Boston Hotel Trouble
 

Im going insane trying to find a good but not super expensive hotel..Ive looked at so many Im gonna scream :)
Im trying to find a hotel for 9/20 to the 23rd. I wasnt trying to go above 170 but its looking like I might. I saw the Best Western is 204 a night and its next to fenway..Is that a good location? Were going to one game there on that monday. I just want to make sure its close to everything some other things. Or at least public transportation
Thanks

Are you talking about the BW on Longwood? It is a perfectly safe area; right in the medical complex.

That hotel didnt have any rooms for the time I'll be up there..I was looking at the BW Adams Inn which it says is in Quincy..5 miles from downtown and The Howard Johnson Inn Fenway..which says its next to the stadium.

The Howard Johnson's is right by Fenway. It's definitely a budget choice but hotels in Boston are expensive, especially in Sept.

I would stay in Quincy ONLY if the hotel is within walking distance of the T and you couldn't afford to stay in town.

The HoJo/Fenway location is fine. I was looking up its reviews on Tripadvisor. I have to say though, reading those with a grain of salt, that the SIX most recent reviews were all posted as 5*s and all 6 reviewers were one-timers (ie, people who registered and posted only 1 review). These one-timers' 5* reviews always make me a bit suspicious. However, if that's the only place in town you can find affordable rates, I'll take it.

Do you have any other suggestions on hotels that are around the 150-200 a night?? Thanks

It looks like there are very little availability for your dates... I'd just grab whatever is still available and within your budget.

Just a quick look at Hotwire and Priceline for your dates, the cheapest 3-4* hotels are at least $200+ and up to $400+.

If you're considering staying at the BW Adams in Quincy, you can also consider the Hotel Indigo Riverside in Newton. It is next to the last Green line "D" T stop. It is about a 40-min ride into the city, but also stops right at the Fenway stop (~30-min ride from the hotel). Not the most convenient location (no restaurants w/i walking distance, so you'd have to eat dinner in town before returning to your hotel) but is available for your dates starting at $178/night.

There is a DoubleTree next to Bayside Expo, an easy walk to a T station - I have not stayed there but have met people in the lobby and they said there rooms were clean and staff friendly - you might want to look at that one -

the Quincy Hotel you mention I know has shuttles to te airport, South Station (from where you can jump on other trains, subway (MBTA) etc - I just don't know how frequent or convenient.

If you choose to stay at the BW Adams/ I would inquire about that shuttle, otherwise you would be looking at a cab ride - and if that is the case, you can always call Boston Cab and get a quote giving them the address -

There is the Chandler Inn in Boston - I have not stayed there - I did visit it since it is only a few blocks from me not long ago to scope it out for one of my relatives - it is convenient to walking Boston - and t stops - and restaurants, etc - it is also a block or two from the heart of the South End and Copley area, where you can find tons of restaurants of all prices -

I thought the lobby had a tad odor of stale smoke - cigarettes - but that could be from the days when you could smoke or from the cafe next to it - the people were extremely accomodating, showed us a room, ( via the tiny, tiny elevator) one of the newly renovated rooms - which was clean as could be - small, but perfect if you aren't going to stay in a room much - the other rooms yet to be renovated are in need of renovation - clean, but stains on rugs, etc -

if you don't mind small, and don't mind a location that is not 'pretty' - it is sort of a block or two away from wonderful places and charm, just not the particular street it is on - and the basics and not fancy, it would probably also work out well for you and you may find better rates there

Sept is a hard time in Boston (although I am tryign to think what time is not) schools, parents moving kids in, beginning of lots of classes, courses even in museums, etc -

personally, I'd rather see you stay elsewhere than the hotel so close to Fenway b/c you are seeing a game - there is more to do in other areas and you can always walk/T to the game easily enough - and I think some of your other hotel choices better -

by now you may have had numerous good postings of help - I think I started the first sentence hours ago and then got caught up in a meeting-but I'll find out when I hit post !

Thanks a lot for all the help!

www.kayak.com had quite a few under $200, but I have no idea where they are located.

yk's reference above to Priceline was for their direct-booking prices. Have you considered their bidding approach? It often works well for last-minute bookings.

I see on biddingfortravel that a recent poster won a good hotel in the Quincy Marketplace for dates just after yours. for $160.

Best Western Boston (on Longwood Ave.) is very good. Have stayed there twice. Safe, clean area near the hospitals. About a 5 minute walk to Fenway. Fenway is on the same street, so you can't even get lost! There are plenty of eating places, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks.

I thought I'd throw out a wacky suggestion: the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem. The hotel is within walking distance of the "commuter rail" and it takes about 30 minutes on the train to get to Boston. This is far from ideal, staying in Boston would always be my first recommendation, but the hotel is nice, it has a room available for $135/night on your dates, and Salem has a lot of restaurants to offer. Just wanted to give you another option to consider.

Here's the hotel:

http://www.hawthornehotel.com/index.htm

And the Boston train schedule:

http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/

Good luck!

Here are some threads with good info on good priced options - including people who were happy with b&b's and apartment options as well -

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35085593

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35151610

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35001376

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35004813

An additional note on my Salem idea. There's a ferry that takes about 45 minutes to get you to Boston:

http://www.salemferry.com/

IMO, if she's willing to stay in Salem, she could select from a dozen other surrounding towns too, plus although Salem's on the "T", it's not a short ride!

Keep it simple, stay near Fenway at the Best Western, enjoy the Fenway experience and have a nice time.

I know a great place -- unique in price and location -- but luckily the weekend you want is booked and I do not have to reveal it on a public board.

Lisamarie, our hotel of choice in Boston is usually the Charlesmark. It might appeal to a younger crowd, and the rooms are small, but we love it. It's located within 1/2 block of a subway stop and just a few streets over from lots of restaurants and shopping. You have to call the hotel for rates and availability, so I can't check for you, but here is the site:
http://thecharlesmark.com/

Thanks so much for the ideas!

You might look into a b&b. Here's links to 2 agencies that I have used (for apartments, though) and have great luck with:

http://www.boston-bnbagency.com/index.html

http://www.bnbboston.com/boston-bnbs/b&bs_4c.htm

The drawback to these might be trying to find parking somewhat nearby, but see what you can find.