Nicest hotel outside Boston
 

What are some suggestions for the nicest hotel in the Boston area (but not in Boston proper)?

Since I only need to drive into Boston one afternoon I don't want to have to pay the premium (and the crazy parking charges) for a hotel in the city

How far outside Boston?

What sorts of things are you wanting to do/see in the area?

I'm attending an event in Boston and I want to arrive a day early to hang out.

I know Boston has some really great hotels (Ritz, Four Seasons and some boutique properties) that are out of my price range and want to know how good a place I can get outside the city (Nice rooms, good pool, etc. )I know there are plenty of Marriotts, Sheratons, etc , but if any happen to be especially nice/renovated/updated, that would be good to know

About 25 miles (in any direction) would work. I will be heading north from there a day or so later, so it doesn't really matter if I stay north, south or west (since I'm coming from NYC)

don't know about "nicest"--we have not sampled all that many. Last fall we stayed at the Medford Hyatt Place which is newly renovated, is convenient to the highway and Boston, had nice rooms, ok continental breakfast buffet.

topping

I've spent most of my life residing in the Boston area and I cannot think of a single hotel within a 25 mile radius with your requirements.

The Crane Estate in Ipswich is not in your radius and even that does not meet your idea of requirements.

Good luck, I'd stick with a Boston hotel, or go with a much larger radius.

Well, that 25 mile radius is not a firm number :)
Basically, I want to be able to drive into Boston one day without a really long drive. 30 miles, 35 miles, 40 miles -- any better??

Also, maybe I need to clarify --I'm not looking for a resort or a super luxury place (not many of those in the suburbs, I know). Just something scaled up from my usual business hotel travels.
Thanks!

NO personal experience - but you can check out the Hotel Indigo in Newton. It is new and supposedly a boutique hotel. Since it's new, relatively few reviews on tripadivsor.
http://www.newtonboutiquehotel.com/

well my guest bedroom is available, but you'd have to sleep with the hound!

It's supposedly right next to the T stop (last stop on Green Line D), so you don't even HAVE to drive into Boston.

that looks interesting yk

That does look interesting--thanks.
Prices are certainly better than most Boston hotels- around 140-150 per night

I think Indigo is a new brand from the Intercontinental/Holiday Inn chain. I figured that one of the major chains would be coming out with one of their new
boutique-y, "younger" concepts in this part of the country. The Hyatt Place that vttraveler mentions is also along those lines, I think

Yes, Hyatt Place is a new brand described on the Hyatt website as
"a new kind of hotel that puts style, innovation and The Hyatt Touch® within everyone's reach." They set up the guest rooms with a 42" flat-panel HDTV (a big plus for our son) and a living room area with a sofa

We got a good rate at the Hyatt Place in Medford because we were visiting Tufts

Another plus for us was ability to walk to restaurants in Medford Square from the hotel

Hyatt Medford, wasn't that previously the Amerisuites? Hope they did some major renovation.

Why would you want to drive into Boston? Why not stay somewhere near a train station or T station?