Dtr will be attending Elon Univ starting in fall 2008. College lists closest real lodging as Burlington, NC. We will be attending pre-orientation in April and have booked Best Western there, but any experience with any other hotel. Want to avoid staying as far away as Raleigh-Durham. Just looking for place to sleep. (Also for fall drop-off, parent's weekend - you know the routine)

The Best Western will be a good choice for your family (with a nice restaurant, Chop House Grille, on site.)

FYI, Elon U. is west of Burlington, must closer to Greensboro than to Durham/Raleigh.

If, in the future, you want a more upscale hotel than the Best Western, try the O'Henry Hotel or the Proximity Hotel...both in Greensboro.

Jim

Thanks Jim. Useful info about hotels in Greensboro. What about if we are flying into RDU instead (either is an option for us from Boston, but there are non-stop flights to RDU and one-stop to Greensboro) - what is between Elon and RDU?

Driving from RDU to Elon you will pass by Research Triangle Park, Chapel Hill, and Durham (but not Raleigh...it's the other way).

So, lots of good chain hotels/motels on I-40 plus Carolina Inn and Sienna Hotels in CH and Washington Duke Inn in Durham.

How far are you from Portsmouth, NH airport? Skybus has direct flights from there to GSO (Greensboro). Each flight has 10 seats selling for $10.

There's a Hampton Inn at exit 154 off the combined I-40/I-85. It's in the town of Mebane (pronounced Meb-ann).

That area is growing like gangbusters. There is a new huge shopping center called Alamance Crossing at the exit for Elon (I think exit 150).

Hillsborough isn't too far away. Lots of history there in a small town.

Chapel Hill just east of there. She will spend a lot of time in Chapel Hill.

Thanks again. Skybus - just went to their website and what a deal. At first I thought they only flew little planes, but seems like a real possibility for April. We are north of Boston, so Portsmouth would be a real option. If not on this trip, then possibly on future trips. The $10 fares for our dates are gone, but could fly for $40 and $60 - still cheaper than the $300+ on American or USAirways.

I made an error in my earlier posting. Elon exit is 140 off of I-40/85. For some reason I was thinking Elon was east of Burlington, but I do know it is west. So the Burlington hotels would be closer than Mebane.

There still is a huge new shopping center at that exit.