Albany hotels & travel guide

Off-peak, a clean chain room in Albany runs $75 to $110 a night. The cheapest clusters are along Wolf Road near the airport in Colonie (Red Roof, Super 8, La Quinta) and the Washington Avenue Extension corridor near Crossgates. Downtown near the Capitol jumps to $140 to $180 midweek when the Legislature is in session.

January through March is cheapest, with rooms from $70 to $95, but expect single-digit temperatures and lake-effect snow. May and October are the sweet spot: mild weather, foliage, rooms around $110. Peak is Tulip Festival weekend in early May and graduation weekends in mid-May, when downtown rates hit $220.

Downtown near Empire State Plaza suits first-timers who want to walk to the Capitol, The Egg and Lark Street bars. Wolf Road in Colonie suits families and drivers, with chain hotels, malls and easy I-87 access. Stuyvesant Plaza and Western Avenue suit anyone visiting SUNY Albany or wanting quieter, leafier streets.

A car helps a lot. CDTA buses cover the city with a $1.50 flat fare and the free Route 100 BusPlus runs Downtown to Colonie along Central Avenue. Amtrak arrives at Rensselaer station across the river, about $8 in a cab to downtown. The airport is 15 minutes by car; there is no rail link.

When the Legislature is in session (January through mid-June, Tuesday to Thursday), downtown hotels near the Capitol and Empire State Plaza fill with lobbyists and staff. Rates near State Street and Eagle Street can double from $95 to $190 on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Book Colonie or Latham instead, or come Friday to Sunday when downtown empties out.

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