Any recommendations for a hotel or bed and breakfast in Lancaster or elsewhere in the area convenient to Franklin and Marshall? Clean, nice, not more than about $150ish a night.
Tons of options - do Expedia. As long as you book in advance you’ll be fine with Hilton Garden Inns, Marriott Residence, Holiday Inn Express type hotels. Clean, easy access. Book parents weekend well in advance!
Thank you.
We stayed at the Cork Factory Inn when we visited and liked it a lot. Not walking distance if that’s important, but convenient enough if youre driving.
My tripadvisor review for Country Inn of Lancaster – in general I’d recommend. We picked it because we decided pretty last minute to go for homecoming, and it’s what was available, and I didn’t want to spend 250+ per night. I like luxurious hotels and this definitely wasn’t that, but it was nicer than I was expecting and nicer than some $150ish places I’ve stayed in the area.
We stayed in the back building. It was quiet and more spacious than we’d expected. Beds were surprisingly comfortable, and the continental breakfast was generous for a hotel in this inexpensive price range. Bagels & donuts, cereal, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, granola bars, fruit. Nothing fancy but just fine. Check in and out was really easy and the staff was friendly and professional. Loved the 24 hour coffee, juice, and iced water (which did run out in the evening) and that they didn’t shut down breakfast at 10:00 precisely – they waited until everyone had left rather than starting to put it away at the advertised 10:00 am. Very nice and unexpected.
On the down side, the cold water had been disconnected in our bathroom sink due to a leak. They must have known the sink was broken but put us in the room anyway. By the time I’d finished washing my hands they were burning hot – I had to wait a while to brush my teeth. When we left the next morning we told the front desk and the cold water was fixed by the time we got back, but the faucet was still tough to use and needs to be replaced.
Chairs in the room were nice to have for a quick meal at the table but very uncomfortable for more than a minute or two of sitting.
I don’t know if this is typical, but on the days we were there (visiting our daughter at nearby F&M College) a good deal of the the rest of the hotel was filled with tour bus people. They spent a lot of time in the breakfast area opining on the upcoming election – not the hotel’s fault, but the quarters were close, and as I didn’t agree with their politics it was not particularly pleasant or relaxing. A bit of space would have helped.
Lastly, I think it was a decent bargain for what we paid, (a bit over $100/night) but I missed having access to a treadmill and given that they have lots of other amenities I’d love to see them add that in the future.
Thank you!
I’m an F&M alum and have done college visits with one of my kids. The Marriott in Lancaster is in the heart of the city across from the oldest farmer’s market in the country. It’s a good place to stay if you want a sense of the city and it’s about a 10 - 15 minute walk to campus. Near campus the hotel of choice is The Lancaster Arts Hotel. It has a neat small hotel modern vibe. It’s on the outskirts of the city but a short walk, maybe 5 minutes, to campus. Both worthwhile depending on what you are looking for. If you have the flexibility and are staying down town I’d recommend planning to stay the evening of the first Friday of the month when the shops all stay open late and there is entertainment downtown.
Thanks to all for your suggestions.
Tru by Hilton. Brand new. I just stayed there and it was fairly inexpensive and decent. Rooms aren’t huge but comfortable.
We just stayed at the Hollinger Inn on our F&M tour and it was fantastic and very reasonably priced. I posted a review on tripadvisor.com. They even have a room with two twin beds if that is all you need.