could someone please reccomend a good convenient hotel or motel that would be a base to visiting boston. one that would be outside the city but close to the mbta line. we would really like to stay away from driving in the city but would still like to see the sites. thank you

If you choose a city hotel, you can just leave your car in the garage and use taxis and/or subway and/or walk. This is what we usually do when we visit a city but make sure you get explicit instructions from the hotel as to how to get there.

This post will put you back to the top and maybe you'll get some suburban hotel recommendations.

In May, 4 of us stayed in the Wyndham Chelsea for 4 nights. It is outside Boston and we had real trouble with cab drivers not knowing where the hotel was. It is newly opened this year. Great rooms, great staff and fabulous pool. Restaurant v. good also.We went into downtown Boston everyday. They have a shuttle to the nearest MBTA(?)or we had cabs (arround 15 dollars each way. It cost 90 dollars a night and compared to the prices in hotels downtown, felt the cab fare was a reasonable expense. Would definitely recommend before it gets popular.

Pat, Boston is filled with hotels in the suburbs near the T. Pick a direction. If you stay West, in Newton at the Holiday Inn it's next to the Riverside T station. It's $2.50 into town and $1 back (it's our crazy system...just figure $3.50 rt). The places in Quincy and Braintree are also on the T. Be carefull of places on the commuter rail as they don't run as often.

Somewhat closer (and depending on your price range) there's a Holiday Inn in Brookline, on the T and about a ten min. ride into downtown. It's in a lovely area, and you could walk to Fenway Park. The T is only $1 into town and back ($2 rt). There's a place called the Terrace Motel in Brighton (it's a Best Western I think) which is also on the T and convenient, though not in as nice an area as the Brookline places. I heard the Sheraton Newton is having a sale of $139/night and it's over the Mass Pike, and convenient to buses into the city (express and local). How about a B&B? Many are cheaper than hotels and in lovely areas near the T. There are agencys which can help you find them.
Good luck, and contact me if you need more help.

Best Western Longview. It is in a little plaza that has support services for the nearby medical offices and schools.Close to the T also. Starbucks across the street. Great little tea shop inside plaza.Walking didtance to Isabella Stewart Museum.

I think Gail means the best Western LongWOOD, not LongVIEW (Longwood is the med center area).

I just head a special on the radio for the new Seaport Hotel in Boston advertising rooms till September for $107 an night which is a steal for Boston. Might be worth looking into. Also the new Wyndham in Chelsea is actually a very good location for accessing the MBTA. You can even hop on the comuter rail which will take you to either Salem, Gloucester or Rockport. If you look into the Wyndham be aware that it is in a very busy commercial district of Chelsea so outside of the hotel or hopping on the train there is nothing else there.

The Cambridge Marriott is an incredible bargain at $99 a night on the weekends. It is located right on top of the Kendall T stop (red line). The hotel is clean, spacious, and about what you'd expect from a good Marriott property. Several excellent restaunrants nearby (along with a Rebecca's Cafe and Au Bon Pain for a cheap, decent breakfast across the street!). The view out our window (downtown Boston across the Charles) was the best I've had in Boston.

It's hard to beat this location or price, folks!

Pat,

If you're still looking for a good deal on hotel accommodations, you might also want to try Hotwire (www.hotwire.com).

I'm not sure when you're traveling but I did a quick search on Hotwire and I found some great deals for accommodations in Boston for Labor Day Weekend in Cambridge and in Beacon Hill/Downtown unless that's too close to the heart of the city for you). Both are near the mbta line: in Cambridge, $66/night for a mid-range (3 key) hotel and in Beacon Hill / Downtown, I found a great rate of $55/night for a really nice, upscale (4 key) hotel property.

(In order to get these great deals, you won't know the name of the hotel or the exact street address until after you make your purchase. Don't worry though, you DO get to specify the neighborhood where you'd like to stay.

I hope this helps with your hotel search.

Good luck!

- Rachel
The Hotwire Traveler

I just stayed at the sheraton newton. I recommend the hotel--very friendly staff; beautiful linens in the room. We drove into Boston and had no traffic problems at all.