Albany Hotel Tips by Bwana_Brown

It was an OK hotel - the rooms were nice and the bed was very comfortable. There is an indoor enclosed courtyard (probably because of the long and cold winters) but the establishment is nothing fantastic to write home about. When we first went there in September, 2002, my wife was annoyed by the fact that she could not use the pool because you are not allowed to swim by yourself even if you are an adult (update: this is a NY state law!). Also, on check-in, there was a mix-up with getting my credit card to 'take' (no problems anywhere else that I have stayed). I later found out that it never did work and that my charges ended up on another account (although they never told me this at the hotel). Frankly, for half the price, we more enjoyed the smaller hotels that we stayed in during our trip to the Lake Placid area before arriving in Albany. I actually had to go back to the Desmond again in March, 2004 for another meeting and, when I tried to book my room this time, they still had the old credit card number in their records. I had it corrected over the telephone before I went the next time to my March/04 meeting !!


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$120-180  » Currency Converter
Phone: 1-800-448-3500
Address: 660 Albany Shaker Rd, Albany, NY 12211
Directions: At Exit 4 off Interstate-87 highway
Website: www.desmondhotelsalbany.com

Following our September, 2002 not very satisfactory stay at The Desmond Hotel, I was back in Albany again in March, 2003. This time the meeting had been arranged to be at a Marriott hotel. Although in the same general location, I enjoyed the overall setting and layout of this hotel much better than the previous visit!

Unique Qualities: Closer to the dining and shopping area in this part of Albany, the Marriott provided more flexibility to enjoy the local amenities. Overall, the quality of the hotel was excellent. Update: for my latest meeting of April, 2004, even the Marriott has priced itself outside my desired range at US$184/night before taxes! I decided to seek an alternative and found the very satisfactory Holiday Inn Express only a few miles away at an equivalent price of US$110/night! It makes a difference over 4 nights (see next tip)!

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Address: 189 Wolf Rd, Albany, NY 12205
Directions: Take Exit 4 off I-87 and it is near the Airport.

I really enjoyed the clean and new looks, especially its surrounding grounds, of this common hotel chain. It was located on Western Avenue, a few miles south of the Wolf Road area where I usually hung out for previous meetings. The staff were very friendly and the room was comfortable and clean.

Unique Qualities: It turned out to be nicely located on Western Avenue. Turn right and drive for 7 km and you are in the centre of Albany. Turn left and drive about the same distance, and I was at the daytime location where my meetings were being held. Also, they had free dial-up and high-speed computer connections whereas some of the bigger chains still charge for this service. Altogether, I was very happy with this location and its price US$110 (US$122 with taxes).

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 518-438-0001
Address: 1442 Western Ave, Albany, NY 12203
Directions: At the southern end of I-87 highway, take the Western Avenue signs and go left for two blocks.