Taking a detour during moving son into dorm. I have distant relatives/history in Portsmouth and would love to visit during mid-August but hotels are pricy. Looking for affordable alternative but close. Any town suggestions and hotels?
Is your son going to UNH by chance? Durham is a really nice town not too far away. Hampton and Rye are also great places to live if you can find an affordable home there, might be a bit pricey though.
Actually son is a Yalie 
But when in New England one must do some ancestry/cemetery tripping 
Do you have a targeted price range in mind?
There is an Holiday Inn Express in Durham, NH (UNH) which is not badly priced if there isn’t an event at UNH or college move-in day. Durham is a cute town to stay in and you are close to Portsmouth.
Downtown Portsmouth is fun, and we stayed at the Fairfield Inn off 95, near Rt 1. Simple, but well run and friendly, full breakfast. (I had a Marriott offer, would stay there again)) Two best things are dining on the waterfront, looking over at Maine and the coastal drive down Rt 1. You can Uber around.
Make sure to visit Strawbery Banke (not a typo), an outdoor history museum. It’s really cool!
Island of Shoal boat crusie. Newick’s (Dover) for a lobster- nothing fancy but we never miss it when we’re in the area. Used to live in Portsmouth. FL now (for 25 yrs). Can’t eat a FL lobster…
@doschicos
Would like to cap at $120 since it’s really just for sleeping as we would be out and about sight seeing most of our time.
I just made reservations for September at the Holiday Inn Express in Durham and it was $250/night, which was about the cheapest thing I could find that did not look scary. We might have stumbled upon a popular (therefore more expensive) weekend, I don’t know…
Thank you all for the great tips! Briefly visited there for a day trip and really want to return to take in all its lovely offerings
I have no insight into accommodations, but I heartily second Strawbery Banke. Just a fantastic place for anyone with interest in history and period houses, social history, you name it. Not to be missed!
@MaineLonghorn @Consolation
When we were there in April we walked around SB but the houses weren’t open for the season yet 
Will certainly go back!
Also ate at a wonderful place that I believe was called The Library?..
Any other foodie suggestions?
Have you checked Airbnb? Homeaway? They might have some more reasonable options. It’s high season, of course, and there is a shortage of hotel space in the area so stuff is pricey. In addition to Portsmouth, look in Kittery, ME and Rye, North Hampton, and Hampton. There are some old-timey inns and motels that might work out.
In terms of restaurants in the Portsmouth area:
I recently had an excellent meal a little up the Maine coast:
http://walkersmaine.com/
Massimo - Italian, Portsmouth
Lexie’s Joint - very casual burger place, Portsmouth
Flatbread - casual pizza, Portsmouth
When Pigs Fly - pizza and other stuff, Kittery
Green Elephant - Asian inspired vegetarian, Portsmouth
Seafood - Row 34 (Portsmouth - table service), Jumpin’Jay’s (Portsmouth - table service), Robert’s Maine Grill (Kittery) - table service, Beach Plum (North Hampton - lobster roll, chowder, ice cream stand and Portsmouth - lobster rolls, chowder,and fried seafood - counter service), Chauncey Creek (Kittery - lobster shack, BYOB)
I haven’t been there, but everyone raves about La Maison Navarre.
@Bubblewrap666 :-0
That seems pricy but if it’s nice…
What likely dates? People come to close out summer, take kids to college, etc… That matters for price.
@lookingforward
Sunday/Monday mid August
Just checked Kittery and it looks promising…
I stayed at the Pebble Cove in Rye, NH for an outing to the Isle of Shoals (which I highly recommend).
Simple accommodations, $155/night, but there will most likely be minimum stay requirements.
A friend’s son works for the Lark Hotel group, which is a small, boutique hotel chain primarily in New England. We went to a wedding in Portsmouth and stayed at one of their hotels (Pomegranate Inn). They also have two hotels in Portsmouth—The Ale House Inn and Hotel Portsmouth. I haven’t stayed in either, but the inn in Portland was quite nice.