<p>Does anyone have a recommendation for a good place to stay the night before drop off?</p>
<p>We like the Hampton Inn in Hadley, just a 10 minute drive away. The rooms are bright, clean, and the staff is always friendly. They offer an adequate continental breakfast and free wireless Internet.</p>
<p>The Autumn Inn is like a combo motel and B&B, with small, older bathrooms. The staff is extremely friendly, but the rooms are overpriced, IMO, although you do get breakfast. You can’t beat the location – right across from the Quad.</p>
<p>The Clarion is just . . . weird. It can’t decide whether it is a ski lodge or a low end hotel. Hotel Northampton costs a bundle, and we’ve never thought it worth the splurge. When all the above have been booked, we’ve booked the Marriott (I think) in Amherst, another 5-10 minutes down Route 9 from the Hampton Inn.</p>
<p>MWFN captures it pretty well. We’re big fans of the Autumn Inn; I’ve stayed there seven times and am a member of their “Golden Pineapple Club” (???!) that got me advance notice of specials, etc. I figure the free breakfast and the proximity to campus breaks even vesus a few extra bucks for the room. They have a nice “service” attitude, too.</p>
<p>I just can’t see spending the money for the Hotel Northampton unless you have extra that you don’t know what to do with…we spent the difference on really nice meals. And, yeah, the Clarion is just weird. Two of D’s aunts stayed there and we stayed there once, I think.</p>
<p>I have also stayed at the Hampton Inn. It has the added benefit of being halfway between Smith and a Target well stocked with dorm room necessities.</p>
<p>Thank you! The Hamton Inn sounds like it will meet our needs.</p>
<p>TheDad: Which places do you recommend for “really nice meals”? We love the charming qualities of the town, but have not been as impressed with the restaurants we’ve tried.</p>
<p>Hi - Does anyone know anything about the UNiversity Lodge in Amherst? we are coming with our dog for Parents Weekend- I think our D wants to see the dog more than us 
- and it seems to be one of the few pet friendly hotels. We will also have a 13 year old and mostly want somewhere relatively quite and clean.</p>
<p>Another vote for the Hampton Inn. We’ve stayed there twice and found the staff very friendly and helpful, the rooms comfortable and the breakfast reasonable. It is very convenient to Smith, not walking distance, but not much of a drive.</p>
<p>:-) I just saw TD’s post from a few months ago. Pineapples are old symbols of hospitality. That’s why they have them on door-knockers and, apparently, as the name of hotel perks programs.</p>
<p>We stayed at the Country Inns and Suites in Holyoke recently. Decent room and lovely gardens. Just a short, straight (~ 4mi) drive into Noho. If you are looking for a B&B, the Ivory Creek in Hadley was uniquely interesting and serves a fabulous breakfast…be warned, you may have to forgo any visiting and sleep off the calories :)</p>
<p>Overwhelmed: Is the University Lodge the hotel run by the UMass hotel and management students? If so, I’ve stayed there.</p>
<p>Just spent a night at the Comfort Inn in Hadley. I’d avoid that again unless it’s impossible to get a room elsewhere (which was the case this time since we had to change our arrival date last minute.)</p>
<p>I know numerous people who stayed at the Comfort Inn and were quite happy. They’re also the only motel on rt 9 that allow pets. What was the problem?</p>
<p>Edit: The University Motel is owned by the same owner as the local Howard Johnson’s</p>
<p>The sink looked like it had fallen off the wall at one point and had been re-installed at an angle, so everything rolled off the surface and onto the floor. And the walls were thin – heard lots of noise all night long. Most bizarrely, a bunch of guys had a barbecue in the back parking lot. The staff was friendly, though.</p>
<p>The Hampton Inn is much cleaner and fresher, without the worn paper signs about security precautions. If I hadn’t know how safe in general the Pioneer Valley was, I would’ve thought I was in a dangerous area. In fact, one woman saw the notices and asked the front desk if she should be worried staying there alone with her daughter, with her daughter’s college stuff left overnight in the car. </p>
<p>As for allowing pets, that might have explained why we were sneezing! :)</p>
<p>The price we paid was higher than I usually pay at the Hampton, although it all depends on which day you book and how far in advance.</p>
