viragdom

My DH has a class in Boston at 1 Beacon Street in June. Our two kids and myself plan to go with him. We are trying to find a room that has complimentary breakfast, a large room, and is close to his class & places I can walk to with the kids. We reserved a room at the Residence Inn Tudor Harbor, but someone told me today that it has a terrible location because I will have to cross a long bridge to get anywhere. I am so confused! The Omni is right across the street from his class, but it doesn't seem like the kind of hotel for little kids. Any suggestions.

tondalaya

Nothing wrong with the Omni. It was formerly the old famous Parker House where we stayed on our first trip to Boston. It's almost across from the Boston Common where you can cross into the Public Garden and take the kids for a ride on the swan boats.

Anonymous

You need to get a map. That Residence Inn is indeed in an extremely inconvenient location for you. I agree, stay at the Omni (which is still known to most Bostonians as the Parker House).

gail

I will try to answer your general confusion. Like many older cities, because of finite amount of land, hotels right in Boston (near where you would be likely to want to be) are more expensive and have smaller rooms - with very limited number of suite-type hotels. So often you have to choose among price, location and size. In Boston, I can not think of any Residence Inn-type hotel that is walking distance to anything you would want to see - that is the trade-off.

We have stayed in Omni-type hotels when our kids were little and the biggest drawback is that you don't have a suite and they rarely come with breakfast. So unless someone else has a suggestion that escapes me this AM, I think you will have to decide between all fitting into a regular hotel room that is walking distance to stuff, or a more spacious layout from which you would need to take the MBTA. (I would opt for the closer location with kids)

Anonymous

The Omni is right near plenty of places where you can get an economical breakfast. Having breakfast in the hotel is convenient, especially with kids, but in this case where preferences have to be prioritized, that's one item I'd give a lower priority to.

An alternative is to ask whether they can provide a small fridge for your room, adn then stock up on brekfast items yourself.

Dreamer2

I agree with the Parker Omni, since it is so close to his conference. If the kids are older, see if you can get connecting rooms for the extra space and bathroom. You could also inquire regarding a "concierge level" that would include continental breakfast, afternoon snacks, etc.

There are a couple Boston hotels that are great for travelling with kids, but not particularly easy for his class (he'd need to take the subway) . The Sheraton Boston and Marriot Copley, both of which have pools and are connected to the shopping mall/convention center, are convenient since you don't have to bundle eveyone up to go "out." They are also near the Duck Tours. The Marriott Longwharf is by the water and Aquarium, has easy access to Fanueil Hall and the Northend, and is near a shuttle boat over to Charleston Navy Yard and Old Ironsides.

hockeymom

Also, check out the Radisson Hotel which is right near the Omni. We stayed there in December and had a suite, although it was two adults so we had a king bed. I would assume they have suites with queen beds as well. The rate we got included breakfast.

bennnie

The Marriott in the Customs House is a suite type hotel/timeshare place. Also walking distance to 1 Beacon St. I believe all the rooms have small kitchenettes.

djkbooks

The Residence Inn Tudor is actually in Charlestown, across the river from Boston. Location would definitely not be convenient with small children.

The Omni would be just fine for your family. Most rooms are not large, but they have two room suites.

I would search based upon location, and not limit yourself to places with complimentary breakfast.

china_cat

and DO take your kids on the duck tour. My 6 and 9 year old nephews loved it, it was their favorite part of their trip to Boston.

elmom

and be prepared to pay $25 a person for the duck tour - and $5 a soda at every vendor and $36 to park and $6 admission per person to every church on the freakin Liberty Trail. Our worst family vacation was to Boston. Have Fun!

Dreamer2

Elmom: Are there other cities that don't charge similarly? Or do you usually do non-city vacations?

