It has its share of the good, the bad, and the ugly...
There is always a flurry of visitors visiting DC area starting spring..You need to do your homework thoroughly. There are areas of DC that are really bad, while other areas are very upscale.
Also, do you want to visit only proper DC or also want to service other areas? A lot of women do latter where they stay a couple of days in each neighborhood areas. A lot of people don't like to visit proper DC when they live in Dulles area due to just horrendous traffic..
Some of the other areas surrounding DC are :
Tysons Corner (about 15 miles, but can take long time to commute in rush hour),
Alexandria, Arlington (easily accessible by Metro)
Montgomary County MD (not recommended due to high LE presence)
Dulles Airport area (much farther west)
Hotel costs also greatly vary from area to area...
You and only you can make the decision if visiting DC suits you or not.. I am sure others will be able to provide more insight..