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<p>Meant the University Lodge. UMass doesn’t have any connection.</p>
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<p>Are you referring to the sign at the front desk that says something to the effect about not being responsible for valuables left in the car, especially a portable GPS on the dash? That sign is for insurance purposes. I believe all hotels post that disclaimer. I recently stayed at a higher end Inn in Bar Harbor and the same disclaimer was prominently displayed.</p>
<p>As safe as the area is, I never leave my GPS on the dash when parking in Amherst or Northampton. Nor do I ever leave beer in plain sight when parking around UMass. I trust the UMass kids but there is no sense in creating undue temptation. :)</p>
<p>I’m not trying to be an apologist for the Comfort Inn, but since it’s the only hotel in town that allows pets, I refer it often. </p>
<p>Sorry about the tilted sink though. The Happy Valley does lean hard to the left but still…</p>
<p>“Sorry about the tilted sink though. The Happy Valley does lean hard to the left but still”</p>
<p>LOL! This must have been one of those moderate sinks, as it leaned in the center.</p>
<p>MWFN, I just checked my reservations for Parents’ Weekend–the Comfort Inn in Hadley! At this point, I’m crossing my fingers I don’t get your room! I am sorry you were dissatisfied. </p>
<p>CrewDad, I’m glad you know of a number of people who have been happy so I guess I’ll stick with the current reservations. However, what will I do if the sink is tilted to the right? Maybe I can use my ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Foundation and Amnesty International membership cards to prop it up. Perhaps I should bring along other left-leaning cards, just in case I need additional reinforcement. :)</p>
<p>We’ll be there too - I switched from University Lodge although I still haven’t cancelled that reservation. If it’s too loud etc we’ll just stay for one night - It’s mostly so my daughter can hang out with the dog.I’m assuming it will be mostly parents that weekend. I did see one horrible review but most were fine - University Lodge also takes pets but seemed a it more run down according to reviews.
Any idea who the BBQers were? That is a bit odd!
What room where you in with the lefty sink?</p>
<p>We stayed in the separate building, the one with the pool. The main building, where the reception desk and breakfast room is, also has rooms.</p>
<p>As for the BBQ, I have no idea. There might have been a UMass football game in Amherst on Saturday, and this was an extension of tailgating. I don’t know. There were three or so large pickup trucks and a bunch of guys sitting on lawn chairs drinking beer. I didn’t see the actual grill, although the smoke billowed up in a thick haze. They set up at the back of the back parking lot, so they obviously were trying to set up out of the way. If it was indeed a football weekend, then that may have also explained the noise.</p>
<p>The continental breakfast has make-your-own waffles, bagels, tiny muffins, Cheerios, and danish. </p>
<p>Yes, CrewDad, the signs I referred to were the GPS security messages; because the paper was curled, I think it gave the impression of being a more low-end area than it really was. I wasn’t worried. I did crack up when I saw the sign on the back of my door, however: “No visitors after 8 pm.” I’ve never seen that before in a hotel room! </p>
<p>I’ve stayed in Comfort Inns in many places in the US, and I know that much of what you see is a direct reflection of those hotels located in cities. The Rochester Comfort Inn I stayed in was definitely seedy and somewhat dangerous. The police showed up there two nights in a row, with lights flashing. Likewise, the Comfort Inn in the city near where I live has more of a crime (usually theft) problem than other hotels in the area, simply because of its location. When the head office needs to address security, it sends out directives to all.</p>
<p>I know the request for nice restaurants in Northampton was from a while ago, but these suggestions may still help someone out there. Try the Eastside Grille for dinner (but be prepared to wait in line for dinner – they don’t take reservations) and/or Sylvester’s for breakfast. We also love Paul and Elizabeth’s, which is inside Thorne’s Marketplace. Hope that’s helpful.</p>