Boston's Colonnade Hotel or Sheraton (back bay)?!
 

I'm planning a trip to Boston in August and would like to stay in the Back Bay area. I found these 2 hotels on Expedia/Travelocity for fairly good rates (~$160). I can't decide which to book!! Anyone have any input? Thanks.

The colonnade is nicer, less bustling and has a nice sidewalk cafe. The Sheraton is host to alot of convention groups.

I've stayed at the Colonade - I liked it alot. Especially the rubby ducky by the bathtub and the umbrella in the closet - little things that show attention to detail means something to the hotel. Very clean, room was well furnished with modernish furniture. No lobby to speak of. The pool on the roof is a hot spot for seeing and being seen in Boston. Brasserie Jo is always highly rated (haven't been myself but a foodie friend ate there recently and has gone back 3 times in a month) Also liked the location a lot. Sheraton is blah.

I also stayed at the Colonnade and enjoyed it! I would defintely stay there again.

We stayed at the Colonnade in June; I can't tell you anything about the Sheraton. <BR> <BR>We found the Colonnade to be fine, but nothing special. Yes, there was a ducky, but no blow dryer or little coffee maker in the room (if you care about that sort of thing). <BR> <BR>There is a good-sized lobby, with various sofas, etc. The concierge is pretty helpful. IMPORTANT: if you want to take a Duck Tour, your hotel concierge can get tickets for you. (Otherwise, you have to stand in a long line, as they don't sell tickets in advance.) <BR> <BR>I did not see any sidewalk cafe; even if there was, I wouldn't go to it, because there's construction quite close by (at the Prudential Ctr) across the street, which would be a little noisy. Brasserie Jo is right next door, but we wanted something more casual for breakfast, so we went elsewhere. <BR> <BR>The location and the price worked for us; it was close enough to Back Bay to walk to restaurants (for breakfast or dinner) there, and there's a T stop right outside the hotel. <BR> <BR>The pool was a nice attraction for my kids after a day roaming around Boston, and there's a bar up there, which was nice for us adults. (Though we found it interesting that the lifeguards were providing waiter/waitress service.) It didn't look to me like a place to see & be seen - it closed in the evenings, and when we were there (late in the day), there were about 4 other people lounging in lounge chairs.

They both have pluses/minuses and are not far from each other. Each one is on a different end of the Prudential Center, where there's a food court, Marche Cafe, and Legal Sea Foods if you tire of hotel food. The Sheraton has an entrance in the Prudential, and is closer to Boylston & Newbury Streets, which are great to stroll, lots of funky shops and cafes to people watch. The hotel food is probably better at the Colonnade and Copley Place, an upscale mall compared to the Prudential, is a block away. I'd consider the Colonnade slightly more sedate, because behind it are mostly residents.