Boston 2nd week of May, Hotels and area?
Jan 14th, 2016, 11:28 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Boston 2nd week of May, Hotels and area?
First time ever in Boston excited but lost as far as what area to stay hotel etc. Not renting a car (heard its a walking/public trans. city) so there's that. I'm staying mid week 4 days, and hotel prices are OUTRAGEOUS! Is this the norm? Also what area should I stay in? Couple in mid 30s what are must dos? Also best way to get red sox tickets without paying arm and a leg for good seats, should buy before or when I'm in town? All the advice and help is appreciated.
Jan 14th, 2016, 11:34 AM
#3
Yeah it's pretty much the norm plus May brings school graduations so even worse.
http://www.fodors.com/search/results...h=Boston+Hotel
http://www.fodors.com/search/results...h=Boston+Hotel
Jan 14th, 2016, 11:36 AM
#4
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,648
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You are running smack dab into one of the busiest (and expensive) times in Boston because of college graduations. Check this link to see what is on for your dates: http://www.bostonzest.com/2015/08/bo...ring-2016.html
Back Bay, Downtown, Faneuil Hall/Waterfront are all good locations. The Seaport area is okay but not as central and convenient as the other locations. You don't need or want to have a car in the city. Where have you looked?
The Red Sox tickets vary in price depending upon what team they are playing. If you can find seats on the team website, I'd buy them. You won't find cheaper tickets, unless you hang around Fenway Park the night of the game and hope someone will sell you tickets at a discount by the third inning.
Back Bay, Downtown, Faneuil Hall/Waterfront are all good locations. The Seaport area is okay but not as central and convenient as the other locations. You don't need or want to have a car in the city. Where have you looked?
The Red Sox tickets vary in price depending upon what team they are playing. If you can find seats on the team website, I'd buy them. You won't find cheaper tickets, unless you hang around Fenway Park the night of the game and hope someone will sell you tickets at a discount by the third inning.
Jan 14th, 2016, 11:37 AM
#5
In that price range you might want to consider the Winthrop Arms Hotel (check reviews on tripAdvisor) located behind Logan airport near the ocean. You'll spend 30 minutes minimum each time you want to go back and forth into the city though (bus plus subway) so not advisable but at $150 budget you don't have a lot of choices in May.
Jan 14th, 2016, 11:38 AM
#6
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,648
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just saw your second post. $150-200 is low for Boston except in the winter. Look at the John Jeffries House and Newbury Guest House for your dates. The relatively new Boston hostel offers private rooms and baths for your budget.
Jan 14th, 2016, 12:33 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 9,171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
https://www.flipkey.com/boston-condo-rentals/p1516545/
You can find something for four nights usually.
John Jeffries House is very nice, have stayed there.
We use stub hub for tickets but there are a lot of people selling if they are in a slump by Fenway.
You can find something for four nights usually.
John Jeffries House is very nice, have stayed there.
We use stub hub for tickets but there are a lot of people selling if they are in a slump by Fenway.
Jan 14th, 2016, 02:12 PM
#10
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,648
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
June isn't more expensive than May unless there is a huge convention in town.
I don't know the Priceline Boston areas, but look for Back Bay/Copley, Theater District/Downtown, Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market (not Quincy the city). Their areas are pretty large, so I would limit bids to a 4 or 5 star so you don't find yourself in an inconvenient area.
www.lastminutetravel.com is good for Boston. And the rooms can be cancelled usually up to three days before arrival. Hotels are not identified but you can see the unnamed hotel by zooming in on the map. Call them for better rates. Or view the site on a tablet where the hotel names are visible (don't know why).
In all cases, avoid hotels that have Boston in the name with a hyphen and another city, i.e. Boston-Danvers, Boston-Woburn etc. You'll find yourself possibly miles from the city.
I don't know the Priceline Boston areas, but look for Back Bay/Copley, Theater District/Downtown, Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market (not Quincy the city). Their areas are pretty large, so I would limit bids to a 4 or 5 star so you don't find yourself in an inconvenient area.
www.lastminutetravel.com is good for Boston. And the rooms can be cancelled usually up to three days before arrival. Hotels are not identified but you can see the unnamed hotel by zooming in on the map. Call them for better rates. Or view the site on a tablet where the hotel names are visible (don't know why).
In all cases, avoid hotels that have Boston in the name with a hyphen and another city, i.e. Boston-Danvers, Boston-Woburn etc. You'll find yourself possibly miles from the city.
Jan 14th, 2016, 02:46 PM
#11
Haven't stayed here but guests certainly rate it highly. 7 min walk to the Porter Square T Station and 10 min walk to Harvard Square:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/mary-prentiss-inn.html
And this apartment has a really good location:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/back-bay-beacon.html
http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/mary-prentiss-inn.html
And this apartment has a really good location:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/back-bay-beacon.html
Jan 15th, 2016, 01:33 AM
#12
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 23,138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Red Sox tickets - I assume you have tried the Red Sox website? Second choice is a reliable ticket broker (we use Ace Tickets). I would buy now - the Res Sox have been so awful the past few years that tickets are available. If something happens after season starts and they get decent, prices and availability will change.
Everyone who visits Boston, no matter what time of year, has sticker shock over hotel prices. It is consistently in top 5 cities for hotel prices. Do not get sucked into booking a hotel with a name like Boston/Waltham. Stay a night less if you can't stay in Boston/Cambridge central area. Traffic and commuting distances are very deceptive in Boston - 5 miles out can take forever and the commuter rail runs infrequently during non-rush hours.
