Schenectady, New York Kid-Friendly Hotels

Planning a family trip to Schenectady and in need of a kid-friendly hotel? Schenectady, New York, just 8 miles from Albany, is a small city that has seen hard times, but has recently begun to come back to life. Schenectady offers a variety of activities for families such as a night of drama at the Proctor Theater in downtown Schenectady, a day of fishing at nearby Rensselaer Lake, or a weekend of shopping at one of the many malls in the Schenectady-Albany area. Schenectady is also a haven for sports fans. The Super Bowl Champion New York Giants training camp is held at the University at Albany(SUNY) campus just a few minutes from downtown Schenectady and both Union College, in Schenectady, and the University at Albany(SUNY) offer a variety of sporting events to attend.

Unfortunately, Schenectady's renaissance has not yet extended to kid-friendly hotels. The hotel choices immediately in Schenectady are limited and most are not particularly kid-friendly. Here are a few choices in and near Schenectady that offer a safe, fun night for all of the members of your family as you visit the Schenectady area.

1) Hampton Inn Schenectady: This hotel, located in downtown Schenectady, is typical of the Hampton Inn line of hotels and includes a hot breakfast in the lobby and a refrigerator and microwave in the room. It offers an indoor pool that is 4'6" at its deepest providing a large play area for kids. The kid-friendly hotel also has a policy of washing all linens (including blankets and comforters) after each guest. For the older kids each room offers a 32" flat panel HD tv and free access to high-speed internet.

2) Holiday Inn Express Western Ave. SUNY Area: This superb hotel is only 5 miles from the heart of Schenectady. It has an indoor pool and small fitness room, 32" flat-panel tv in each room, a complimentary continental breakfast, and a 24 hour lobby store where hotel guests can buy microwave dinners, ice cream, snack foods, and beverages. This kid-friendly hotel is located just off of Interstates 90 and 87 making travel to Schenectady or Albany easy to navigate and is near a variety of familiar, kid-friendly restaurants such as Boston Market and TGI Friday's.

3) Hilton Garden Inn Albany Airport: As its name suggests, this kid-friendly hotel is located near the Albany Airport just outside Schenectady, but adequate soundproofing and little airplane traffic at night means your sleep and your children's sleep won't be disturbed. The hotel is also only a few miles from the downtown Schenectady. This kid-friendly hotel provides a lobby convenience store, a children's menu for room service, and an indoor pool. Older kids can enjoy the fitness room, hot tub, wireless internet, and a 32" flat-panel tv. Each hotel room has a refrigerator and microwave, but the hotel does not provide any breakfast. Be sure to check out the hotel's website for special kid-friendly deals such as a "Family Fun Pack" that includes an in-room movie, popcorn and breakfast for four.

4) Homewood Suites by Hilton Albany: Located right off Interstate 87, this kid-friendly hotel is minutes from downtown Schenectady or Albany. This hotel's 1 and 2 bedroom suites have separate living and sleeping areas allowing small children to be put to bed while older children and adults can stay up. Be aware, however, that the studio suites do not have separate areas and have only a shower and a no bathtub. The hotel has an indoor pool, hot tub, and fitness room. Each hotel suite has a small kitchen including a microwave, and a full-size refrigerator, a 2-burner stove and a dishwasher. Older children will appreciate the wireless internet and two 24" flat-panel tv's found in each room, the two 50" plasma tv's in the lobby and the outdoor basketball court (with basketballs available to be signed out at the front desk). Complimentary microwave popcorn is provided in each room and a complimentary breakfast is provided every morning. Additionally, on Monday-Thursday evenings a reception in the lobby presents a light meal that can serve as dinner for most family members. One final kid-friendly touch this hotel offers is an outdoor picnic area that includes several barbecue grills.

5) Hampton Inn & Suites Albany Airport: Also located only a few miles from downtown Schenectady, this kid-friendly hotel has an indoor pool, in-room microwave and refrigerator, and complimentary hot breakfast. The hotel offers a variety of kid-friendly packages throughout the year. Recent examples include a Halloween package that includes pumpkin carving, a fall apple picking package coordinated with an orchard near Schenectady, and a back-to-school package that includes a pizza and soda.