13 Best Hotels in Albany and Central New York, New York

Judy Garland once sang from the mezzanine to fans in the lobby, and Mae West, Rita Hayworth, and Jimmy Durante all spent the night at this 14-story Renaissance revival–style hotel in the downtown business district. The two-story lobby of the grand 1912 building has a coffered ceiling, faux-marble pillars, large crystal chandeliers, a piano, and lovebirds that serenade you from their antique cage. Guest rooms, spacious and attractive, have swagged window treatments and traditional furnishings; many have Mohawk Valley views.

The owners of this 1850 mansion are opera lovers, and the inn tends to book up with other opera buffs during the local company's summer season. The house, on a tree-lined, flower-filled yard created from three city lots, includes rooms painted in salmon pink, malachite green, burgundy, and pale yellow. Each guest room is unique, and a coach-house apartment—a good value—has a bedroom, a living area, and a kitchenette. Breakfast includes fresh berry pies and fruit crisps as well as such standard fare as quiche. Note that a dog also resides here.

The ornate architectural details of this High Victorian Gothic stunner include dormer windows crowned with clamshell arches and a mansard roof of alternating bands of red and gray slate. The common spaces include porches, a living room, and a dining room that seats 20. Two long plush-velvet couches invite lingering in the library. Congress Park is across the street.

The cheerful brick inn a block from the Hudson River is a good alternative to chain hotels. Standard rooms tend to be a bit run-of-the-mill and have either two double beds or a king. Suites, double the size of the standard rooms, have king-size beds, an adjoining sitting room, a refrigerator, and a whirlpool tub.

Atop a hill off Lake Street, this old mansion has lake and mountain vistas and provides a country-manor-house experience. The resident dog and cats pay you visits in the spacious public rooms, which have wood details, paneling, and floors. In the dining room the windows open so wide that you feel like you're on a porch. Guest rooms are done in dusty pastels, whites, and florals.

Brick courtyards, hand-painted wooden signs, Early American furniture, and staff in 18th-century attire give this large hotel the air of a colonial village with modern conveniences. Some rooms have king-size canopy beds; all have large bathrooms with phones. The complex includes a casual all-day eatery (many patrons favor the cheese blintzes for breakfast); a fine dinner-only restaurant; and a lounge with cushy upholstery seats.

This lovely Georgian revival–style brick hotel sits amid the 2,200 acres of Saratoga Spa State Park. Tall windows look out onto front and rear gardens, and the interior is decorated in a gracious, traditional style. The Sunday brunch buffet of hot and cold entrées is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

A former fur trapper's trading post–turned–Dutch mansion provides a swish backdrop for a room and a meal on the Mohawk River. Standard rooms have two queen beds; junior suites have a king-size sleigh bed, a desk, and a seating area. The decor throughout is a harmonious blend of patterned fabrics and wallpapers in elegant palettes. Candlelit tables set with fine china and table linens fill the pre-colonial dining room, which has two decorative fireplaces and hand-hewn beams. A cavelike, stone-walled pub downstairs offers lighter fare.

Rooms at this single-level motel, on the grounds of Howe Caverns, have mountain and valley views. Choose between a queen, a king, or two double beds; family suites have four doubles. Interiors are basic, but some rooms have whirlpool tubs. The restaurant is open from July through Labor Day.

At this 1848 inn, Victorian-inspired rooms with dark-wood furniture and tailored swags include such modern conveniences as high-speed Internet access. The four suites, in the Brunelle Cottage in the back, have heated floors. Your room key grants access to the fitness facilities at the YMCA.

This hotel dramatically transformed the Parker Building, a narrow structure that was the city's tallest building when it was erected in 1906. An antique cage-style elevator takes you to contemporary rooms with dark-wood furniture and floral-fabric accents. Maroon velvet curtains and vintage movie posters in the lounge downstairs are a nod to the inn's neighbor, Proctor's Theatre; before and after shows, a chic crowd gathers for drinks, dinner, and snacks.

A cupola crowns this handsome three-story brick Italianate villa built in 1866. The B&B has two large porches, a parlor with a marble fireplace, and bathrooms with claw-foot tubs. One guest room is on the first floor; the others are on the second floor. Most rooms have a queen bed, and all have rose-print bed coverings and down comforters. The Wine and Roses room, where walls are the color of claret, has a queen and a double bed.

A sweeping front porch graces this turreted and gabled Queen Anne Victorian inn, one in a row of equally impressive homes. Benches built into the wood paneling flank the foyer sitting area, and the dining room, dressed in purple, is a Victorian fantasy. A piano figures prominently in the living room. None of the guest rooms are cramped, and those on the second floor are particularly large. Pastels are coupled with busy florals in some rooms, and in others deep greens and blues set off paisleys or plaids. Hardwood floors gleam throughout.