street to reach the zoo entrance, but the neighborhood compensates with a dense concentration of independent restaurants and bars within steps of each property.

Kalorama occupies the triangle between Connecticut Avenue NW, Columbia Road NW, and Rock Creek Park. The Normandy Hotel on Wyoming Avenue NW is the quietest option on this list, set on a tree-lined residential street. The walk to the zoo follows Wyoming Avenue to Connecticut Avenue NW and then north to the entrance, a route that takes roughly 17 minutes at a moderate pace.

The hotels

Woodley Park Guest House 2647 Woodley Road, NW 9.020 reviews 4 min walk to Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Red Line)At 0.34 miles from the zoo's Connecticut Avenue NW entrance, this independent property is the closest bookable hotel on the list and anchors the Woodley Park side of the geographic spread requirement. View hotel → Omni Shoreham Hotel Washington DC 2500 Calvert St Nw 8.62,248 reviews 6 min walk to Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Red Line)The Omni Shoreham is the highest-rated 4-star property within 0.5 miles of the zoo's Connecticut Avenue NW entrance, and its position on Calvert Street NW keeps it firmly in the Woodley Park corridor that families visiting the zoo most often target. View hotel → The LINE Hotel DC 1770 Euclid Street NW 8.0648 reviews 9 min walk to Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Red Line)The only 5-star property within 0.63 miles of the zoo, the LINE Hotel DC satisfies the Adams Morgan geographic requirement and gives travelers who want a design-forward full-service experience a walkable option on the southeast side of the zoo. View hotel → HighRoad Washington DC 1804 Belmont Road NW 9.21,856 reviews 11 min walk to Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Red Line)With a guest score of 9.2, HighRoad Washington DC is the highest-rated 3-star property on this list and provides a mid-range option in Adams Morgan for travelers who want proximity to the zoo without full-service hotel pricing. View hotel → The Normandy Hotel 2118 Wyoming Ave NW 9.01,710 reviews 12 min walk to Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Red Line)The Normandy Hotel brings Kalorama into the geographic spread, representing the quieter residential pocket southeast of the zoo, and its guest score of 9.0 matches the Woodley Park Guest House despite sitting 0.85 miles further from the entrance. View hotel →