New Haven
Where To Stay

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New Haven proper is a small city just making its comeback from a long period of economic decline, but it is also home to Yale University, one of the world's great centers of learning. Thus, while there is not a great quantity of lodging options inside the city limits—virtually the entire list gets a capsule description here—there is at least one of each, from deluxe to inexpensive, chains and independents, with a scattering of inns and bed & breakfasts in between.

Also, New Haven is located at the junction of two major interstate highways: 95, which runs northeast and southwest along Long Island Sound, and 91, which originates here and heads north. Traffic can be infamously bad on I-95, but there are numerous hotels clustered around nearby exits on both highways. Also, many visitors to New Haven choose to stay in one of the small, upscale towns that lie to the east and west of New Haven along Long Island Sound.

Downtown and Yale

Five hotels in this area offer the full range of accommodations. The Omni is a first class, full service, four-star hotel within walking distance of Yale University, museums, restaurants and shopping. The elegant Galileo's restaurant, on the hotel's 19th Floor, offers a stunning view of the city and the Sound. Still first class but less extravagant, the Colony offers the same proximity to Yale and downtown's cultural and gastronomic fare, as does the New Haven Hotel, an outstanding independent. The Hotel Duncan in the heart of downtown is a New Haven landmark: it is reasonable and clean, but without the fitness center and Internet portals. Finally, there is the Holiday Inn at Yale, a favorite of visiting parents.

Wooster Street (Little Italy)

If you don't feel like staying in a hotel and want something more intimate or with a bit of character, try one of the bed and breakfast inns located in and around the Yale campus and downtown area. Three Chimneys Inn is an elegant 1870s mansion that offers a first class feel but within a more intimate setting. The Historic Mansion Inn is a little further away from the hub, but still within walking distance of Yale and downtown, around the corner from Wooster Street and its famous Italian restaurants, and across the street from Wooster Square.

City Point/Oyster Point

The Inn at Oyster Point is a few minutes drive from the green, but offers a more homey atmosphere in the historic harbor district. The nearby Swan Cove Bed & Breakfast Inn is located in a lovely 1890s Queen Anne house filled with antiques and charm.

Westville and Long Wharf

In Westville, just a few minutes drive from Yale, is the more-casual and moderately priced Regal Inn, on Whalley Avenue. The Quality Inn and Conference Center, with extensive meeting facilities, is on the west side of New Haven. The all-suites Residence Inn by Marriott is in the Long Wharf area, just off Interstate-95, as is the newly refurbished Fairfield Inn (formerly the Grand Chalet Inn and Suites). The Fairfield is adjacent to Long Wharf Theatre and New Haven harbor.

Shoreline East

There are numerous small, family-run hotels along the Shoreline, catering to families or just those seeking a break from the big city. In Madison, the Dolly Madison Inn provides its guests with traditional New England charm and even offers weekly rates for guests who want to take advantage of the sun and sand. A little further down I-95 in Westbrook is Water's Edge Resort & Spa, a complete gateway locale where you can indulge in some of the best restaurants, beaches and spa treatment in the area. Towards the Connecticut River, in the hamlet of Essex, is The Griswold Inn. It is the oldest continuously operated inn in the country where you can enjoy a pleasant night's stay, a fantastic meal and a scenic stroll through the colonial streets of Essex.