Jane

Looking at several hotels in the Boston area, but I can't get a feel from the websites if the locations of these places are appealing or not.

I picked them based on the chains (frequent guest programs) as well as rates and availability on the dates I need.

Ideally I would have wanted a place that has public transportation access into Boston one day, but those are the places that end up being more expensive and charge parking fees (especially in Cambridge) so maybe I'm just better off staying further out and driving in/parking in the city? If I venture into Boston by car on the 4th of July am I being suicidal?

If you have any experiences with any of these hotels or even comments on the locations,(or any specific warnings) I'd really aprreciate it.

Doubletree Club Boston Bayside 240 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston, MA 02125

Doubletree Guest Suites Boston
400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02134

Hotel @ MIT - University Park
20 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

Harvard Square Hotel-Cambridge
110 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Hyatt Harborside
101 Harborside Drive Boston, MA 02128

Embassy Suites Hotel Boston/Marlborough
123 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough, MA

HILTON BOSTON DEDHAM
25 ALLIED DRIVE Dedham, MA 02026

Boston Marriott Quincy
1000 Marriott Drive Quincy, MA 02169

Courtyard Boston Revere
100 Morris Street Revere, MA 02151

Courtyard Boston Stoughton
200 Technology Center Drive Stoughton, MA

Boston Marriott Newton
2345 Commonwealth Avenue Newton, MA 02466

Boston Marriott Burlington
Rt 128 & 3A (One Mall Road) Burlington, MA

Renaissance Bedford
44 Middlesex Turnpike Bedford, MA 01730

Jane

One more to add to list:

Radisson Cambridge (parking is included so it seems like a good deal?)

bm

Here are one's that I would cross off your list simply because they are pretty far outside the city and not all that convenient to public transportation: Marlborough, Dedham, Burlington, Revere, Stoughton and Bedford.
Also keep in mind that if you stay outside the city and drive in, you'll be paying $20ish dollars to park in a garage for the day. Not to mention that driving in Boston is a nightmare-I'm a local and avoid it whenever possible.
The Doubletree Bayside is just south of the city and is a 1/4 mile or so from the JFK/UMASS T station. Not much of a neighborhood around it (convention ctr).
The 2 Cambridge choices are in great locations esp. Harvard Sq.
Quincy Marriott is south of the city and a short drive to the Quincy Adams T Station. It's a new hotel, about a year old. Hyatt Harbourside is at Logan Airport, not a great location for touring the city.
Hope this helps!

Suzy

Yes, ti would be absolutely insane to try to drive into the city on July 4. The Pops concert draws hundreds of thousands of people. The nearest stop on the subway ("T") is on the Red Lines at the stop known as Charles/MGH.

So a hotel on the Red Line would be the most convenient. Those would include:

Doubletree Bayside (near the UMass/Kennedy station)
Hotel @ MIT (near the Central Square statio)
Harvard Square Hotel

Some of the places even in Boston aren't convenient to public transport, including the Doubletree on Soldiers Field Road and the Hyatt Harborside.

Places in Marlborough, Burlington, Bedford, Dedham, Stoughton, etc. are quite a significant commute into the city. Even if these hotels offer free parking, you will be faced with expenses of driving in -- either train fares (much higher than subway fares, and sparser schedules) or parking in the city. Which will probably be unavailable on July 4 anyway. Stay in the city!

Donna

We visit Boston many times a year. I would never, ever, book a room in the suburbs and "commute" back and forth. For one thing, you can beat the rates of all those suburban chains with Hotwire or Priceline and stay right in the city and walk all over. Of course, if your dates include July 4th, the rates will be a bit higher - everywhere. If you really must commute, study the MBTA commuter rail map. You'd be much better off driving from your suburban hotel to a train station and taking the train into Boston, particularly on July 4th (a day when parking will be outrageously expensive, if you can find any). Only problem with public transportation is that you must catch the last train home and most leave before midnight, even on the weekends. If I were you, I'd check my dates on Hotwire, then check biddingfortravel.com, then bid on Priceline.

gail

I would only pick one of the 2 Cambridge Hotels - there are 2 opinions above on Doubletree Bayside. I guess you could walk the distance to JFK stop, but is not really a walking area and there is nothing really around except the Bayside convention center which probably has nothing going on during that time.

While I think driving into Boston is difficult and expensive, I think if you are accustomed to city driving, able to tolerate getting lost on one-way streets that never seem to go where you want, and stress-tolerant, it can be done. HOWEVER - driving in over July 4 would qualify you for the psychiatric ward.

Ann

If you're coming in for the 4th of July, I'd stay at the Hotel@MIT because it's so close to the Charles River. You would not have to take the T at all, or you could take it in, but be prepared to walk back. Watching from the Cambridge side of the river is fine, there are sound towers and huge TV screens on that side as well.

If Holiday Inns are on your list of frequent guest programs, you might look into the HI in Brookline or Newton. Brookline is on the T and very close to the city, and the Newton location is at the T as well, though a longer ride into the city. There is also a Hyatt in Cambridge on Memorial Drive overlooking the river. It's not very T friendly, but they have shuttles (as does the Doubletree on Soldiers Field Rd). Driving into Boston on the 4th? Suicidal indeed!

Ted

There's a Holiday Inn in Back Bay/Brookline that's very convenient (Beacon Street). It's right on the green T line and within walking distance of numerous restaurants etc. You might want to check it out. It looks nice enough. Great location.

Jane

Thanks for all the advice--this is exactly the kind of insight I was looking for!

So it looks like the far out suburban hotels are probably off my list unless my plans work out so that I don't end up in Boston proper but need to stay outside the city.

I am accustomed to traffic-y city driving but I was pretty sure that driving in on the 4th would just be ridiculous.It looks like my instincts were correct on that!

Any more info on the Radisson Cambridge? I have a feeling that it's not near a T-station (or much else for that matter)--am I right? Their rates were good.

Thanks for the suggestions for Hotwire and Priceline but it's not a good choice for me.