The Williams Inn

Wish I had read some of the other reviews, before making our family’s reservation. We
have been staying at this hotel since we first moved to Massachussets in 1983. We have
had such wonderful memories of the Inn and Williamstown, which have now been perm–
anently scarred by a SCATHING phone encounter with a hotel employee who informed us
that there was a 7 day cancellation policy… again, the fine print… BEWARE!!! I put down
the phone and felt absolutely devastated by the verbal tongue lashing… BE VERY CAREFUL.
READ THE FINE PRINT… Have heard that there is new management… The old warmth, and
charm is a thing of the past… makes me really sad…

BEWARE OF EGREGIOUS CANCELLATION POLICY! We booked through
and didn’t read the fine print on the hotel’s cancellation policy — 7 days or you get charged! I have never stayed at a hotel with such a terrible policy. Unless you are walking in the door and know you have to stay there, or are willing to write off $ 250 as insurance that you’ll have a place to stay, I would not recommend staying at this place.

Two years later, time has not been kind to the Williams Inn. See my pics for details. Don’t think I’ll be patronizing this hotel again. Pretty sad for the $$. Would be 1 star if the staff had not been so accommodating.

Our off-​season stay in late March was comfortable, charming, and very reasonably priced (we caught them on a $ 99/​night room special). From what I’ve read on here, it seems the summer experience might be different, and understandably so. Nonetheless, I would highly recommend this place for a winter/​springtime jaunt to the mountains. The heated pool and jacuzzi were exactly what we needed after a brutal New York winter. Some of the other hotels and B&Bs in the area were a little more secluded and small, which might be nice when it’s warm outside and easy to see, but with fog and snow coming down, we were really thankful that this place had such a large and accessible presence. Mass MoCA was a straight shot down the street, and we were, it seemed, right on Williams campus. The continental breakfast was nothing too special, but nothing too bland either – especially considering it was free. Carved ham, cheese, yogurt, muesli, chocolate croissants, coffee, etc. The rooms were cozy but cute – what you would expect and want from a hotel in the Berkshires. Colonial-​style wallpaper, modest furniture. The King room had a good amount more free space than the Double room, which makes sense. Didn’t try the restaurant or bar, and didn’t really need to, with other options in the area. Overall, a lovely a stay!

Stayed here in August for a conference. Great location, so-​so hotel. My room was located a long distance from the elevator. Room had an ancient, noisy AC system. Little extra space to get comfortable. Ordered room service and it was fair. Coffee available downstairs in morning. Not impressed… would stay elsewhere next time.

We recently stayed at the Williams Inn with our five year old for a wedding. The front desk staff was wonderful. When we were leaving we realized we had forgotten our son’s pillow in the room.
Although housekeeping had already cleared our room, the staff took my husband into the back area and searched through bins of bedding until our pillow was found. The case had been pulled off and in put in the laundry. They washed the pillowcase and mailed it to us in Maryland!
Now that’s what I call hospitality. Thank you Williams Inn!

We stayed at The Williams Inn for Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival 2013.
The hotel room was PRICEY: $ 250 a night (this includes taxes/​fees). For this we got a cramped, outdated room with 2 double beds. Most hotels have a 2 queen option. If it were only one thing – too small a room, too small of beds (there were 4 of us, 2 parents, 2 kids), outdated, I might understand the rates in high season, but considering that the price is this high, they need to do something to change.
We did eat breakfast at the restaurant both mornings of our stay and 3 of us really liked it, one not so much. For that I would give 4 stars, but how about throwing in a discount for people staying in the hotel? Maybe fewer grumpy workers kicking us out of the (empty) restaurant area late in the day when we needed space to work on our computers (no room in the room!).
I understand an independent hotel has it hard these days, but throw me a bone. Complementary coffee in the lobby? Nicer waitstaff? Lower price for a ground floor room that is right on the driveway? PLEASE people – I will not stay here again nor will I recommend it to anyone. For $ 500, we can all do better. As usual, I suspect they don’t know about Unilocal… SAD.

**note: this review is for the restaurant only. i did not stay at the inn and can’t comment on the quality of their overnight accommodations…**
…but oh my god, DO NOT waste your time and money eating here. the food was nothing to write home about – it was pretty bland and run-​of-​the mill – but the service was HORRENDOUS (and as a service industry veteran, I know bad service when I see it).
While there with my family for brunch in a nearly-​empty dining room, I overheard the hostess engage in verbal altercations with two different staff members, which involved raised voices and some mumbled threats. VERY uncomfortable for us as we were sitting there, trying not to listen. Our food took about 45 minutes to come out – again, nearly empty dining room – and our waitress, although sweet as she could be, could not remember to bring the condiments we asked for THREE separate times. We asked multiple staff members for coffee refills when our waitress was MIA for long periods of time (including the hostess a few feet away, who was too busy texting to acknowledge us), and our requests were blatantly ignored.
I don’t know what’s going on in this restaurant, but the staff seems very disgruntled, and make it a very uncomfortable place to be.

