OUR MAIN OFFICE: 2600 Crystal Drive, Suite 218, Arlington, VA 22202 View on Map

The Hidden Savings of Staying in Corporate Housing

Being able to prepare your own meals is a great way to save money, (some might even say a luxury) if you're a traveler that’s staying in a city for a while. Yet, many hotels never offer that option. Sure some may offer a complimentary breakfast, but doesn’t a warm plate of your grandmother’s recipe for cinnamon pancakes sound better than a bowl of cereal and cold sausage? Cooking at home allows me to eat healthy and save a ton of that I would be spending if I had been eating out. Not only that, but cooking also allows for entertaining guests. Entertaining is pretty hard to do in a 325 square foot hotel room. One issue might be the huge bed in the center of your entertaining space. Fear not, when staying with Crystal Quarters Corporate Housing, you don’t just get a small room with a bed, dresser and maybe a small closet. You get an entire apartment. A bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room. The only thing you need to provide is your groceries, and we can tell you exactly where to get them from. So put on your favorite apron, pour yourself a glass of wine and get to cooking.

Whole Foods
Whole Foods is located at 520 12th St S #100, Arlington- or in terms of distance from our property at The Gramercy, its right across the street! Our Concord location is only a mile away, so it is walking distance if you’re up for a casual walk or a short drive away (and there’s free underground parking there!). It’s brand new! Whole Foods opened its doors to the public just 3 months ago in June. It’s clean, the staff is fresh and friendly, the space is generously open and there are always several registers open. I frequent at the cheese and exotic fruit aisles. This place really caters to local office workers, with a large selection of prepared food options; pizza, BBQ, salad, etc. They have an in-house gourmet ramen bar, Paper Horse, as well as The Basin Bar, which offers a selection of craft beer and local wine with plenty of seating to enjoy your drink.

Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter is open 24 hours, seven days a week. It’s a 10 minute walk, (.8 mi) from The Gramercy and they offer free parking in front. A second Harris Teeter location is located just half a mile from The Concord at 3600 S. Glebe Rd., and has free underground parking. They offer tons of free samples, which is always a plus. Their selection of sandwiches is superb made with Boar’s Head meat, and on Thursdays they’re half price! Nothing beats a great deal like that. In addition to the convenience of being 24/7, they also offer self-checkout which is a great option for those buying one or two items and want to skip the line.

Crystal City Wine Shop
I mentioned previously that you should enjoy a glass of wine while you cook. What kind of person would I be if I didn’t tell you where to get your wine from? This is the place to go when staying in Crystal City and Pentagon City, located conveniently at 220 20th Street S.. They offer sporadic tastings throughout the week and you will find some serious gems here. They also have a decent selection of beer, featuring local brands such as; Mad fox, Devils Backbone and Lickinghole Creek. The staff is always friendly and very knowledgeable. We’ve included the link for the tasting schedule for your viewing pleasure, because who doesn’t love free wine and beer?