The "Paul Revere" church, at least, does not "charge." There is a box out for suggested donations.

djkbooks

Following are the Boston Duck Tour Rates:

Adult $25.00
Adult Group $21.00
Student/Senior(62+)/Military $22.00
Student/Senior(62+)/Military Group $19.00
Children aged 3 to 11 $16.00
Children aged 3 to 11 Group $15.00
Children under 3 $3.00
Special Needs $10.00

Jackie

If it is any comfort to you, you don't need to "cross a long bridge to get anywhere" from the Residence Inn. There is a very pleasant path under the bridge that will get you to the T stop--a 10 minute walk maybe. It goes through a park and over the locks on the Charles River. Having said that, the Omni would be a more convenient location.

ccrosner

How old are your children? I'm with DJKbooks and Jackie--the Charlestown location is not bad if it means a free breakfast and a bigger room. And you never say anything about budget. Two rooms at the Omni during graduation season could be pricey.

We lived in Charlestown (a section of Boston) for 10 years and loved it for its own charm. VERY popular with many as an upscale, safe place to live. Plus you are on the harbor which is part of the charm of Boston. The LongWharf Marriott would be more convenient to One Beacon but would definitely be more pricey. The Wyndham downtown would also be close. Don't know the prices. I'm guessing the Omni Parker House rooms are tiny. Could be wrong.

If your kids are over 8, I'd stick with the Marriott Tudor.

viragdom

Sorry,I should have included my kids ages. Duh! I will have a 1 year old and a 3 year old, a double stroller, & a crib. My Dh's company will probably get us a car, but I hear parking is really hard in Boston. Not sure I should mess with that. It is funny what Gail referred to on finite amount of land. I live in NM where we have plenty of land. It is hard for me to imagine how it is there. I can't wait to see though. When traveling we are pretty low key. We love great food (mostly Italian), walking around, talking to locals, hanging out with the kids, and seeing as many sights as we can, but no biggie if we miss some.

Anonymous

Once you make your hotel reservation, speak to them about providing a crib-- it's probably unnecessary to haul one along with you.

Land is Boston is so scarce and precious, a signficant part of the downtown is built on landfill in areas that once were underwater -- the fancy Back Bay area really once was a bay, and if you visit the Faneuil Hall/Quincy Marketplace area, note that this was once the waterfront -- and now you can't even see the ocean from there.

A double stroller is almost as inconvenient in Boston as a car -- the sidewalks are very narrow (see "precious space" discussion, above!). If your stroller is the double-wide type rather than front-to-back, your mobility will be severely limited.

Don't miss the Boston Children's Museum -- plenty of activities specifically for toddlers, and even a special playroom for crawlers!

To put the city's density in a NM perspective: Albuquerque has 450,000 people in 189 square miles and Las Cruces has 74,000 in 52 square miles; Boston has 550,000 in just 48 square miles -- more than the population of Albuquerque in less than the area of Las Cruces.

gail

I second the difficulty of pushing double stroller thru much of older area of Boston, especially if it is a side-by-side model. The idea of finite space also holds for sidewalk width!

With the additional info, I am now unsure which lodging option is better. You could certainly all fit in regular hotel room, but with kids that little a refrigerator and microwave might be nice - eating out 3 meals a day with kids that little gets old really fast. But dealing with a double stroller on MBTA could be far more trouble than it is worth. Still - skip the car.

ccrosner

I think I'm now leaning toward Omni Parker (maybe a suite for more room?). Schlepping kids that age anywhere is tough work--it might be best to just stay close.

I second the recommendation of the Children's Museum. Other ideas: Museum of Science (your kids would like the Discovery Zone area) and the Aquarium (which is within walking distance of 1 Beacon).

Definitely do the Swan Boats in the Public Garden (my favorite Boston spot) and there's a nice playground on the Boston Common. Be sure to read "Make Way for Ducklings" before you come and find the statue of the ducks in the Public Garden.

Dreamer2

Unfortunately, I've heard that the Children's Museum is closed. Can anyone confirm that?

Especially at such a young age, you must bring them to the Public Gardens, duck statues, and ride the Swan Boats. You could bring a copy of the book along and have a picnic.

I think the Aquarium would be another good choice with the wee ones.

Have fun!