Great value and great location. Hey the rooms aren't that great but honestly look what your paying. You get 2 beds that are clean and pretty comfortable and a clean, hot shower. What else do you need

When checking in, the front desk staff specifically asked me to write a review. Well, here it is.

I have stayed here three times. The first two times were bearable (the worst that happened was having a cockroach in my room). The third trip convinced me never to stay here again (I should have taken a sign from the roach on stay #2). Even if I have to stay somewhere that is not within walking distance of Spring Street, I would not ever recommend anyone stay at the Northside.

My room was fine -- all the rooms have seen better days, but that's to be expected for this price. What I didn't expect: when getting into bed, there were pretzel crumbs between the sheets and hair on the pillowcase, which had CLEARLY not been changed. On top of that, the heater in the room went at full blast all night, so I had to keep the window open. As it was late and the front desk closes at 10, and I was too tired for a fight with the front desk and having to deal with changing rooms or mechanics coming to work on the thermostat, I simply slept in the other bed (which did have clean sheets) and checked out the next morning, despite having booked two nights. The front desk staff told me I was ineligible for a refund unless I contacted Magnuson; Magnuson was helpful and said the front desk had to approve the refund and that they'd take care of it... but they never did, of course.

Do yourself a favor: stay at the Williams Inn. It's more expensive, but it's clean, the staff are very friendly and helpful, and the location equally convenient. I've never seen any roaches at the Williams Inn... Can't say the same for the Northside. The Northside may be cheap, but if you would literally rather sleep in your car, it's not exactly good value for the money.

I got a last-minute work assignment in the Berkshires, and I had to find my own lodging. I lived in the Berkshires for a while, so I was wary about finding an affordable hotel in October. After some searching, I decided on the Magnuson Northside. I was pleasantly surprised.

I arrived late, after a 3-hour drive on back roads. Most local restaurants were closed. Fortunately, the North Adams Stop and Shop is open until midnight, so I was able to buy food before I settled in for the night. My room was in the back building.

The hotel practically screams 1960s motor lodge. My room had a fridge, but not enough outlets. I had to unplug a lamp to plug in my laptop. The Wi-Fi is not password-protected. The carpet was moldy in spots. The batteries in my TV remote were dead (and never replaced). Otherwise, it was fine. There was plenty of free parking. My cellphone got a surprisingly strong signal. I spent a summer working at the (extremely overpriced) hotel around the corner, and it was about a step below that.

The continental breakfast consisted of cereal, stale english muffins, stale bagels, alarmingly warm milk, and surprisingly good coffee. There was nowhere to put dirty dishes, so I left mine on the table. The staff was nice enough.

The hotel is in the center of Williamstown, right off the rotary, next to the municipal building. It's a stone's throw from Williams College and Spring Street, and a short drive to North Adams, MCLA, Mass MoCA, and Mt. Greylock. Pittsfield is a 45-minute drive, Tanglewood would be over an hour away. Williamstown is the wealthy, sleepy, student-filled town I remember.

In all, the hotel served its purpose. I was looking for a cheap place to stay, and that's what I got. It wasn't scary or filthy, just basic, worn, and comfortable. For $45 a night, I can't ask for more than that. You can do much worse in the Berkshires in October.

I hate bad smelling hotels. I must admit that I booked this hotel with some trepidation because I had heard (and experienced) that many hotels in Williamstown "need updating". While the Magnuson Northside is not the Ritz, it was absolutely and truly adequate for a family needing a neat, clean, room with a little extra space and NO bad smells! The option of a double/queen bed and a single was perfect for the college-tour visit. The hotel staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The breakfast was included and was certainly enough to get the energy flowing before a long day touring Williams. Kudos for keeping a nice hotel with clean bedding, clean towels and a fresh smelling room!