Albany Hotel Guide

Situated between the Adirondack Mountains and the Catskills, Albany, New York lies at the northern terminus of the Hudson River Channel and the junction of the Erie Canal.

Though a transportation hub of the northeast, as well as a business and banking center, Albany's population is just over 100,000. While a small city by national standards, Albany was one of the first in the U.S. to establish a commercial airport, (1919) and is also a site of the first railroad in America that ran between Albany and Schenectady.

There are a number of cultural opportunities in Albany, including the Palace Theatre, the Albany Symphony Orchestra and the Park Playhouse, one of the largest outdoor theatres on the East Coast. The Albany Institute of History and Art presents both permanent and temporary exhibits about Albany's art and cultural scene.

If you're looking for sports, the Pepsi Arena plays host to the AHL Albany River Rats and the Albany Firebirds (arena football). Or, if you'd prefer baseball, head to Heritage Park and watch the players of the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs.

The city also has two large parks, Washington Park and Lincoln Park, as well as the Corning Preserve, located alongside the Hudson River. The Washington Park site was originally surveyed and planned by Frederic Olmsted, designer of New York City's Central Park. The final park design was completed by two of Olmsted's proteges yet was inspired by his ideas and philosophies. The annual Tulip Festival in May, an event which reflects Albany's Dutch heritage, is held in Washington Park. The Preserve is the site of both festivals and concerts while also beckoning to picnickers and cyclists.

Albany's historic roots are much trumpeted, echoing times past. And for the history buffs, places of note are the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza, the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, Ten Broeck Mansion, Pruyn House, the renowned Cherry Hill and the Shaker Heritage Society, said to be the site of the first Shaker settlement in America.

Transportation options for getting around Albany include taxi, Yellow Cab, the Capital District Transit Authority bus service which also includes airport shuttle service, Albany Remembered Tours Ltd. for guided walking tours, Plaza Travel & Meetings-Albany Area Tours and the Albany City Trolley trolley rentals. Rental cars are readily available at the Albany airport terminal with all well-known rental agencies represented. Dutch Apple Cruises offer scenic cruises on the Hudson River.

While there are a number of sites to visit in Albany, approximately an hour in either direction offers the state's most popular downhill skiing areas: the Adirondacks and the Catskills. If not to ski, these two spots are definitely worthy of a day trip to enjoy the numerous lakes, nature trails and forest preserves.

All the well-known hotel chains are represented here, including the Crowne Plaza Albany, the Marriott Albany, the Quality Inn Albany, the Comfort Inn Albany, amongst others. Next to the Albany airport, located 10 miles from the City of Albany near the junctions of Interstate Highways 87 and 90, the surrounding areas of Colonie and Latham offer additional accommodations.

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