University accomodations in Boston?
 

Does anyone know anything about university accomodations in Boston? In some old posts here on Fodors there were several references to colleges and universities who offer their dorm rooms during the summer months. Can someone help me with this? I am looking for a super budget way to stay and sightsee for a week while my son attends a youth leadership conference on medicine thru Harvard. Thanks!

topping

Crepws have you tried emailing the universities? I was unaware they did that. I have no guest room and so this will be helpful for me. I live now between MIT and Harvard, but how I do miss my Newbury St apartment!

No, other than the few major ones, I don't know which others to try. Since I didn't get any responses here, I think I will just call the Convention and Visitors Bureau and see if they can help me. If I find out anything, I'll let you know.

This would indeed be useful info, I"'e never heard of a school in the Boston area doing this even though it would probably be a big money-maker. But speaking of money-makers, many of them use their dorms over the summer for conferences, summer school, etc.

It's possible that Boston has rules against using rooming houses (i.e., dormitories) as short-term hotels, though most of the colleges in the area aren't in Bostn properl.

Here is the post from Fodors archives. Unfortunately this poster never came back and gave out the information which she appeared to have. Maybe someone else that knows about this will post.

Author: Bonnie
Date: 06/06/1997, 11:58 am

Message: Hi, Lorraine. Have you considered university accommodations? If you still haven't found cheap accommodations, let me know and I'll give you names and phone #s of 3 Boston universities that rent out their dorm rooms in the summer. Have a great trip! I was there myself a couple of years ago and just loved it. What a pleasant, intellectual city without the usual grime and intensity one would expect to find in a big city.
/Bonnie

Since the post is nearly 8 years old, it's also possible that the schools' policies have changed and they no longer do this.

crepes_a_go_go: I've been thinking about your situation.

My son is graduating from Boston University in May and for commencement, they offer family housing in their freshman dorm, Warren Towers for $65/night from May 20-22.

Now, I have never heard of housing being available for "renters", so I don't know if it is even possible. But there seems to be no regulation prohibiting it because they allow family, friends, etc. to stay perhaps only during this particular time.

Here is the number for the Office of All-University Functions, 617-353-5115, which will take commencement reservations. I suggest you give them a call and ask if they will rent you a dorm - it can't hurt to try. Good luck.

Hi crepes,

I knew people who stayed in a dormitory at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge a few years ago. Worth checking on. I believe the rates were quite reasonable. 617 868-3450

CW

Hosteling International (www.hiayh.org) used to get use of one of the dorms in Boston (BU ?) for use during summer months,
Boston at Fenway - 575 Commonwealth Avenue - Boston MA 02215
Tel: 1-617-267-8599
Fax: 1-617-424-6558
[email protected]

Thanks for all the replies and phone numbers. Staying at hostel prices would be the only way I could afford to do this as this conference my son is attending is costing about $3000. My 11 year old son and I would like to drive him up to Boston and make it into a vacation for the 3 of us. We are located in New Orleans and have never been to Boston. We'd like to route ourselves thru DC and Philadelphia as well, but we've really got to find cheap accomodations (without staying in risky areas) to be able to pull this off. I will post anything I find out.

You need to look into booking rooms through Priceline, it would be cheaper than hostels for 3 people and you can choose which neighborhood your hotel will be in even thogh you can't choose the specific hotel. There are wonderful online resources like www.biddingfortravel.com where you can learn how to bid and see lists of what other people have paid and won. I have never had any problem traveling with my 2 kids in Priceline hotels including in DC.

But Anonymous, what about the fact that Priceline says it is only for rooms for 2 people? What about that? That's why I have never used it (hence one reason I guess I don't know how to do it!) The only way I would hostel is in hostels that offer private rooms.

Hence, a charge by the room and not charged per person. University conference housing can be quite nice. I use my own university's conference housing in the summers and I have a double room with a private bath and small sitting room attached, a small fridge and microwave, all for $20 a night! Plus there is a kitchen on each hall if I need to use a cooktop or stove! University accomodation is quite common in Québec, London, and even in Paris. It's a great concept that I wish would catch on in large cities here in the US!

Gee whiz, crepes, I just double checked the price I quoted you for BU commencement and it is $65per person/night (ahh, but that includes breakfast). LOL - for THAT you get a double occupancy room with NO phone, tv, and the use of the bathroom down the hall - hope they clean it well!

How about Harvard, where you son is attending the conference? Do they give any ideas on where HE can stay? Maybe you can arrange something that way.

Again, good luck.

It's true that Priceline only requests/guarantees a room for two people, but except in NYC, the risk of getting a room that cannot acommodate an adult and two children is vanishingly small, and IMHO a risk worth taking. I've done it several times.

Once, when I had booked a PL room at the Marriott Metro Center in DC for a trip with my daughter, I called to verify that we could get a room with two beds. Then my son decided to come along, so my dd and I expected to share a bed. Well, when we showed up at the hotel (at 11 PM!) and they saw our situation, they went out of their way to get us a room that not only had 2 beds, but also room for a rollaway, which appeared in minutes, so that nobody would have to share.

