Keene Hotels: Where to Stay in New Hampshire

Looking for hotels in Keene, New Hampshire? This guide lists the places where you can stay today, based on a fresh check of brand pages, tourism listings, and booking directories. Keene is a small college city in the southwest corner of the state. The lodging list is short. Six hotels and two small inns passed our check. We dropped older listings we could not verify, and we explain why below. We state no rates, because rates change daily. Where we found only one source, we say so and ask you to confirm by phone.

Compare Keene, New Hampshire hotels on Expedia

Where to Stay in Keene, New Hampshire

Best Western Plus Keene Hotel

The Best Western Plus Keene Hotel sits at 401 Winchester Street. The Keene hotel carried the name Best Western Plus Sovereign Hotel for years, and the state tourism site VisitNH still lists the older name at the same address. Booking sites now use the Keene Hotel name. Ask the desk which name appears on your confirmation.

Two independent sources describe the same amenities. Guests get a heated indoor pool, a fitness center open around the clock, and a free hot breakfast buffet. The property also has a restaurant, a lounge, a business center, and function space for groups. Parking and Wi-Fi are free. The building is smoke free and has a fireplace in the lobby.

Pets are allowed in a limited set of rooms, with a fee. Ask about pet rooms before you book because few rooms qualify. One directory lists check-in at 2 PM and check-out at 11 AM. The hotel’s own site was not reachable during our check, so confirm those times by phone. This is a strong pick among the hotels in Keene for families who want a pool and a full breakfast.

Courtyard by Marriott Keene Downtown

The Courtyard by Marriott Keene Downtown is at 75 Railroad Street. The Keene hotel is the main downtown option for travelers who want a Marriott stay close to Main Street. The phone number on the Marriott page is 603-354-7900.

Marriott lists a fitness center, a bar, and a Lobby Bistro with Starbucks coffee. Guests also get a business center, more than 2,000 square feet of meeting space, a gift shop, and on-site laundry. Parking is free. The front desk stays open all day and night. Pets are welcome, and fees apply. Check-in is at 4 PM and check-out is at noon.

One important detail. The Marriott page says the indoor pool is closed for renovations. Another directory still lists a heated indoor pool. Call the hotel before you book if a pool matters to your group. Local coverage of Keene lodging calls the hotel one of the newest and largest in town, and says the building has a LEED certification for energy efficiency.

Keene Elm City Hotel, an Ascend Collection Hotel

The Keene Elm City Hotel is at 175 Key Road. The Choice Hotels page marks the property as new to Choice and part of the Ascend Collection. Older directories list a Holiday Inn Express at the same address, and a booking site web address still carries the old name. The hotel appears to have changed brands. Ask the desk to confirm the current name and what changed.

Choice Hotels lists check-in at 3 PM and check-out at 11 AM. Breakfast is free, and the page gives hours from 6 AM to 9 AM. Guests also get free Wi-Fi, free parking, an indoor heated pool open from 6 AM to 10 PM, and a fitness center. Rooms have a mini fridge, a microwave, and a coffee maker. Choice Hotels says children aged 18 and under stay free. Choice Hotels phone number for the hotel is 603-352-7616.

Pets are allowed, with a limit of two per room. One booking site lists a weight limit of 70 pounds each. Expedia gives walking times from this hotel. Historic Main Street is a 20 minute walk, and Keene State College is an 18 minute walk. The Colonial Theatre is a 3 minute drive. Most guests will want a car or a ride for evenings downtown.

Hampton Inn and Suites Keene

The Hampton Inn and Suites Keene is at 126 Key Road, on the same road as the Elm City Hotel. A booking directory lists 100 rooms. A hotel guide and the booking directory agree on the main features. Guests get an indoor pool, a fitness center, a free hot breakfast, free Wi-Fi, and free parking. Rooms include a microwave and a mini fridge.

The two sources disagree on pets. One guide says the hotel does not allow pets. The booking directory says pets are allowed with a fee. Call before you bring an animal. One guide lists check-in at 3 PM and check-out at 11 AM. We could not confirm those times on a Hilton page, so check them when you book.

Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Keene Downtown

The Fairfield Inn and Suites is at 30 Main Street, in the old Lane Hotel building. A hotel trade report says the century-old building reopened as a Fairfield on March 24, 2015. Colwen Hotels of Portsmouth owns and runs the property. The hotel has about 40 rooms, and some have vaulted ceilings. This is the smallest of the chain hotels in Keene and the closest to the shops and galleries on Main Street.

The trade report lists a free hot breakfast, free Wi-Fi, an exercise room, a meeting room, and a lobby bar. A hotel guide says the property has no pool and no pets. Check-in is at 3 PM and check-out is at noon according to the guide. The phone number in the 2015 report is 603-357-7070. Confirm the number and the hours before you rely on them.

Days Inn by Wyndham Keene

The Days Inn by Wyndham Keene is at 3 Ashbrook Road. Wyndham lists a phone number of 603-727-4785. The Wyndham page lists free parking, free Wi-Fi, a light breakfast, a fitness center, and a microwave and a fridge in each room. A hotel guide adds the hotel has no pool and no elevator.

Wyndham calls the hotel dog friendly but gives no fee or size limit. Call to confirm the pet rules. A hotel guide lists check-in at 2 PM and check-out at 11 AM. Wyndham did not show times on the page we read. This is the plain motel style option among the hotels in Keene, and a fair fit for road trippers who want parking at the door.

