This is my first time on the forum. I have read a lot and got some great ideas from being on the site.
We will be in Boston in early July for 4 nights. I have gathered that it is an expensive city to stay in. Myself and two adult daughters are looking for accommodation for about $200-250/day. Having 3 makes it difficult. We'd like to be close to tourist attractions.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!!
Stimps

I just noticed that I've posted this in the US. Not so. Should read posted in Australia

No - you posted it in the correct place. The title means where you are going, not where you are. You are showing good judgement to visit Boston from Australia in July and not January - it is currently 0 degrees F here. (or -17C if that is scale you use)

Some non-specific suggestions - Boston lodging and price is discussed here frequently - if you search Boston Lodging or Boston Hotels you will get many suggestions and reviews. If 2 of you can share a queen size bed, you should not have a problem finding a hotel. If not, there are 2-bedded rooms where they canput in a roll-away/cot that will be uncomfortable but make it possible.

I just checked on a couple of sites (expedia.com and travelocity.com to get a general picture of hotels and cost. You can get something in that price range in downtown Boston, even over July 4th. Make sure you stay in hotel that says it is "downtown" or "Copley" or "Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market". Do not stay at the airport, any hotel that calls itself Boston/and then the name of some other town - commuting in is often a nightmare. Hotels in the first 3 areas are within walking distance to much and a short MBTA (subway system) ride to everything else. Some hotels will say they have shuttle to MBTA or even Boston - they can be unreliable or crowded, so keep that in mind as you factor location and cost.

July 4th is Independence Day - AKA 4th of July. It is a big time to visit Boston - so hotels are a bit more expensive and choices may fill sooner. But the upside is that it is a great time to visit our city - lots going on and much of it is free.

Welcome to Fodors and have a good trip to Boston - there are several Bostonians who are regular posters here and many more who will be able to give you specifics on Boston from a visitor point of view.

I may be the only person on Fodor's who has stayed at the Best Western Roundhouse. Four of us shared a room which has a sofa bed. If you have a rental car which is usually a burden in Boston, this hotel has complimentary parking and is very close to Rt 93. One friend had stayed there before and liked the convenience. The bad side is it's a long walk to a subway station although the hotel provides a free shuttle to popular areas of the city. There aren't any nice restaurants nearby and it's not an area where I would walk at night. It's probably the worst area of Boston we've stayed in but actually a comfortable hotel. No matter where we stay, we always use a cab at night.
For a view: my favorite place to stay was a Cambridge hotel overlooking the Charles River. Downside was a long walk to the subway station and longer cab rides at night.
For convenience: it may depend on your activity plans. Marriott Long Wharf was great but so is the Copley area.
If you can get a good deal on priceline or hotwire, that would be the way to go.
Since we drive into Boston, we always have a car to park. We have had problems with driving directions before the advent of GPS and Mapquest. One of us is fairly familiar with Boston streets but it's usually a white knuckle drive for me despite navigational help. The Roundhouse is probably the most convenient hotel to drive to but most people frown on the area. Just about everywhere else is a nicer location unless it's a hotel out on Rt 1.

It is great to be in Boston for 4th of July. Noone does the celebration better. But you are going to have plenty of company, as Gail says. The key factor is public transportation into the city and to the tourist sites. None of those places with names like "Boston-Peabody" has it.

You are wise to start looking now, and you may well want to go over your daily average for your trip in order to be conveniently located in Boston.

There are two places in Brookline I would suggest you look at: the Holiday Inn on Beacon Street and the Courtyard in Coolidge Corner. Brookline touches Boston near Fenway Park, and both of those hotels are across the street from the Green Line trams that give you access to everything. I would not suggest that either will give you a peak hotel experience, but the Courtyard in particular is in an interesting area with lots of inexpensive restaurants that will allow you to save on food what you spend on the room. The Holiday Inn is withing ten minutes walk of Coolidge Corner and is about the same or a bit less from an area called "St Mary's" which has a cluster of restaurants, bars, etc, which offer good value.

In the Copley Square-Prudential area, there is a very large Sheraton and a very large Hilton, in addition to more upscale Marriotts and a cluster of luxury and boutique hotels. The Hilton and Sheraton sometimes offer good value for the looation, and you may be able to use points.

If convenience is not as important as money, the Embassy Suites at the airport offers two room suites that will sleep three with excellent breakfasts included for a very reasonable price if booked and paid for in advance. It is located near the T, two stops from the city, but it is in an area with absolutely no charm at all.

You can try the Doubletree Suites in the City; not the one out in the suburbs.

A big thanks to you all. I'm always impressed by the speedy responses and the generosity shown on this site.
I like some of the suggestions and thanks for the July 4 information.

The Buckminster Hotel (at Kenmore square, next to Boston Univ and Fenway Park) is very reasonable and right on top of the T station.

This place is right next to a T station as well. Other Fodorites have spoken well of the place.
http://www.johnjeffrieshouse.com/