The Best Hotels to Book Near Albany-Rensselaer Station, New York

Rooms with garden and park views, working fireplaces and oak-paneled beds keep things homely and heavenly at this handsome old brownstone in the Washington Park Historic District. Plan your day in the flower-lined courtyard garden after a plate of muffins, pastries and fresh fruit. Staying longer? Studios next door have kitchenettes, so you can fix your own breakfast before catching the train to your next destination.

Drink your morning coffee under wooden beams and shiny chandeliers at this family-run hotel in Latham, upstate New York. Perfect for families checking out the numerous nearby colleges, its modern rooms impress with decorative headboards and sleek desks with Anglepoise lamps. Upgrade for lounge areas or kitchenettes; book one- and two-bed apartments for longer stays. Splash around in the seasonal outdoor pool or smash it on the tennis courts before hitting the road again.

If your idea of a hotel is full-on glamor, swoon over this neoclassical beauty that’s one Amtrak stop north in Saratoga. Lined with jewel-colored velvet chaise longues, grand marble fireplaces and gilt-framed mirrors and art, luxury abounds. Choose a Premier Double for inky-blue headboards and period-style lamps, or a Premier Suite for a sitting room with a marigold velvet sofa-bed and chocolate leather armchairs. Either way, you’re just an eight-minute walk from the Beekman Street Arts District, with its galleries, shops and hip restaurants.

This unassuming bed-and-breakfast at a gothic-style mansion in Troy lets guests entertain themselves with a piano in the parlor and impromptu poker nights. Floral bed covers and trad furniture set off the single, twin and double rooms, alongside plum- and blue-painted bathrooms. Fill up on generous cooked breakfasts – and banana bread for snacking – before walking the mile or so to the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, reliably busy with bakers, chefs and artisans.

This popular Scotia wedding venue, on the banks of the Mohawk River, has plenty of romantic spots for tying the knot – from the bright ballroom to the open patio and riverfront gazebo. The wedding-cake-white façade covers rooms and suites that ooze luxury, with glittering chandeliers, statement headboards and a smart grey-and-black palette. You’re a ten-minute walk from the Schenectady County Historical Society Museum, charting the region’s history from the earliest European settlers.

Nestled in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, this historic hotel is an easy pick for adventurous hikers and cyclists. The Kenyetto bridal suite offers a sitting room, half tester bed and a tiled bathroom with jet tub. Following a breakfast feast of french toast, pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage, pedal down to Great Sacandaga Lake, the largest of the 44 lakes in Fulton County, where sandy beaches and watersports will keep you occupied.

Is this for animal lovers or fans of quirky accommodation? We’re still not sure. Once the Catskill Game Farm, opened in 1933 as the first privately owned zoo in America, the converted rooms here now offer characterful, animal-themed spaces to sleep. You can cook your favorite feasts in the eccentric communal kitchen and take a stroll around the 200-acre (81ha) grounds before kicking back in the outdoor hot tub. Unsurprisingly, pets are welcome.

Built by the architect behind the fancy Capitol Building in Albany, this 19th-century red-brick castle in Amsterdam, NY, is home to stuffed animals, suits of armor and various flags. That’s not so surprising, but what is are the sedate, cream-colored rooms without a hint of history or eccentricity. Family suites contain a generous three rooms, and if you’re bringing your brood, you’re in luck. This former armory is an 11-minute walk from Riverlink Park, a family-friendly green space that’s home to a marina, restaurant and playground area.