Montgomery, AL: Hotel & Motel Planning Guide

What is the best time to visit Montgomery, AL?

Montgomery has a fairly temperate climate. Extreme weather is rare, so any time is a great time to visit the city. Winter is short and mild, with average low temperatures above freezing and very rare snowfall, while summer is long and humid with sporadic thunderstorms bringing rain. Storms are spread throughout the spring, the summer, and autumn, but are most common in June and July. If rain is a concern for you, then it's best to avoid these months.

Montgomery has a packed calendar of events all year-round, and there are plenty of indoor and outdoor attractions. Therefore, your agenda will be full any time you choose to visit, and you will always be able to grab a great hotel deal.

Which hotels in Montgomery, AL offer the best discounts?

For a great AAA discount of 15 percent, try the Courtyard by Marriott Montgomery. The hotel is located close to Blount Cultural Park and is conveniently located to the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. It has all the usual amenities, including air-conditioned rooms and flat-screen televisions with cable, as well as free Wi-Fi, free parking, fitness facilities, and an attractive, peaceful courtyard garden. There are tea and coffee facilities in the lobby, where you can enjoy the complimentary newspapers, and breakfast is available.

Red Roof Inn Montgomery Midtown is located in the center of the city, close to the Civil Rights Memorial and is convenient for shopping and restaurants. It's already a great value option. Plus, there's a 10 percent discount on both senior and military rates. There's free parking, free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, and pets can stay for free. The seasonal outdoor pool and barbeque area make the Red Roof a great hotel for families. If you have to work, then each room has a work desk, and there's a business center on-site.

Which hotels in Montgomery, AL are budget-friendly?

The Sonesta ES Suites Montgomery provides self-catering suites with separate seating areas and full kitchen facilities, so you can really feel at home and save some money by making your own meals. However, there is a complimentary breakfast included every day and some great restaurants close by, so if you don't want to cook, then you don't have to. The on-site convenience store is available for daily groceries, and there's a superstore just up the road for larger shops.

There are studios, one-bedroom, or two-bedroom suites, and pets are welcome. The Sonesta is a great choice for solo travelers, couples, and families. There's free, high-speed Wi-Fi in every room, as well as free cable television with premium movie channels. The hotel has an outdoor pool and a fitness center, as well as complimentary parking.

What are the historical highlights in Montgomery, AL?

Montgomery is best known for its role in two significant historical events: the American Civil War and the civil rights movement. There are fascinating buildings and museums in Montgomery you can visit to learn more.

The Alabama State Capitol is a beautiful and imposing building, listed as a National Historic Landmark. Finished in 1851, the Greek Revival-style building replaced a similar one that was lost in a fire on the same site. In 1861, the Confederate States of America were formed in the building, and Montgomery became the first capitol of the legally unrecognized nation. Jefferson Davis was inaugurated on the steps of the State Capitol building as the first and only President of the Confederate States.

The capital was moved to Richmond, Virginia, a few months later, and Montgomery, including the magnificent building, was largely spared from the conflict until the Union captured it in 1865.

You can find out more about the Civil War in Montgomery and the rest of its rich history at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The records and artifacts on display there take you through the city's past, from its Native American origins up to the present day. It is worth a visit just to see the building itself, with impressive architecture partly crafted from Alabama marble.

Almost 100 years after the end of the Civil War, Montgomery became an important part of the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks was arrested there in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person, and this sparked the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Rosa Parks Museum, located at Troy University, is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to the influential figure. The collection includes a 1955 bus from the time of the boycott and the original fingerprint arrest record of Rosa Parks.

Martin Luther King Jr. was instrumental in organizing the bus boycott, and he lived in Montgomery at the time. Its success in getting bus segregation ruled as illegal first brought him to fame. In 1965, the Selma to Montgomery Marches were held to protest against people of color being unable to register to vote.

Martin Luther King Jr. joined one of the marches, which ended at the State Capitol building in Montgomery. There, he gave one of his famous speeches, "How Long, Not Long," to a 25,000-strong crowd. The house where he lived with his family from 1954 to 1960 is now open to the public as the Dexter Parsonage Museum.

Montgomery, Alabama, is packed full of historical sites, arts centers, shops, and restaurants, all surrounded by stunning architecture and beautiful outside spaces. Along with the great selection of hotels available, there really is no end to the reasons to make the city your next destination.