Celebrating my birthday and I'm up for anything for this weekend. We do want to stay in a nice hotel. We were thinking about Newport, Boston, D.C., or Philly. My objective is not necessarily to sightsee (it’s really a mixture of being someplace new, sightseeing a little bit and just relaxing with my wife).

I’ve been having a hard time finding someplace nice in Newport (many want two night stays) and you never know what you are getting at a B&B (versus an established hotel like the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philly or the Intercontinental in D.C, etc.). I’ve already been to Mystic and the Berkshires.

How has the big dig impacted Boston? There is probably good seafood in that town.

Your feedback would be appreciated.

Ed

Maybe you should consider Providence RI. I like the Biltmore for accomodations but if it's rainy, the Westin has a skywalk over to the new Providence Place mall. Ordinarily I don't like malls but this place had stores like Williams Sonoma. Across the street is a Marriott Courtyard and downtown Providence has a myriad of restaurants to choose from. With Johnson and Wales, there shouldn't be any excuse for poor service or cooking. You might check to see what kind of activities are happening this weekend - theatre etc. I think Waterfire ended Columbus Day weekend. On one visit we enjoyed simply walking around some residential streets, admiring the architecture.

I think Boston is a great choice. However, like Newport, you may have trouble finding hotels. Boston is a very popular destination and rooms tend to fill up pretty quick. Also, don't know what your budget is, but rooms in Boston are very expensive. If the Big Dig is a concern for you, don't stay near the waterfront. Stay in the BAck Bay, which IMO is the best part of Boston anyway! Some places to consider are the Lenox Hotel, Eliot Hotel, Newbury Guest House, Copley Marriott, Sheraton Back Bay, and the Copley Plaza. Seafood restaraunts are all over the city--some of my favorites are Legals, Atlantic Fish Co, and Skipjacks.

Ed:
I really think Newport would be the best choice (of those you mentioned)for relaxing with your wife. Personally, I think Newport is one of the United States' best "date" cities. I find it difficult to believe that the good hotels will be filled this weekend (although I was there last weekend and the good weather attracted many visitors), so although they might not take reservations for 1 night stays, I think if you show up late Saturday morning you should find a room available (they want to hold rooms open for friday/sat night stays, once Saturday rolls around things open up). Remember, Newport is a small city, so checking at the desk of the waterfront's top 2-3 hotels will take no more than 30-45 minutes. In fact, if you are interested in checking out the B&Bs, many of them are located in the "Point" neighborhood, and are tucked in between historic colonial-period houses. So, walking from B&B to B&B becomes part of the vacation!

Hi, I agree with Betsy, I just returned from Boston and I absolutely loved it. The back bay is a nice area to stay. If you decide on Boston I recommend you try the Gryphon House on Bay State Road. An exceptional B&B.

The weather in DC is supposed to be fantastic this weekend if that's a consideration -- this is absolutely the best time of year to come to DC. Stay at the Four Seasons in Georgetown if you want posh, or the Tabard Inn in Dupont Circle if you want something smaller and more romantic (or maybe the Mansion on O, which I've heard great things about).

We just returned from 2 weeks in NE...At the end of our trip we stayed in Newport at the Francis Malbone House...great location on Thames and the city of Newport is fabulous. We toured 3 of the "cottage" and loved the cliff walk. Also stayed in Boston at the Haborside Inn. Right on the big dig but heard NO noise. A great location next to the wharf and Fanueil Hall and reasonably priced for Boston with a continental breakfast. I LOVED Boston. A great city for walking, people were friendly, and we loved the Blue Man Group at the Charles Playhouse! The 360 degree view from the Prudential Tower is breaktaking!

Stay at the Jefferson in D.C., if you can afford it. It's one of the nicest hotels in the country.