Is your son accustomed to taking public transportation? There are a couple of suburban towns on the other end of the Harvard subway line, where hotels would be economical. If you stay in town, you'll have to pay for parking.

<<<<<Is your son accustomed to taking public transportation? There are a couple of suburban towns on the other end of the Harvard subway line, where hotels would be economical. If you stay in town, you'll have to pay for parking.>>>>>

He is very experienced on the Paris metro and somewhat on the London Tube. He will be staying in a dorm at Harvard for the conference. My younger son and I will stay elsewhere and sightsee during the day. Then the older one will join us for activities some nights.

Regarding staying suburban, I had actually thought of this but don't know the areas at all. I did this my last time in DC - stayed in the 'burbs, parked in a commuter parking lot and took the train into the city each day. Worked great. Can any Bostonians help me with info in this regard?

There have been lots of past Fodors threads on the Boston suburbs, which you can search for. In Boston, you could certainly use PL because you only need accommodations for two! If you stay in Braintree or Quincy, most of the chain hotels there will run shuttles to the subway system so you don't have to deal with the hassle and expense of driving and parking in Boston. On weekdays, the parking garages fill up very early.

Boston also has a Commuter Rail system, which goes farther out, but which costs a lot more, runs less often, and thus isn't as good as a tourist option.

You can see all the transit lines for Boston at www.mbta.com and Washington at www.wmata.com

Somerville and Medford are close to the Harvard Campus. There are several hotels in those areas that will pop up on priceline - Amerisuites(Medford), Tage Inn (Somerville)or the airport area(Hyatt usually under $50). If you don't mind staying a little further out you can get good rates in Burlington.

What are your dates?

Burlington is 15 - 20 miles outside Boston, a suburb with industries and hotel needs of its own, and the commute would be a nuisance. If you decide to stay in the burbs, there are closer places that are probably good deals, too. Whatever place you choose will be a compromise between room rate, parking fees, and ease of access to the city.

I have not heard recently of any college in Boston area renting out rooms to travelers unafiliated with a University function. Our son has friends at virtually every Boston-area college, so it is likely we would have heard of this if it were possible.

Cheap summer accomodations in Boston are going to be virtually impossible - as suggested above, do a search. It really is a trade-off between convenience and accessibility to Boston and cost. Be aware that mileage to Boston is not a reliable measure of how long it would take you to get into city. Cost of parking is also a factor - either at hotel or if you choose to drive into Boston.

If you decide to hotel shop, especially in outlying area, perhaps you could repost the name/location of that hotel and I am sure you would get all sorts of info on area, commute, etc.

I believe some of the Elderhostel excursions involve lodging in university dorms on occasion, which would be a private arrangement not advertised to the general public. This might be the source of some of the references to using dorms for "hotels."

Well, I guess the phrase "it never hurts to ask" comes into play here. I sent out a few emails yesterday and I have received a response from one Boston University stating that they do in fact offer dormitory accomodations during the summer months. It is available to the public, not in any way tied to functions at the university. They are sending me a packet of information. When I have received it, I will post the findings.

I usually have a car when in Cambridge visiting my daughter at MIT so I try to find hotels that don't charge for parking. If you are staying at BU I'm sure it won't include parking which can run $25-35 a day. You will want to use public transportation while there as parking will be expensive and in Cambridge street parking is for residents in most areas. There is great info on Cambridge/Boston parking on the biddingfortravel website.

other universities to try would be emerson college, suffolk university and Boston College. Go through their housing or special events offices. Boston College might work well as it's on he green line into Boston and there is bus service in Cleveland Circle (close to Boston College) to Harvard Square. Wellesley College is fairly active with summer programs but worth a try. Regis College in Weston might also offer rooms (and have parking).

Have you tried through Harvard to rent a room there. You probably wouldn't end up right in the same dorm as your other son (good for you both!!). Also try Harvard Business School (HBS). each college at Harvard is fairly independent from the other. The divinity school is also worth a shot. But business school has the best room/apartments!! Each time you get a person on the phone ask THEM for ideas as well!
Parking will be a huge issue if you're at Harvard or even BU. Might try to secure parking as well. If you do end up at BU try to figure out the busses over the river to harvard. It would be the fastest way without a car!

As you said that your son is able to stay in dorm room accommadations for the conference, did you already ask Harvard U if that extends to family members ???

Ran a quick Google search and found this ... per website >>>
http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/publicat...k/housing.html
Conference Housing in a GSAS Residence Hall --- The GSAS residence halls, located in the Oxford Street area near the Science Center, include Conant Hall, Perkins Hall, Child Hall, and Richards Hall.

During the summer, rooms are available for use by conferences. Members of the University community who are organizing a conference and are interested in sleeping rooms should contact GSAS Housing Services at 617-495-5060 or at [email protected].

crepes: I'm curious, did you get the information you requested and were you able to find an appropriate accomodation?

ttt

Any luck?

seetheworld, I never received the information promised to me from Suffolk University. However, in the meantime, my son's seminar and stay has been extended to two weeks which is longer than is doable for us as a family.

But if this is something in which you'd be interested, Suffolk definitely does it. I think I wrote to the director of residence life. I googled for their website and went from there. Good luck.