We are considering going to Amherst (from TN) for Tgiving to see our freshman daughter. Has anyone done that? Are there any recommendations? We will be on a tight budget but I want to try and get reservations as soon as possible. Really hoping that not everything is booked up at this late date. And hoping there are some economical options as well. 
Anyone? Ideas? Input?
Not sure what your dates are, but we generally have pretty good luck finding rooms through hotels.com , sometimes with extra discounts. The UMass campus in Amherst has an excellent student run hotel, I did a quick check on room rates, $169-$199 per night. They advertize that you can save 20% if you book at least 21 days in advance. http://www.hotelumass.com/
The nearby town of Hadley (10-15 minutes away) has cheaper places, Econolodge, Comfort inn, Knights inn.
I always use Airbnb when I visit, several times now. It’s nice to have an entire place with kitchen etc.but I’ve also done rooms. Maybe consider that if you want to cook T-Day dinner, or even if not.