Northampton hotels/inns/B&Bs question? (Amherst, South Hadley: apartments, houses)

[CorinneD]

I'll be visiting the Northampton area this fall...how important is it to stay inthe midst of downtown Noho? I don't mind a short drive to the downtown for dinner, walking around, etc. What surrounding towns would make for a quick commute?

[in_newengland]

It isn't at all important to stay in Northampton since everything is pretty compact around there. Try Hadley or Amherst. Sorry I can't think of any actual places to stay offhand--it's been a while since I've lived there. There used to be a good Howard Johnson's motel on rte 9 in Hadley but it's probably changed hands and is called something else.

[ScituateAl]

What type of lodging experience do you want? The Hotel Northampton is a very nice, in-town place. Along Rt 9 in Hadley are a number of chain motels. By far the best one we've stayed in on rt 9 in Hadley is the Hampton Inn. Very clean, nice breakfast, etc. There might be a B&B here-or-there, but overall you're going to be limited to Rt9. NoHo is a great walking town. If you feel like going upscale, do the Hotel Northampton and enjoy being in-town. Lots of shopping, dining, etc. options.

Plan and book early to avoid competing against college-related weekends.

[goyguy]

Some small, economically-priced B & B's operate in Amherst as well as in Northampton. There are those who think the "Hotel Noho" is grossly overpriced, while others swear by it. Amherst's most famous hostelry, the Lord Jeffery Inn, gets more pans than plaudits. The chain motels are what they are. For a competitively priced, low- to no-frills sojourn you might like the Campus Center Hotel. Its name gives away its location in the midst of the UMass campus, management is by students, and rooms on the upper floors offer nice views of the area. The school has more than enough dorm space, Greek-letter houses, and off-campus apartments to make the prospect of wild partying in the hotel non-existent.
Bus service is phenomenal (given the low population of the area), especially when the Five Colleges are in session. The transit authority's Web address is PVTA - HOME. Unless the state has finally gotten around to widening the Coolidge Bridge (over the Connecticut River) on Route 9, you'll encounter some bumper-to-bumper aggravation particularly between 3:30 - 6:30 PM on weekdays. Other than that, driving's a cinch.
Hatfield, South Hadley, Easthampton, and Deerfield are among the surrounding towns which aren't far from Noho. But few if any lodging options are within them. BTW the "villages" of Florence and Leeds are actually within the Northampton city limits, northwest of downtown, if you hear mention made of them.