Bed and Breakfasts and Inns in Keene

Keene also has two small inns. Both are listed on New England travel coverage of Keene lodging, and each has a second source as well. Small inns have few rooms, so book early and call to confirm the rooms you want are open.

The Elm City Carriage Barn Bed and Breakfast is at 358 Main Street. VisitNH lists four units with private baths, breakfast, free internet, free parking, and nearly an acre of grounds. A regional guide describes antiques-filled rooms, gardens, and a breakfast room with a garden view. The guide places the inn across the street from Keene State College. The VisitNH page did not list a phone number or check-in times, so ask when you book.

The Colony House is a bed and breakfast in a house at 104 West Street. Wikipedia says the Federal-style house went up in 1819 and joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The family of Horatio Colony, the first mayor of Keene, owned the house until 1966. New England coverage says the inn has four guest rooms, a shared living room and den, and a continental breakfast. Confirm room details with the inn, since we found only these two sources.

Old Listings We Dropped and Why

The old version of this guide named a few places. We could not verify some of them, so we removed them.

The Cheshire Inn did not appear in any lodging directory we checked for Keene. We found no sign of a hotel by this name taking guests today. The Keene Mountain Lodge also did not show up in a state tourism listing or a booking directory. We dropped both. If you find a booking page for either one, call the number on the page and ask whether the property is open.

We also dropped the Holiday Inn Express name. The address on Key Road now lists the Keene Elm City Hotel. The Best Western Sovereign name is also out of date. The hotel now uses the Best Western Plus Keene Hotel name. Name changes confuse search results, so match the street address, not just the brand, when you book.

How to Choose Where to Stay in Keene

Start with what you plan to do. For a walkable weekend downtown, look at the Fairfield Inn on Main Street or the Courtyard on Railroad Street. For a pool and a big breakfast, look at the Best Western Plus on Winchester Street, the Elm City Hotel, or the Hampton Inn on Key Road. For a quiet stay with a host, look at the two inns.

Check the pool before you pay. The Courtyard pool shows as closed on the Marriott page. Check pet rules too, since the sources disagree on several hotels. Ask about parking if you drive a large vehicle. The Days Inn page lists free parking with spaces for large vehicles.

Book early for fall. The Mount Monadnock parking lot fills on busy weekends in foliage season, and hotel rooms in the region fill as well. Call the front desk for the dates you want rather than trusting a cached listing.

Motels and Budget Stays in Keene

People who search for motels in Keene mostly want a simple room with parking. The Days Inn is the closest match among the properties we verified. The hotel has free parking, a light breakfast, and a microwave and fridge in each room. We do not list rates here because rates change daily. Use the Expedia link near the top of this page to compare current rates for your dates.

Free breakfast adds value at every hotel above except the inns, where breakfast is part of the stay. A hot breakfast at the Best Western Plus, the Elm City Hotel, the Hampton Inn, and the Fairfield Inn saves a stop on the way to the trail.

Things to Do Near Hotels in Keene

Keene has a compact downtown and good outdoor options. Expedia’s Keene guide lists most of the sights below. We checked the mountain details against a state parks directory.

Main Street and Central Square anchor the town. The square has a white church at the end of Main Street, a Civil War monument, and a fountain. The Colonial Theatre has shown films and live events since 1924. The Horatio Colony House Museum and the Wyman Tavern, which first opened in 1762, show the town’s older history. Keene State College has a campus green open to walkers.

For a hike, the Horatio Colony Nature Preserve has woods, wetlands, and trails. Wheelock Park and Robin Hood Park are also in town. Families can visit the Cheshire Children’s Museum.

Mount Monadnock State Park is in Jaffrey, about 20 miles northwest of Keene according to a state parks directory. The summit stands at 3,165 feet. The same directory says about 125,000 people climb the mountain each year, which makes the peak the most climbed mountain in North America. The White Dot Trail is the popular route, and the directory puts the round trip at about 3.8 miles. The trails are rocky, so wear sturdy shoes. Pets are not allowed in the park. The directory advises arriving before 9 AM on busy days.

Getting to Keene

Keene sits in Cheshire County in the southwest corner of New Hampshire. Expedia lists the drive from the Keene Elm City Hotel to Brattleboro Station at about 30 minutes, and to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport at about 86 minutes. Plan on a car. The hotels sit in different parts of town, and most guests drive between downtown and the Key Road area.

What We Checked and What We Could Not

We checked each property in at least two independent sources, such as a brand page, a state tourism listing, a trade report, or a booking directory. Several hotel sites blocked our fetch, so some details come from directories and not from the hotel.

We did not state any rates. We did not confirm check-in times for the Best Western Plus, the Hampton Inn, or the Fairfield Inn from an official page. Phone numbers for the Courtyard, the Elm City Hotel, and the Days Inn came from the brand pages. The Fairfield number comes from a 2015 report. The Elm City Hotel brand change comes from address matching and not from an announcement. The Courtyard pool status comes from one Marriott page. Please call the hotel before you book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The best hotels in Keene, New Hampshire, depend on your plans. Pick the Fairfield Inn or the Courtyard for downtown. Pick the Best Western Plus, the Elm City Hotel, or the Hampton Inn for a pool and breakfast. Pick the Days Inn for a simple room. Call ahead to confirm the details we flagged, and use the Expedia link above to compare dates.