For most visitors, the answer to where to stay in Buffalo NY is downtown or just north of it, in Allentown and along Delaware Avenue. That puts you within walking distance of City Hall, the Theater District, Canalside and KeyBank Center, and on the Metro Rail for the rest of Main Street. Choose the Elmwood Village if museums, restaurants and a neighborhood feel matter more than nightlife, the airport or Amherst if you’re driving everywhere and want free parking, and Orchard Park only if the trip is built around a Bills game.
This guide compares the areas by what you’re coming for: a first visit, a game, the museums, Niagara Falls, a family trip or a tight budget. It doesn’t quote nightly rates, because Buffalo’s prices swing hard with Bills home weekends, conventions and the seasons; instead it explains what drives them. The hotels named here are long-running or landmark properties confirmed as operating, and taxes and travel details were checked September 23, 2026 against official sources. Check each hotel’s own site for current rates, parking fees and amenities.
Where to Stay in Buffalo at a Glance
Here’s how the main areas compare. Drive times are typical outside rush hour and game days.
| Area | Best for | To Canalside | To the AKG | Car needed? | Price tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown and Canalside | First-timers, Sabres games, no car | Walk | 10 min drive | No | Mid to high |
| Allentown and Delaware Avenue | Historic hotels, nightlife, couples | 5 min drive or Metro Rail | 5–10 min drive | No | Mid to high |
| Elmwood Village and museum district | Museums, restaurants, a slower trip | 10–15 min drive | Walk | Helpful | Mid to high; few rooms |
| Airport and Cheektowaga | Early flights, road trips, budgets | 20 min drive | 20 min drive | Yes | Low to mid |
| Amherst and Williamsville | Families, Niagara Falls trips, free parking | 20–25 min drive | 15–20 min drive | Yes | Low to mid |
| Orchard Park and the Southtowns | Bills games | 20–25 min drive | 25–30 min drive | Yes | Low to mid, except game weekends |
The Best Area to Stay in Buffalo for Each Kind of Trip
Buffalo is compact, but its hotels are spread out, and the wrong base can add an hour of driving a day. Match the area to the reason you’re coming.
| If you’re coming for | Stay in | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A first visit | Downtown or Allentown | Walkable to the main sights, with the Metro Rail for the rest |
| A trip without a car | Downtown, near a Metro Rail station | Everything on Main Street is a short ride; buses fill the gaps |
| Museums and architecture | Elmwood Village, or Allentown | Walk to the AKG and Delaware Park, or a short hop from Allentown |
| A Sabres game or a concert at KeyBank Center | Canalside | The arena is next door |
| A Bills game | Downtown, or Orchard Park if you can get a room | Downtown has more hotels and better evenings; Orchard Park is close to the stadium |
| Niagara Falls | Downtown or the northern suburbs | Quick access to the I-190 north, or the Route 40 bus from downtown |
| A family trip | Amherst, the airport area or Canalside | Suburban pools and free parking, or the children’s museum and waterfront |
| The lowest price | The airport strip, Cheektowaga or Amherst | Chain hotels with free parking, away from game-day demand |
| An early flight | The airport area | Five minutes from the terminal |
First-timers who want the full comparison can read our guide to the best area to stay in Buffalo for first-time visitors, and our downtown Buffalo vs Elmwood Village comparison weighs the two most popular bases head to head.
Downtown and Canalside
Downtown is the easy default. City Hall, the Guaranty Building, the Theater District, Canalside, the Naval Park and KeyBank Center are all within about a mile of each other, and the Metro Rail runs down the middle of Main Street, above ground between the Theater District and Canalside. You can arrive, park the car and not touch it again until you drive to Niagara Falls or the museum district. It’s also where the largest hotels are, which matters on busy weekends.
The trade-offs are real, though. Downtown can feel quiet on weekend evenings away from events, and most hotels charge for parking, sometimes steeply. The best-known properties cover every style. The Buffalo Marriott at LECOM Harborcenter sits at Canalside, attached to KeyBank Center, and the Courtyard Buffalo Downtown/Canalside is across the street. The Hyatt Regency Buffalo, one of the city’s biggest hotels, connects to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. The Curtiss Hotel is a boutique hotel in a restored downtown landmark, with a rooftop lounge and spa, and the Hotel at the Lafayette, on Lafayette Square, is the historic choice, with a brewpub on the ground floor. The Westin Buffalo sits at the north edge of downtown on Delaware Avenue.
