<p>We are heading for Penn, Princeton and Colgate for our spring break visits. S goes to boarding school in the northeast, but we will be leaving from home in Texas. We have Penn covered (I'm from Phila and have family to visit there). Would like advice on where to stay near Princeton and Colgate. I checked the website, and I know there are lots of options, but would love to hear from my CC experts! We tend to like moderate prices as close to campus as possible. Thanks, all.</p>
<p>There are a ton of chain hotels in Princeton, but to get the real feel for the campus, pleeeeaasee stay at the Nassau Inn (<a href="http://www.nassauinn.com%5B/url%5D">www.nassauinn.com</a>). Rates are about $150-200 this time of year, but it's definately worth it if it's just a bit more than the others. Located right in the center of the town and across the street from campus, you couldn't be in a better location.</p>
<p>Good advice for Princeton, if you can get a room at the inn...</p>
<p>Colgate? It is pretty isolated. Colgate has a link to local lodging, but note that some of it is pretty far. <a href="http://www.colgate.edu/DesktopDefault1.aspx?tabid=515&pgID=1430%5B/url%5D">http://www.colgate.edu/DesktopDefault1.aspx?tabid=515&pgID=1430</a></p>
<p>I must say, though that upstate NY will be very pretty once the snow melts and spring comes.</p>
<p>For Colgate - definitely stay at the Colgate Inn - right in town, just (barely) off campus, across from the bookstore. You should make a reservation in advance - if there is anything going on on campus, the Colgate Inn books up very quickly.</p>
<p>I've stayed at the Nassau Inn too - definitely a great location.</p>
<p>I second the recommendation of the Colgate Inn; it is very pleasant and cozy and right across the street from campus. Regarding Princeton,though, since it is so close to Philadephia, might it make more sense to vist from Philadelphia and not bother with an inn or hotel? You could still spend the whole day in town if you wanted to and either drive or take NJTransit back to the city. If you do decide to stay overnight in Princeton, staying in town rather than at one of the chains on Route 1 is certainly more fun but if price is an issue there is a lot to choose from in the Route 1 corridor. Be sure to get ice cream at Thomas Sweet's, whether you stay overnight or not.</p>
<p>Re Colgate: If you can't get into the Colgate Inn, another nice B&B is the Braeloch Inn, in Cazenovia (about 20-25 minutes from Hamilton).</p>
<p>I'd second mattmom's suggestion to just drive to Princeton from Philadelphia. It's about an hour by car, or you could take the train if that's convenient. Princeton is only marginally closer to Colgate than Philadelphia is so you're not really adding much to your trip to go back to Philadelphia.</p>
<p>I've stayed here <a href="http://www.hathawayinnbedandbreakfast.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.hathawayinnbedandbreakfast.com/</a></p>
<p>It's equidistant from Hamilton (the town where Colgate sits) and Hamilton (the college up the road). 15 minutes either way. It's not quite as "gorgeous" as the ad copy would lead you to believe, but it was very nice with a good breakfast. I'm not much of a b&b fan but after a few hotel rooms it was nice to sit in a real living room and read. Relatively inexpensive, too.</p>
<p>We stayed at Braeloch and if you want picturesque it is a nice place to stay, but I usually am in favor of staying as close as possible to the school you are visiting..getting more of a feel of what the place is like...The Colgate Inn was full with some sort of Arts Event the weekend we were there.</p>
<p>I would also definitely drive from P to P, easy drive. It was about 5 1/2 hours from Philadelphia to Hamilton when we drove last summer, FYI.</p>
<p>We just stayed at the Hathaway B&B (recommended by reidm above) a few weeks ago (the Colgate Inn was full for an alumni weekend). I'd echo reidm - The Hathaway is a nice old Victorian and the waffles were delicious. It is about 15 mins from Colgate and closer to Hamilton College, in a very small upstate NY town. I would stay there again if we can't get into the Colgate Inn for future visits.</p>
<p>MoWC,
Like the others have said, the drive from Philly to Princeton is 1 hour. 76/676/ to I-95 North to 206 North brings you right into Princeton.</p>
<p>We got all sorts of discounts and free stuff from the One Big Campus website sponsored by Philly colleges: <a href="http://www.onebigcampus.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.onebigcampus.com/</a></p>
<p>Thanks so much for all the help. Based on what I learned here, we might stay an extra night with the Philly folks (although both family options are out in the'burbs) and drive up to Princeton Thursday am for the tour. We will then leave directly from Princeton to go to Colgate. I'll report in after the visits- S is trying to set up some coach meetings at all three schools. This is going to be my first effort at staying in the background and not being the obnoxious parent.</p>