Lissa2905

Hello, I'm astounded to see the prices of accommodation in Boston on 14 and 15 July... We arrive at the airport on 14 July and depart from the Commonwealth Pier early am on 16 July. We were thinking of walking the Freedom Trail on 15 July. Please, any suggestions on how to get accommodation that's not way out of town for under $180 per night would be great. Thank you, Lissa

Myer

We were in Boston last September and stayed at the Harborside Inn.

It's located across the street from Quincy Market, less than a block from the harbor, a couple of blocks from the Old State House and a block from the Freedom Trail. And the North End Italian restaurants are a 10 minute walk away.

It's not luxury but more of a boutique style hotel.

I would definitely stay there again.

For your dates the price for two is about $200.

We even took the subway from the hotel to the airport.

The subway station is directly in front of the hotel. There an ELEVATOR at ground level. It's a 5 minute ride under the bay and there's a free shuttle from the airport subway station to each airport terminal. The whole thing took about 10-15 minutes and all for the price of a subway ride.

dfrostnh

With AAA or AARP you can get a room for just under $180 at Best Western Roundhouse. The location is lousy but better than being out of town. We have stayed there. This was the choice of a friend who had stayed there before. We have stayed in other Boston hotels. Rooms are actually bigger than most (we had a sitting area which is great when 4 share a room). The hotel has a shuttle and of course, there are cabs. It's a long walk to a T station but do-able if you don't want to wait for a shuttle. We always took a cab back. There isn't anything good within walking distance so consider how much money you will spend on cab fare. Every time I have suggested this hotel, other posters have given it a thumbs down but I don't think they have stayed there. I would stay there again.
Priceline or Hotwire might be the way to go. Hotwire shows a great rate for a 3 star hotel in Quincy Market area. By doing a little research you might be able to figure out what hotel it is.

gail

Time for the annual sticker shock about Boston hotels for the summer. They are certainly expensive. In general, it is a balance between proximity and price - there are not cut rate "I just need a bed to sleep in" type hotels right in desirable area of Boston. Reason is that Boston is a defined geographic area with no more buildable land - supply versus demand and all that.

This question comes up every year - so do a search on Boston lodging on this board. Some cautions. Hotels list themselves as things like Boston/Waltham - and in fact the commute to the city can take an hour or more. Also, some hotels actually have a Boston address but are in creepy areas - and are just as far and as long to commute from as a suburban location. Some other suggestions if you choose a suburban location -

Commuter rail and MBTA lots in general fill very early - often by 8 AM, but in this economy there have been a few more spaces. Huge lot north of Boston in Woburn never fills up - I believe someone else mentioned another one.

Beware of "shuttles" advertised by hotel - sometimes these are wonderful, but sometimes the driver also has 6 other jobs at the hotel and there is no shuttle, especially returning at night.

And MBTA commuter rail service is very limited from suburbs except during rush hour - and really scarce on weekends. If you find a hotel from which you would be commuting in this way, go to MBTA.com and plot your time and route to see how long it would take. There are also some hotels listed as South Boston (they are really Dorchester) that list themselves as 1/4 mile to MBTA - but that 1/4 mile is not a walkable road.

Ackislander

Priceline's bidding function is really, really good for Boston, but you need to read about it and understand the zone and bidding system or you might find yourself in outer darkness.

The problem with Priceline for many people is that you cannot get a good price too far in advance since hotels hope to sell their rooms at a full price until a couple of weeks before the date. This makes many people too nervous to participate.

Fra_Diavolo

What if I told you you could get a clean, no-frills room on Copley Square for $159 a night, those dates? Yes it's a bit tired and the rooms are small, but the location is great. I stayed there for a wedding some years back and thought it was fine for what it was (understand, it is not the Copley Plaza).

Okay are you ready? Will you drop that absurd plan to return to Providence airport and spend the money you're going to save on a room in Newport? Yes?

Okay then. http://www.jhcenter.com/index.htm

BaltoTraveler

I just reserved a room for $177 (plus tax) at the Doubletree Boston Downtown... walking distance to the historic district.

Lissa2905

Hmmm... Fra_Diavolo would've so loved to stay in Newport, but the prices scared me silly. It was complicated by arriving at Quonset Point and needing to get to Newport on a Saturday afternoon. Only way I could do it was to get to the Airport on a shuttle and hire a car from there, and return it to the same place to keep the price down. I will have another look, could you give me any pointers on more reasonable prices in Newport on the night of July 18? Thanks for all the help, and yes the John Hancock looks like it may be right up my alley. I did try priceline yesterday, but nothing came back, perhaps because as Ackislander says it is too soon. Maybe I should hang on a while? Thanks, LIssa

Fra_Diavolo

Hi Lissa --

I was just joking. Prices are outrageous in Newport in summer and you are probably better off trekking back to the airport. However, you might want to look into some of the chain motels in Portsmouth (next town up on the peninsula). That way you are just a taxi ride from Newport, and can leave the next morning from there without the complications of getting to Galilee.

Good luck!

Lissa2905

Wonderful advice Fra_Diavolo I'll do just that, the hardest part however, seems to be getting to Newport from the ferry terminal in Quonset point Oh well, I'll keep trying

EmilyC

here's some thoughts...

If you are arriving from the Fast Ferry and needing to go to the Music Festival on the same day, the weather could cause you problems. Not to be a trouble maker, but if you are really intent on the festival, I would arrive by boat sooner than the same day. We have been in boating in this area for many years and we know that we are not in charge of the weather - you just never know...

There is an Enterprise car rental and Hertz within a few miles of the Quonset point fast ferry terminal. Are you arriving after 12 noon on a Saturday??

For hotels, you can also check out the smaller places in Middletown, RI which is just next to Newport....for example the Courtyard is about 220 for early July. If that's too high, there is also a Holiday Inn in Narragansett that would be about 25 minutes drive to Newport and that is about 175 during that time frame. There are also a couple of small B and B's in North Kingstown very close to the fast ferry.

Kay2

Several years ago I stayed at a Club Quarters on a weekend in Boston booked either through Priceline, Hotwire, or one of the online agencies such as Hotels.com. You might not have the same luck on a weekday as it caters to business travelers. I've also read on many boards about an older hotel near a hospital that books up way in advance because of its lower prices. If you check tripadvisor, you can probably find it.

Anonymous

The "older hotel near a hospital" might be the John Jeffries, which used to be the nurses' dorms for Mass General Hospital.