Best areas are Back Bay, Downtown, Faneuil Hall, Copley; do not stay in Dorchester. South End/South Boston can be good or really bad - what they call those areas and reality sometimes don't match. Look at Park Plaza - it gets mixed reviews, the older tower has smallish rooms, but usually is more affordable and a perfectly fine hotel in a great location.
Everyone who visits Boston, no matter what time of year, has sticker shock over hotel prices. It is consistently in top 5 cities for hotel prices. Do not get sucked into booking a hotel with a name like Boston/Waltham. Stay a night less if you can't stay in Boston/Cambridge central area. Traffic and commuting distances are very deceptive in Boston - 5 miles out can take forever and the commuter rail runs infrequently during non-rush hours.
Best areas are Back Bay, Downtown, Faneuil Hall, Copley; do not stay in Dorchester. South End/South Boston can be good or really bad - what they call those areas and reality sometimes don't match. Look at Park Plaza - it gets mixed reviews, the older tower has smallish rooms, but usually is more affordable and a perfectly fine hotel in a great location.
Jan 15th, 2016, 01:35 AM
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 23,138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One more Red Sox tix advice - do not sit in Grandstand Sections 2,3,4,5 (right field). These seats face towards the outfield and one must sit at an uncomfortable angle to see the game. this gets old by the 4th inning.
Jan 15th, 2016, 02:06 AM
#14
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some random additions to generally good advice you have already gotten:
Try to stay over a weekend instead. Business hotels (Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, etc) are usually much cheaper over weekends (and good on Priceline).
MIT is the last really large graduation, I believe around June 3. There should be a window of relative calm for a couple of weeks after that until the New England secondary school year ends and families begin to travel.
You don't give your age, but there is what appears to be a good AYH hostel at the Symphony end of the Fenway area, though this is not the same as the Fenway Park area.
Which takes us back to what things are called and avoiding hyphens. Also be aware that some neighborhoods are delightful but hard to get to, notably Jamaica Plain. It's a nice place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there. Some places are easy to get to but not great -- Brighton, for example.
There are many airbnb rentals in the Boston area. They may or may not be legal, and they may or may not be for you but worth considering IF they are near good transportation.
Try to stay over a weekend instead. Business hotels (Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, etc) are usually much cheaper over weekends (and good on Priceline).
MIT is the last really large graduation, I believe around June 3. There should be a window of relative calm for a couple of weeks after that until the New England secondary school year ends and families begin to travel.
You don't give your age, but there is what appears to be a good AYH hostel at the Symphony end of the Fenway area, though this is not the same as the Fenway Park area.
Which takes us back to what things are called and avoiding hyphens. Also be aware that some neighborhoods are delightful but hard to get to, notably Jamaica Plain. It's a nice place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there. Some places are easy to get to but not great -- Brighton, for example.
There are many airbnb rentals in the Boston area. They may or may not be legal, and they may or may not be for you but worth considering IF they are near good transportation.
Jan 15th, 2016, 05:51 AM
#16
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,648
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jamaica Plain is actually quite easy to reach. The Orange Line from Back Bay or Haymarket are two convenient stops to bring you right to JP. Loads of people visit the Sam Adams Brewery, the Emerald Necklace, and the Arnold Arboretum. It's not necessarily a stop for first time visitors (except the brewery sometimes) but it is perfectly located for a short commute into Boston. Which accounts for the building boom near the T stations, and the generally high-priced real estate, and the abundance of Airbnb rentals.
Jan 22nd, 2016, 10:21 AM
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OK I temporarily booked doubletree in downtown, decent price there's the Sheraton that's on Dalton or the westin waterfront, which of three is best? locale, we are 30 plus year old adult btw, and we are not renting car.
Jan 25th, 2016, 03:20 AM
#19
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,396
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Agree that the Sheraton has the best location of the 3 mentioned.
I'd avoid the DoubleTree unless it saves a huge amount compared to the Sheraton. The DoubleTree is on an unwelcoming street -- not unsafe during the day, though some people might feel uncomfortable walking back to the place late at night. Many of the DT rooms are at sidewalk level, so you either have to keep the blinds closed or risk having someone's nose against your window. In its favor, the DT is a very short walk to the Theatre District, Chinatown, and a T station.
I'd avoid the DoubleTree unless it saves a huge amount compared to the Sheraton. The DoubleTree is on an unwelcoming street -- not unsafe during the day, though some people might feel uncomfortable walking back to the place late at night. Many of the DT rooms are at sidewalk level, so you either have to keep the blinds closed or risk having someone's nose against your window. In its favor, the DT is a very short walk to the Theatre District, Chinatown, and a T station.
Jan 25th, 2016, 11:46 AM
#20
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 26,778
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Westin is a lesser location than either the Sheraton or the Doubletree, but none of them are terrible. I'd also generally give the nod to the Sheraton over the Doubletree, but not by nearly as much as some.
The DoubleTree is on an unwelcoming street -- not unsafe during the day, though some people might feel uncomfortable walking back to the place late at night.
I don't think that is really true any more. The only mild concern I might have with it is that there may be a bit of street noise when the clubs let out. But, in general, that neighborhood is fine and I walk through it all the time at night.
The DoubleTree is on an unwelcoming street -- not unsafe during the day, though some people might feel uncomfortable walking back to the place late at night.
I don't think that is really true any more. The only mild concern I might have with it is that there may be a bit of street noise when the clubs let out. But, in general, that neighborhood is fine and I walk through it all the time at night.
