OT: Where to stay in Ann Arbor while the team is away
So, I searched this topic and couldn’t find anything that related super well. I grew up in Flint and my folks have since moved to GR. My family and I live in Virginia, and we’re coming up for the big matchup with Nebraska…. in volleyball. My daughter is big into volleyball and loves watching UNL, though she likes Michigan as well. For her 16th bday we got us all tickets to watch them play in AA on 10/8.
Since my parents are 2 hours out of the way, we’d rather just stay in town after the game. I haven’t actually had to do that before since usually when I come for a game I’d just go up to Flint after, but that’s no longer an option.
We just need 1 double room for 1 Saturday night. Football is away at Indiana that day (unfortunately… would have loved to double dip). We don’t want to be spending Bell Tower prices, but also don’t want to spend my daughter’s birthday trip in a cheap motel either. I told mgowife asking the experts here was a much better idea than our typical research. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can offer.
September 5th, 2022 at 10:45 PM ^
Weber's Inn. Nice hotel and nice dining also vs. the TON of newish business type hotels - which aren't bad, but maybe not appropriate for a daughter's birthday trip.
Another option is called The Graduate, which used to be the Campus Inn, as this is right near campus (Huron & State St.) and very near Main St. Not sure about pricing though.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:06 AM ^
Seconding the Graduate for a nice Michigan-themed near campus and downtown.
September 5th, 2022 at 10:50 PM ^
I am the father of two students at Michigan. We’ll travel to southeastern Michigan for football games - and - other activities - throughout the year.
On “non football” weekends - we stay as close to campus as we think is reasonable - with a blend of cost and location. There are hotels “very close” or “on”campus - like the Bell Tower. We usually stay at / near Briarwood - and my preferred hotel there is the Sheraton. From there- we have access to most everything we need - and, it’s easy to pick up things for the kids too.
There are other hotels in the immediate area - a Marriott Courtyard, perhaps a Hilton Garden Inn.
There is a Marriott in Ypsilanti - I think It’s called Eagle Crest - with a golf course. But, it’s about ten more minutes away (each direction) and though we have stayed there, we think the Sheraton is worth it.
Enjoy! Go Blue!
P.S. I’m an alum who grew up around 90 minutes from Ann Arbor - and, though I could have stayed in the house I grew up in - we prefer to stay closer to Ann Arbor to maximize the time we spend with our children - and to do things / dine / sports / arts - in and around the University.
September 6th, 2022 at 12:20 AM ^
I second the choice of the hotel cluster around Briarwood. Very convenient for the sports venues and central campus. North campus, obviously not.
Sheraton = 👍
September 6th, 2022 at 3:58 AM ^
I love the "(each direction)" qualification 🤣 🤣
September 6th, 2022 at 9:00 AM ^
Jon, I appreciate the perspective - and, my only thought is - “it adds up”. When you make several trips between the hotel and campus during a day or weekend -it could add an hour or more to the “driving around” time.
I’m an early riser - and when at home, always make lattes for my wife and me in the morning. We prefer latte drinks (over drip,coffee) and, aren’t fans of Starbucks. So, I go out and get two cups whenever we travel.
When visiting A2, Black Diesel is where I go “earlier” - they open at 6:30 am. While Roos Roast opens at 8:00. If we’re staying near Briarwood - it’s a three minute drive to Roos.
With the kids at Michigan we have found ourselves spending more time in A2 - and, are enjoying it a lot.
September 6th, 2022 at 10:13 AM ^
Hilton Garden Inn Briarwood is reasonable and very clean/quiet.
September 5th, 2022 at 11:04 PM ^
My best experiences have been webers or some of those vrbo type rentals. Had a great stay in someone's carriage house one weekend.
September 5th, 2022 at 11:58 PM ^
My parents stayed at the Inn at the Michigan League while I attended freshman orientation and the room was inexpensive and satisfactory. Granted, milk was still being delivered by horse at that time but it might be worth a shot. Can’t beat the location.
September 6th, 2022 at 12:01 AM ^
bring a tent and let er rip big buddy
September 6th, 2022 at 5:36 AM ^
haha! we’ve 100% camped out on trips before. probably not super wise during a michigan fall though.
September 6th, 2022 at 12:44 AM ^
Airbnb in any of the lovely towns within 15-20 miles of Ann Arbor. Driving in and parking is very easy, and there are probably hundreds of options better than the I94 hotels.
September 6th, 2022 at 9:45 AM ^
I don't understand the appeal of Airbnbs in the suburbs. Unless my group is 8+ people or we're trying to stay on the water somewhere I'd much rather be in a hotel.
I'd rather be the one that can cancel the place I'm staying at, not the other way around.
September 6th, 2022 at 1:03 AM ^
You can't beat weber's Inn. Awesome rooms, nice pool, awesome backdoor deck hidden behind the pool.. and the food is top notch.
jdon
September 6th, 2022 at 6:27 AM ^
Residence Inn is right in downtown Ann Arbor (park once and walk everywhere!) and just a couple of years old.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:00 AM ^
Can't beat Residence Inn for the location. Weber's is cool in that it is not a chain and is a unique hotel. Those would be my two choices, but if you want to park and walk then Residence Inn is the choice.
September 6th, 2022 at 6:59 AM ^
Mr. Elbel: It's thirty miles upstream (which may be an unreasonable distance), but here's a relatively thrifty option in Jackson: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/lanjaru-tru-jackson/
Others have mentioned the airbnb option, which I think is a good one.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:03 AM ^
I have an air bnb in Ypsilanti for the game this weekend. The ones in AA were either booked or too expensive. I have stayed in a lot of Air bnb and rarely have any issues. Prices are much much better when the team is on the road (obviously).
