$50–150

Lodgings in Ann Arbor [1] aren’t as varied as the entertainment or dining options. Most are chain hotels that can’t be missed on your way into town. The 223-room Holiday Inn (3600 Plymouth Rd., 734/769-9800, www.crowneplaza.com [2], $126–189 d), for instance, has an indoor pool, a fitness center, a beauty salon, laundry facilities, and high-speed Internet access, plus convenient in-room coffee makers and irons.

A more affordable option is the pet-friendly Comfort Inn & Suites (2376 Carpenter Rd., 734/477-9977, www.comfortinn.com [3], $80–157 d), which offers 50 comfortable rooms, an indoor pool and exercise room, free wireless Internet access, and other basic amenities.

On the eastern edge of town, the Best Western Executive Plaza (2900 Jackson Rd., 734/665-4444, www.bestwesternmichigan.com [4], $80–130 d), a full-service, pet-friendly hotel, provides an indoor/outdoor pool, a sauna, a fitness center, a restaurant and lounge, cable television, complimentary Internet access, and abundant free parking.

To the south lies the elegant Four Points by Sheraton Ann Arbor (3200 Boardwalk, 734/996-0600, www.fourpointsannarbor.com [5], $109–163 d), with its fitness center, sauna, heated pool, gift shop, excellent steakhouse, and 197 tasteful guestrooms.

Budget-conscious travelers will appreciate the Lamp Post Inn (2424 E. Stadium Blvd., 734/971-8000, www.lamppostinn.com [6], $45–140 d), which offers a free continental breakfast, comfortable rooms with complimentary wireless Internet access, and convenient shopping at the adjacent Lamp Post Plaza.

For history buffs, the restored Vitosha Guest Haus (1917 Washtenaw Ave., 734/741-4969, www.vitosha.org [7], $75–149 d) promises more than just 11 old-fashioned rooms, Internet access, a deluxe breakfast, afternoon tea, English-style gardens, and a pet-friendly policy; the stone chalet was built by Dr. Dean Meyer in 1917 and occupied by Unitarians before becoming a sophisticated cultural retreat, a favorite among artists and scholars.