This is a hotel in need of a makeover.
We were going to the Berkshires for one night to take in some theatre, some horseback riding and some art and we decided to check in here rather than a smaller place because it has an indoor pool and it was maybe going to rain.
Ugh…I wish I had brought my camera. The pool was really, really sad. It’s missing most of its paint. There are puddles everywhere. The hot tub looks like it’s from 1972. There is sticky plastic furniture plopped around the chloriney basement room. Not fun. And you know kids will swim really anywhere, especially at night in a hotel and mine were onto the icky factor. So, Williams Inn, please get busy with that renovation.
The rooms were also kind of awful. The good news is that they weren’t moldy like a lot of the motels in the Berkshires. But that’s about it. The bathroom floor looked dirty. It probably wasn’t, but it wasn’t the kind of place you’d walk around barefoot. Kind of stained and tired.
The room also had one of those old under the window heat/​AC units… that you life the grate to do the settings… you know what I mean. So it was loud and the room was kind of humid and either too hot or too cold.
I love the idea of an old Inn. Maybe they can get Williams College to pitch in for a world class renovation. I like the idea of a martini in an oak paneled bar.
Please let me know when that happens.

I booked this room through BringFido. Three days prior to my visit I called to cancel because my pup was in the hospital and I might not make it. They said they would try to sell it and refund me if I couldn’t make it. It happened to be a family reunion and my family checked for vacancy and they said they were sold out. When my family left they changed the sign from non-​vacancy to vacancy. At 9pm it said no vacancy. When I called an hour ago and they said they had another renter that might be in any time soon. I said great, but they wouldn’t make good on the refund. Rent only if have too!!! At this point, I’m out $ 200. Don’t trust these people at all…

We live in Williamstown, and always arrange for extra guests to stay at the Williams Inn. As others have mentioned, the Sunday Brunch is spectacular (as well as on special days like Thanksgiving and Easter — reservations a must then). We enjoy the tavern with its draft beers, excellent angus burgers, generous cobb salad, and nacho platters. In fall and winter, it’s often dining by a wood fire.

It has a nice setting along the main street running through Williams, but the dining was rather disappointing. The room and bar area were nicely decorated and had a decent atmosphere for being completely empty, but the food left much to be desired. I stopped in for a lunch and had some overly thin clam chowder and a slightly burned burger.

Stopped for a midday lunch. Bus tour in, lobby full, empty dining room, empty bar. This is a classic hotel/​motel/​inn. However, kind of uninviting… person at front desk cleaning her nails and in that regard kind of busy. Not a person nor staff member apparent in the dining room. Went to the bar, terribly nice (and only) staff person attempting to satisfy two ladies from the bus tour. 15 minutes later ordered a gin and tonic (seemingly an easy order) and it came out as gin and soda… Thirsty, so okay and in the tiniest glass I’ve seen in America with ice the likes of which is customary in Europe… as in three baby cubes. Lunch good, price good, not what I’d expected… facility really good, but without customers hard to make it good.

a former waiter and bar tender there in college, i miss this place. rooms suck and are dank. restaurant is decent but pricey for you get. now the tavern with various musicians on Saturday nights, well worth a visit. i highly recommend ordering the lobster louie salad, one my all time favs

I had brunch here, and it was absolutely amazing! Very fancy! list of foods here —

We attended a luncheon after a funeral service the food was buffet style & was well presented & a good selection of salads cheeses & finer food
Waitress service was excellent & the décor is what you expect from an older country inn not luxurious but comfortable

Phenomenal Sunday brunches. Truly. It set a standard for buffet-​style, high-​quality dining that has rarely been equaled. A crisp, New England day, maple leaves turning, wind blowing, students walking the streets, and the elegant setting of the WIlliams Inn is pretty unbeatable. Top it off with a visit to the Clark Art Museum and hike to Pine Cobble, and you’ve pretty much captured my ideal of a Williamstown weekend.

I stayed here two nights on different weekends and the ambience is certainly not as polished or institutional as a chain hotel, but it certainly makes up for it in old-​world charm and its rustic nature. The rooms are relatively large and comfortable but the walls and doors seemed a little thin since it’s not a relatively new building. Everything seemed clean and well-​appointed although the television remote didn’t seem to be working too well on one occasion. However, you won’t find better accomodations that near to Williams College other than bunking down with one of your professors so it’s the best available in the neighborhood.