Downtown suits first-timers, conference-goers, sports fans and anyone without a car. Skip it if you want a leafy neighborhood to wander in the evening, or if you’ll be driving every day and resent paying to park. For meals, you’re close to the pubs and pre-game spots around Canalside and the arena, the Theater District’s restaurants, and a short ride from Allentown’s bars; our Buffalo food guide explains where the local institutions are and how to reach them without a car.
Plan it: walk to Canalside, the arena and the Theater District; Metro Rail for Allentown and University Heights; budget for hotel parking if you drive; about 20 minutes to the airport and 25–35 minutes to Niagara Falls.
Staying near KeyBank Center for a Sabres game
For hockey or a concert, nothing beats Canalside: you can leave your room 20 minutes before the puck drops. The Sabres open their home season on Saturday, October 3, at 7 p.m., and game nights fill the Canalside hotels first, so book early. If they’re full, anywhere downtown is still a short walk or one Metro Rail stop away. Our guide to hotels near KeyBank Center for Sabres games compares the options by walking time.
Allentown and the Delaware Avenue Corridor
Just north of downtown, Allentown is Buffalo’s most characterful neighborhood: Victorian houses, art galleries, bars and small restaurants packed into a few walkable blocks, with the Allen/Medical Campus Metro Rail station on its eastern edge. Along Delaware Avenue, the old mansion row that runs north from downtown, a few grand houses have become hotels. The Mansion on Delaware Avenue is the best known: a small, butler-service hotel in a Second Empire mansion, where breakfast, evening cocktails and local car service are part of the stay.
This is the best base for couples and for anyone who wants nightlife within walking distance. The catch is supply: rooms are limited, and the historic properties are small, so they book up on weekends and in fall. Street parking in Allentown can be tight, too.
Allentown suits couples, repeat visitors and anyone who wants to walk out for dinner and a drink without a taxi. Skip it if you’re a light sleeper who wants silence on a Saturday night, since the bars stay busy late and Erie County bars can serve until 4 a.m. The neighborhood’s own restaurants and bars are the draw, and Elmwood Avenue’s are a 10-minute walk further north.
Plan it: walk to Allentown’s bars and restaurants; five minutes by car or one Metro Rail ride to downtown; 5–10 minutes by car to the museum district; about 20 minutes to the airport.
Elmwood Village and the Museum District
The Elmwood Village, along Elmwood Avenue north of Allentown, is where many locals would tell a friend to stay. It’s a long, walkable street of independent shops, cafes and restaurants that ends at Delaware Park, the Buffalo AKG and the Burchfield Penney Art Center, with the Martin House a short drive east. For a museum-and-architecture trip, or a slower visit built around walking, it’s the most pleasant base in the city.
The choice is small and distinctive. The Richardson Hotel occupies part of the Richardson Olmsted Campus, the 19th-century state hospital designed by H.H. Richardson, with grounds by Frederick Law Olmsted, a National Historic Landmark a short walk from the Burchfield Penney and the AKG. InnBuffalo off Elmwood is a small inn with suites in a restored Gilded Age mansion. Otherwise, the area’s rooms are mostly guesthouses and short-term rentals.
The trade-off is getting downtown. There’s no Metro Rail on Elmwood; the Route 20 bus runs along the avenue, but it takes 25 to 35 minutes to reach downtown, so a car or rideshare helps for evenings at Canalside or the Theater District. Our guide to where to stay near the Buffalo AKG Art Museum covers this area in detail.
The Elmwood Village suits museum lovers, architecture fans, runners who want Delaware Park on the doorstep, and anyone planning a slower trip. Skip it if your trip centers on Canalside, the arena or Niagara Falls, or if you want a big hotel with a pool. Elmwood Avenue itself is lined with cafes, bakeries and casual restaurants, which makes breakfast and dinner the easiest part of the day here.
