◆ AlbanyEco
← All areas Town · Albany

Guilderland

Home to Crossgates Mall and the SUNY campus — chain hotel value, good for shopping-focused stays.

From
$105
Hotels
0
Known for
WESTERN SUBURB
Part of
Hudson Riverfront
Nearby
3
Crossgates Mall exterior with parking lot in the foreground Crossgates Mall exterior with parking lot in the foreground

Why people stay in Guilderland

Guilderland spreads west from Albany along Western Ave (US Route 20), anchored by Crossgates Mall (one of the largest in the Northeast) and neighboring the UAlbany uptown campus. It's suburban and car-dependent, with strip commercial along Western Ave and residential subdivisions north and south. At 9pm the mall is still open until 9:30 and Route 20 is still moving.

For families combining an Albany visit with a shopping trip or a UAlbany campus visit, Guilderland makes sense as a base. Rates run slightly higher than Colonie because the newer hotels near Crossgates are premium chain properties. Skip if you want walkable urban character — this is peak Northeast suburbia, well-maintained but generic.

The Hilton Garden Inn near Crossgates and the Homewood Suites on Western Ave are the strongest picks at $115-165. Older Comfort Inn and Days Inn properties along Western Ave run $95-125 and are functional. Weekend rates often drop 15-20% here since business travel is the weekday driver. Avoid the aging motels closer to the Guilderland-Rotterdam line — better rooms are five minutes east for $20 more.

At a glance Cheapest room$105 Hotels tracked0 Guides3 Free cancellationMost rooms are free to cancel Hotels in Guilderland

What to see

Places to visit Crossgates Mall
Places to visit Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
Places to visit UAlbany Uptown Campus
Places to visit Athos Restaurant
Walks & outdoors Five Rivers Family Trail (3 km)
Eat & go out Crossgates Mall
Eat & go out Athos Restaurant
Where to stay

Hotels in Guilderland

Live prices · free cancellation

Getting around Guilderland

Part of

From Albany International Airport, 15 minutes by car via I-87 south then I-90 west to exit 24 (Guilderland). CDTA Route 12 runs Western Ave from downtown Albany to Guilderland in about 35 minutes. Uber from the airport is $20-25. Driving and free parking are the honest logic here — public transit works but takes twice as long as driving.

Questions about Guilderland

How big is Crossgates Mall?

Over 1.7 million square feet, more than 250 stores, 18-screen theater. It's one of the largest malls in New York State and can genuinely absorb a full day in bad weather.

Can I stay in Guilderland and visit downtown Albany easily?

Yes — 15-20 minutes by car, or CDTA Route 12 in 35-40 minutes. Guilderland is a reasonable base for families combining downtown museums with mall time and UAlbany visits.