We stayed at Claire's home with my son and my mother during our East Coast trip for visiting the colleges around. We arrived at night and were glad to find some snacks we could eat before going to bed. The apartment appeared to be very cosy and comfortable, it had everything we needed.
Bristol is very nice, we enjoyed seeing sites around and walking in Blithewold Gardens and Arboretum even though, I guess, it wasn't the right season for it yet.
Location is pretty convenient. Our first day in Bristol was at Easter and we woke up pretty late, but still we could find a supermarket (Seabra Foods) that was just 8 min drive from the apartment and still open, so we could buy what we needed.
During our stay we visited colleges in Cambridge, Worcester and Providence which are pretty near and easily reachable, at least if you are using a car.