Plan it: walk to the AKG, Burchfield Penney, Delaware Park and Elmwood’s restaurants; 10–15 minutes by car to downtown; about 20 minutes to the airport; 25–30 minutes to Niagara Falls.
The Airport, Cheektowaga and Amherst
East and north of the city, the suburbs around Buffalo Niagara International Airport and in Amherst and Williamsville hold dozens of chain hotels. They’re the region’s value option: free parking, indoor pools at many, easy highway access, and prices that stay lower than downtown except when a big event fills the whole region. They’re also close to the University at Buffalo’s North Campus and the Walden Galleria mall.
The trade-off is that you’ll drive everywhere, and the evenings are chain restaurants and parking lots unless you head into the city. That’s fine for a road trip, a family that wants a pool, or a traveler with a 6 a.m. flight. It’s the wrong choice for a first visit without a car. Amherst is also well placed for Niagara Falls, about 25–30 minutes away on the I-290 and I-190.
Plan it: about 20 minutes to downtown from the airport strip, 20–25 minutes from Amherst; 10 minutes or less to the airport; free parking at most hotels; check for shuttle service if you’re flying.
Our comparison of Buffalo airport hotels vs downtown hotels for tourists goes through the trade-offs, including when an airport hotel makes sense on the last night only.
Orchard Park and the Southtowns for Bills Games
The Bills now play in their new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, about 12 miles southeast of downtown, which hosted its first regular-season game on September 17, 2026. The remaining fall home dates are September 27, October 4, November 1, November 22, November 27 and December 20, with a January 4 date to be confirmed. The chain hotels in Orchard Park, Hamburg and West Seneca are the closest beds to the stadium, and on game weekends they sell out early and at a premium.
For most visitors, downtown is still the better base for a Bills weekend. There are far more rooms, the evenings are better, and the drive to the stadium is 20 to 25 minutes on a normal day, though much longer on game day, when traffic builds for hours before kickoff. Leave early, plan your parking or ride in advance, and expect a slow exit. Our guide to where to stay in Buffalo for a Bills game compares the options, and our Buffalo sports travel guide covers tickets, tailgating and getting to the stadium.
Other Neighborhoods Worth a Look
Beyond the main bases, a few other areas make sense for particular trips, mostly through guesthouses and short-term rentals rather than hotels.
- North Buffalo and University Heights. Hertel Avenue’s Italian bakeries and restaurants, and the Metro Rail’s northern stations near the University at Buffalo’s South Campus. Good for longer stays and visiting families, less so for first-timers.
- The West Side and Black Rock. The city’s most varied food scene, from the West Side Bazaar to Puerto Rican and Southeast Asian kitchens, and quick access to the Niagara River shoreline and the Peace Bridge. Mostly rentals.
- The Old First Ward and the Buffalo River. Taverns, grain elevators and RiverWorks, a few minutes from Canalside. Atmospheric, with few formal places to stay.
- Williamsville. A village main street in the suburbs, near the airport and Amherst, with restaurants and chain hotels close by. Handy for a driving trip.
- East Aurora. A small village about 30 minutes southeast, with historic inns and the Roycroft Campus. A good pick for a quiet weekend that pairs Buffalo with the hills south of the city.
Our Buffalo neighborhoods guide describes each of these areas in more depth, including what to see in each and how to get there.
Staying for Niagara Falls
If Niagara Falls is one day of a longer trip, stay in Buffalo. The city has the restaurants, the museums and the wider choice of hotels, and the falls are 25 to 35 minutes away by car, or about an hour on NFTA’s Route 40 bus from downtown. Downtown and the northern suburbs are the handiest bases for the drive. Staying in Niagara Falls, New York, makes sense only if the falls are the point of the trip and you want to walk to them at night or at sunrise; the Canadian side works if you want a room with a view and have passports. Our guide to visiting Niagara Falls from Buffalo explains the bus, parking and border, and our guide to Buffalo NY hotels for a Niagara Falls day trip picks the best bases for an early start.