September 6th, 2022 at 7:32 AM ^
Don't forget to check TripAdvisor for reasonable reviews. When you make a reservation, I have found it best to call directly for promotions though they aren't usually available in Ann Arbor during the school year.
Favorites for my wife and I have been Weber's, The Graduate (Campus Inn), Bell Tower (for proximity to campus), the Hampton Inn (Jackson Road), the downtown Marriott Residence Inn. Truly, there are quite a few pretty good places to stay so it's more a matter of cost, availability, and location. Most hotels in the immediate downtown area don't have on-site parking so require paid parking (in addition to hotel charges) in nearby structures. That's an advantage of off-campus hotels that have their own "free" parking lots.
Of course, if a volleyball match occurs on a football weekend, everything changes. Most hotels are booked months in advance and costs skyrocket. So, at those times it is best to check hotels a distance away, such as Brighton, DTW airport, etc., and just be happy you found a place to stay on the same weekend!
September 6th, 2022 at 8:47 AM ^
Stayed at Residence Inn this summer on a Saturday. Garage is right next door and free when you leave on Sunday.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:44 AM ^
I am going to also recommend Weber's Inn - the pricing generally isn't bad, and while it is not right in the heart of it all, as it were, it is close enough that you won't have too much trouble getting to anything. If you want to be in the downtown area, then probably the Residence Inn on West Huron - you can park there and drive to campus events, but for dining and entertainment, you could walk to more or less everything.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:47 AM ^
I think your typical hotel search will serve you just fine.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:59 AM ^
Mr Elbel - or, may I call you Louis,
Three quick thoughts - one, if your daughter is considering Michigan for college - contact Admissions and see if you can arrange for her to to tour / visit during that weekend. And, if Engineering is a possible field of study - make sure you contact the College of Engineering - since they do their own tours on North Campus.
Second, if you like breakfast - try Avalon.
Third, if you’re a coffee drinker - and like “better” coffees - check out a) Roos Roast, and/or b) Black Diesel. (Black Diesel usually opens a bit earlier than; Roos. Both offer very good coffee, lattes, tea, etc.)
September 6th, 2022 at 8:19 AM ^
The Residence Inn off of Main Street is a great option. I think its only a few years old. We stayed there a few years back when we came into town for a wedding and it worked really well. Still walkable to most everything in town.
Graduate is great too, but I've never actually stayed there so I can't speak to the cost. But its really nice inside so my money is on the cost to the Bell Tower being comparable.
Honestly I'd check out some AirBnBs. We did that for my brother's graduation a few years back, stayed right off of Main St and it was a great experience.
September 6th, 2022 at 8:52 AM ^
If you're an alumni club member, there are also some discounts. The Graduate has 10% off for example.
September 6th, 2022 at 9:01 AM ^
weber's is always excellent, not just for rooms but for the sunday brunch. make sure you have time to take a nap and / or walk afterward, though, 'cause it's all quite tasty and you'll need to jump-start your innards.
stayed in the graduate in berkeley last year and it was absolutely superb, looking forward to trying the ann arbor version - the campus inn has been very good for decades, presumably the new flag has kept it up and put their own spin on it.
September 6th, 2022 at 9:08 AM ^
Concur on your Bell Tower assessment. You are 100% paying for location and nothing else. That place has aged poorly. We stayed there this past weekend for the Colorado State game. The "included" breakfast was terrible. The rooms were incredibly uncomfortable and dated. Carpets had ripples. Giant step up to get into the bathroom where the door was weirdly on the floor. Hard to explain, but weird nonetheless. We stayed in a suite, with the kids, and we were all on top of each other. More things to complain about, but ... yes, don't bother. It is on campus, but not really in a busy area where you can spill out into the students and buzz of stuff going on etc..
The staff was very pleasant and friendly and helpful. But I don't think that made up for even half the prices they charge.
I don't know the names of the places, but I do remember that if you go down Washtenaw, just past the frats/sororities, there were some really nice bed n breakfasts there. They wont be cheap, but I imagine they'll be nice enough and an easy walk to South U. Looked one up called Stone Chalet, but there are more I think in the general area.
September 6th, 2022 at 10:42 AM ^
Nothing to offer on the housing front, but women's volleyball is an absolute blast to watch. It's a great sport. I wish I would've watched more games when I attended UM.
September 11th, 2022 at 7:16 PM ^
My daughter’s been playing since 5th grade, and is now in 10th. Just made the national travel team this weekend for a large club in VA. She doesn’t have the height to play D-1, but might be able to pull off D-2. We’ll see. Knowing nothing coming into her playing, I’ve found it to be just as exciting as the many other sports I watch, if not more so. Right up there with football for me.
September 6th, 2022 at 12:42 PM ^
Inn at the Michigan League is always my first choice. You are literally right next to the actual Bell Tower itself and directly across from the Diag. One block walk to Ashley's and MDen. Free parking. Half the cost of the Residence Inn.
September 6th, 2022 at 12:56 PM ^
My sample size is exactly one, but it's recent. I stayed at the Ann Arbor Bed & Breakfast this past weekend and definitely recommend it.
September 6th, 2022 at 1:22 PM ^
Back 14 years ago The Campus Inn now called Graduate? Always the closest to the A2 Art Fair.
No need to drive around the area.