University: Where To Stay

[telenet!rootbeer!dmontuor@uunet.uu.net (Dave Montuori)]

Tadhg notes the sudden rise in hotel rates in Williamsburg. Unto the
denizens of the Merry Rose and the gambolers out in Cheapside does
Evan da Collaureo send greetings... and I hereby flagellate myself
for forgetting the First Rule of 'Burg Hotels: When the Canadians
leave the rates go up.

(Last week in March was designated "Canada Week" when I lived in town.)
The rates are real low from January to March. Then they start going up.
They tend to max out between May 1 and 15, and stay there till November 1.
Then they dip back to March rates for a month, then it's back to high
rates for the holiday season.

With that in mind, let me offer some possibilities based on personal and
family experience.

The Governor Spottswood Motel -- US 60 (Richmond Road) near Ironbound Road,
about 1.5 miles from campus. This is closer than some of the dorms. Single
rooms should start somewhere around $40. It's affiliated with Best Value
Inns, I think.

There are many indie or semi-indie motels on Richmond Road. Some are named
after historic people (Capt. John Smith, Sir Walter Raleigh, Pocahontas,
etc.) -- some are not (Carolynn Court, Commonwealth Inn). The rates tend
to be lower but the service and/or room quality may vary widely.

There are also similar places on Capitol Landing Road -- Route 5 east of
town. These are easy to get to because you follow the directions to
University, but take the first right AFTER the 132 light instead of 132.
Again you sort of get what you pay for, but a $100 room is NOT four times
better than a $25 room.

If anyone's interested I can provide a short list with phone numbers,
the W'burg phone book is around here somewhere....

Evan