Travel Times from Each Area
Buffalo’s distances are short, but they add up if you’re crossing the region several times a day. These are typical drive times outside rush hour; game days and snow add a lot.
| Staying in | KeyBank Center | Buffalo AKG | Highmark Stadium | Niagara Falls | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown | Walk | 10 min | 20–25 min | 25–35 min | 20 min |
| Allentown | 5 min | 5–10 min | 25 min | 25–30 min | 20 min |
| Elmwood Village | 10–15 min | Walk | 25–30 min | 25–30 min | 20 min |
| Airport area | 20 min | 20 min | 20–25 min | 30 min | 5 min |
| Amherst | 20–25 min | 15–20 min | 30 min | 25–30 min | 10 min |
| Orchard Park | 20–25 min | 25–30 min | 5–10 min | 40–45 min | 20–25 min |
| Niagara Falls, NY | 30 min | 25–30 min | 40–45 min | Walk | 30 min |
Getting From the Airport or Station to Your Hotel
Buffalo Niagara International Airport is in Cheektowaga, about 20 minutes east of downtown by car. Taxis and rideshare are the quickest way into the city, and many airport-area hotels run shuttles, so ask when you book. If you’re patient, NFTA’s Routes 24 and 24L serve the airport along Genesee Street all day, and the 78 Cheektowaga Express adds rush-hour trips; transfer to the Metro Rail downtown for Allentown and University Heights.
Amtrak has two stations. Exchange Street is a short walk from downtown hotels and Canalside, which makes the train an easy arrival for a car-free trip. Depew, in the eastern suburbs, is closer to the airport hotels and Amherst than to downtown, so plan a taxi or rideshare from there. Drivers arriving from Toronto cross at the Peace Bridge or Lewiston and reach downtown in minutes from the Peace Bridge; from the east, the Thruway feeds straight into the Kensington Expressway and downtown.
Hotel Types: Historic Boutiques, Big Hotels, Inns and Chains
Buffalo’s hotel scene has changed a lot in the last 15 years, as old landmark buildings downtown and on the West Side have been restored as hotels. That gives you four broad choices.
Historic and boutique hotels
These are Buffalo’s most memorable places to sleep: the Curtiss Hotel in a restored downtown landmark, the Hotel at the Lafayette on Lafayette Square, the Mansion on Delaware Avenue, and the Richardson Hotel in H.H. Richardson’s old state hospital. Expect character, good restaurants or bars on site, and smaller room counts, which means they fill first on busy weekends. Our guide to boutique hotels in Buffalo’s historic buildings compares them in detail.
Big downtown hotels
The Hyatt Regency, the Marriott at Harborcenter and the Westin are the large, full-service choices, with restaurants, meeting space and the most rooms in the city. They’re the safe bet for conventions, sports weekends and anyone who wants a predictable stay close to the action.
Inns, guesthouses and rentals
In Allentown and the Elmwood Village, small inns and guesthouses occupy old houses and mansions, often with breakfast included. They’re a good fit for couples and slower trips, but check the booking terms, stairs and parking before you commit.
Short-term rentals are common in Allentown, the Elmwood Village, the West Side and North Buffalo, often in the upper or lower half of a classic Buffalo double house. They can be good value for families and groups. Before booking one, check where you’ll park (many streets have alternate-side or winter parking rules), who clears the snow in winter, how many stairs there are, and how far the nearest bus or Metro Rail stop is.
Suburban chains
Around the airport, in Amherst and in the Southtowns, dozens of chain hotels offer free parking, pools and predictable prices. They’re the practical choice for families, road trips and budgets, and the backup when downtown sells out.
What Drives Hotel Prices in Buffalo
Buffalo is usually good value by big-city standards, but prices move sharply with demand. These are the dates and situations that push them up:
- Bills home weekends, the biggest single driver, especially in the Southtowns and downtown.
- Sabres games and concerts at KeyBank Center, for the Canalside hotels.
- Conventions at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, which fill the big downtown hotels.
- Summer festivals, such as the Taste of Buffalo and Garden Walk Buffalo in July, and summer weekends generally.
- Peak foliage weekends in mid-October, and university events such as graduation.
- Thanksgiving weekend, with a Bills home game on Friday, November 27, in 2026, plus the Turkey Trot and the World’s Largest Disco.
The cheapest nights are usually midweek in winter and early spring, and weekdays in November away from game dates. Whatever rate you’re quoted, add taxes: New York State and local sales tax applies to hotel rooms, and Erie County adds a hotel occupancy tax of 5% at hotels with more than 30 rooms and 3% at smaller ones, waived for stays of 30 or more consecutive days. Downtown, add parking too, which can run to a meaningful share of the room rate. Our guide to budget hotels in Buffalo for a weekend shows how to keep the total down.
Seasons and Hotel Stays
The season changes which base works best, not just what it costs.
- Summer is peak season on the waterfront. Canalside hotels put you by the concerts and the harbor, and the bike ferry to the Outer Harbor runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Book early for festival weekends in July.
- Fall brings football, hockey and color. Downtown suits a Sabres weekend, the Elmwood Village suits a foliage trip built around Delaware Park, and the whole region fills on Bills weekends. Our Buffalo fall guide has the season’s dates.
- Winter is the cheapest season and the one where location matters most. Staying downtown or in Allentown lets you walk to dinner and the theater on snowy nights, while a suburban base means driving in whatever the lake sends. Canalside’s skating and winter activities return in November.
- Spring is quiet and good value until university graduations in May, when rooms near the campuses and downtown tighten up.
Staying Without a Car
You can do Buffalo without a car if you stay in the right place, and the right place is downtown or Allentown, near the Metro Rail. The line runs along Main Street from Canalside through the Theater District and Allentown to the University at Buffalo, with a single ride at $2 and a day pass at $5; construction has single-tracked the above-ground stretch downtown, so trains run about every 20 minutes. From downtown, NFTA’s Route 40 goes to Niagara Falls, and the Route 20 bus goes up Elmwood Avenue to the museum district.
Avoid the suburbs if you don’t have a car: the airport and Amherst hotels are cheap for a reason, and rideshare fares from them add up fast. Our guide to where to stay in Buffalo without a car picks the best hotels by distance to a station, and our guide to accessible hotels in Buffalo near transit covers step-free access, accessible rooms and the stations nearest to them. For fares, passes and the airport buses, see our guide to getting around Buffalo.
If you need an accessible room, ask the hotel directly about roll-in showers, door widths and the route from the parking area or the street, rather than relying on a booking site’s filter. Buffalo’s newest downtown hotels are generally the easiest to navigate; some of the historic properties have narrow corridors, small elevators or steps at the entrance, which is part of their character but worth confirming before you book.
Staying with Kids
Families usually choose between two bases. Canalside puts you next to Explore & More Children’s Museum, the Naval Park’s ships and the waterfront, which is ideal for a trip without much driving. The suburbs around the airport and in Amherst offer pools, free parking and bigger rooms for less, with the zoo and the Museum of Science 15 to 20 minutes away. Suites with a kitchenette help on longer stays. Our guide to family-friendly hotels in Buffalo compares the best options for each age group, and our Buffalo itineraries include a family weekend that works from either base.
Booking Tips
A few habits make a Buffalo stay easier and cheaper:
- Check the sports calendar before you book. A Bills home weekend can push room prices sharply higher across the region.
- Ask about parking. Downtown hotels usually charge for it; suburban hotels usually don’t. The difference over a weekend can be significant.
- Book the historic hotels early. They have few rooms and fill first in fall and on summer weekends.
- Confirm what “downtown” means. Some hotels described as downtown are closer to the Medical Campus or Delaware Avenue, which is fine if you know it.
- Check cancellation terms in winter. Lake-effect snow rarely shuts the city, but it can close highways and delay flights for a day.
For the rest of your planning, our Buffalo NY travel guide covers the airport, the weather and the practical basics, and our Buffalo neighborhoods guide describes each area in more depth.
Where to Stay in Buffalo FAQ
What is the best area to stay in Buffalo for first-time visitors?
Downtown or Allentown. Both are within walking distance of City Hall, the Theater District and Canalside, and the Metro Rail runs along Main Street for the rest. Allentown adds bars, restaurants and historic character; downtown has more hotels and is closest to KeyBank Center. Choose the Elmwood Village instead if your trip centers on the museums.
Is it better to stay downtown or in the Elmwood Village?
Downtown is better for a first visit, a trip without a car, or a Sabres game, since you can walk to the main sights and ride the Metro Rail. The Elmwood Village is better for museums, restaurants and a neighborhood feel, with the AKG and Delaware Park on foot, but it has fewer hotels and no Metro Rail, so evenings downtown need a car or rideshare.
Where should I stay in Buffalo for a Bills game?
Downtown is the best all-round base: it has the most hotels and the best evenings, and the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park is 20 to 25 minutes away on a normal day. Hotels in Orchard Park, Hamburg and West Seneca are closer but sell out early on game weekends. Book as soon as the date is set, and plan for heavy game-day traffic.
Should I stay in Buffalo or Niagara Falls?
Stay in Buffalo if the falls are one day of a longer trip: the city has more restaurants, museums and hotels, and the falls are 25 to 35 minutes away by car. Stay in Niagara Falls, New York, only if the falls are the main event and you want to walk to them at night. The Canadian side offers falls-view rooms but requires a passport.
Do Buffalo hotels charge for parking?
Most downtown hotels do, and it can add noticeably to the cost of a stay. Suburban hotels near the airport and in Amherst usually offer free parking, which is one reason they’re cheaper overall. Some historic hotels include valet parking. Always check the parking fee when you compare rates, especially for a weekend with a car.
What taxes are added to hotel rooms in Buffalo?
New York State and local sales tax apply to hotel rooms, and Erie County adds a hotel occupancy tax: 5% at hotels with more than 30 rooms and 3% at smaller properties. The occupancy tax isn’t charged on stays of 30 or more consecutive days. Together, taxes add well over 10% to the quoted nightly rate, so budget for them.
Where should I stay in Buffalo without a car?
Stay downtown or in Allentown, within a few minutes’ walk of a Metro Rail station. The line runs along Main Street from Canalside to the University at Buffalo, the Route 20 bus covers Elmwood Avenue and the museum district, and NFTA’s Route 40 bus goes to Niagara Falls. Avoid the airport and suburban hotels, where you’ll depend on taxis and rideshare.
Related Buffalo Guides
- Niagara Falls from Buffalo NY
- Things to Do in Buffalo NY
- Buffalo NY Fall Things to Do
- Buffalo NY Food Guide
- Buffalo NY Itineraries
Sources and How We Checked
Hours, prices, routes and other details in this guide were checked on September 23, 2026 against the official sources below. The guide is compiled from those operators and agencies rather than from other travel lists, and it doesn’t describe first-hand visits. Details change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the operator before you go.
- Erie County hotel occupancy tax: www4.erie.gov/comptroller/hotel-tax-instructions-and-regi…
- Richardson Olmsted Campus: richardson-olmsted.com/tours
- Buffalo Bills / Highmark Stadium: buffalobills.com/news/fans-and-media-react-to-the-atmosph…
- Buffalo Sabres: nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-2026-27-home-opener-sc…
- NFTA Metro: metro.nfta.com/fares/fare-info
- NFTA Metro Rail: metro.nfta.com/schedules/route/rail
- NFTA airport service: metro.nfta.com/getting-around/special-services/airport-se…
- NFTA Route 40: metro.nfta.com/schedules/route/40
- Explore & More Children's Museum: exploreandmore.org/visit
- Buffalo festivals 2026: visitbuffalo.com/signature-events
- Buffalo Harbor State Park: parks.ny.gov/visit/state-parks/buffalo-harbor-state-park
- Queen City Bike Ferry: buffalowaterfront.com/activities/ferry-boat
- Canalside: buffalowaterfront.com/winter-activities
- West Side Bazaar: wedibuffalo.org/westside-bazaar
Buffalo Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with Visit Buffalo Niagara, the City of Buffalo or any attraction listed here, and no one paid to be included.
Photo Credits
- Hotel at the Lafayette: photo by Reading Tom from Reading, UK, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- HarborCenter and the Buffalo Marriott: photo by Fortunate4now, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- The Mansion on Delaware Avenue: photo by w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
- Richardson Olmsted Campus central building: photo by w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
- Curtiss Hotel: photo by w_lemay, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
- Metro Rail train at Canalside: photo by David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)