Gordon_R

We will be making our first visit to Boston around 10-13 October this year. We are completely shocked by some of the hotel prices, US$300+ a night seems quite typical for centrally located hotels. This is WAY more than we've ever paid in other US destinations that we've visited. I realise it's the foliage season, but are we missing something or is it just an abnormally expensive destination?

Any practical suggestions for somewhere nice to stay in the US$100-150 range? Doesn't necessarily have to be right in the city centre, as long as we can take public transport. Thanks!

bm

Yes, hotel rates in Boston are very high. Not surprised you are finding those rates.
Check out the Midtown Hotel. It's in the Back Bay and is in a good location. It's a no frills, outdated place, but the rooms are clean and the staff is pleasant.
If you want to stay outside the city to save money, check out the Holiday Inn Newton at the Riverside T station. There is a good concentration of motels in Woburn as well, near the Commuter Rail station.

wyatt92

October is an expensive time and your dates may coincide with the Head of the Charles regatta. Your budget will be tight.

I would absolutely not stay in Woburn or any place that far out. Have you tried Priceline?

socialworker

A poster last year sometime used Priceline and got a Ramada Inn on the Southeast Expressway in Dorchester that had a totally misleading description of where it actually was. The classification for location that Priceline uses defies logic sometimes. What I mean is, if you do use Priceline, be sure you understand their method of classifying locations.

socialworker

PS That is the week-end following Columbus Day and is the Parents' Visiting Week-end for some local universities. Therefore, a large influx of out-of-towners have booked rooms far in advance, as the dates for these week-ends are known ahead.

janisj

Priceline zones are clearly spelled out. You can't just use the zone's name - you need to study the map and not bid a zone that includes areas you want to avoid.

cmcfong

Check the Newbury Guest House at 261 Newbury St. It is a very convenient location. I used Priceline for Back Bay and got the Hilton for well under $200 during a major convention last October. Before using Priceline educate yourself on www.betterbidding.com and www.biddingfortravel.com

Have a great time. It is a wonderful city!

ilovetulips

The prices are so high because you are going during peak leaf season. I would suspect that prices are much more reasonable during other times of the year. When we were in Boston many years ago, we weren't even able to find a hotel in the city so we stayed outside in a town called Methuen sp? Of course if you stay outside of Boston proper you will need a car. Whatever you decide to do, nothing beats Boston in the fall and I encourage you to take at least one day to drive into some of the smaller towns to really see the foliage, it is spectacular.

alex33

I recall staying at a Red Roof Inn on Boylton Ave I believe, not too far out; then it was like 80.00 But you would need a car.

Kealalani

Search like madd and when you find something that doesn't hurt so much, check the cancellation policy and book it.

Blocks of rooms are most likely being held by Colleges and Conventioners. Avialability and rates will fluctuate but you do not want to be left with flights and no rooms inside Boston proper. Hopefully with a backup booked, something wonderful will show up.

gail

It is true - I have no idea why Boston prices are so high. Explanations such as high cost of land, limited space, taxes, etc. are true, but apply to a dozen other cities I can think of with much lower rates.

I am glad I live here so I don't have to deal with this - but property costs, both rental and purchase, are very high as well. A word of caution - if you find a bargain, make a cancellable reservation and ask here about that hotel. I have yet to hear of a bargain Boston hotel price that did not have serious issues with property or location - you may choose to deal with these issues, but at least you should go into this informed.

Ryan

I don't know of any specific conferences, but if that's a midweek period, there could be at least one major convention in town.

There are also lots of money managers and hedge funds in Boston. The fall is usually a prime time for financial conferences.

Any convention or seminar of size has probably locked in rooms already, which would limit supply.

And it being Boston, chances are they are assuming the Red Sox have a home WS game on that Tuesday. Advance planning perhaps.

capecodshanty

Gordon R- try the John Jeffries House- if you google John Jeffries House, Boston, you will see on their web site a standard room is 135-139, and a suite is 155.00 We have stayed here several times, and like it's location in Boston-at the foot of Beacon Hill,and s closeby subway to the Back Bay or Faneuil Hall. It was formerly a nurses dorm, for the Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary Infirmary, years ago.

highflyer

You could stay at the Four Points Sheraton at Logan airport. It's just under $200 a night for your dates, 5 miles from the centre but the free shuttle will drop you at the T station.
We've stayed here a few times usually before flying out of Logan and the hotel is fairly new, comfortable and clean.

Boston hotel rates do vary greatly by season and you're here during the peak.

escargot

here is a recent thread that might interest you - lots of good options for lower price lodging, if you continue through the thread, not only where they ended up but some other good suggestions. I believe she ended up wiht an apartment in an exc location - Marlborough St - for something like 175 per night -

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=35001376

Dana1

Try the Boston Park Plaza. I was in a similar predicament and a local suggested this place as being the most reasonable within the heart of the tourist area ( I wanted to be able to walk to places).

FurryTiles

Hi Gorden, went thru' the same jaw-dropping exercise as you re Boston hotel prices, as mentioned in the thread escargot linked to.

We have indeed achieved a wonderful studio apartment on Marlborough @ $175 per night and we're thrilled. Cancellation policy is clearly spelled out if you make a lodging enquiry thru' bnbboston.com, as we did. Plus there are less expensive lodgings too, some under U$100.

Good huntin'
Jackie

Gordon_R

Thanks for all the great information - it gives me some hope! Just as an aside, we were in Tokyo last year and easily found somewhere central for the equivalent of USD200 per night.

I've emailed the John Jeffries house to check their availability, and will check out the othr suggestions others were kind enough to make.

One thought I had is maybe to stay near Logan airport. We will arrive in the late afternoon on October 10, so it is appealing not to have to travel too far. Also, the airport hotel prices seem to be lower and we could always commute in/out of Downtown on the T - not perfect but doable for a few days? I found a rate for the Embassy Suites Logan Airport for GBP89 per night (USD180). It also struck me that we could hold off picking up our hire car (needed for the rest of our New England tour) until we had finished the Boston leg of the trip. I hear roads are busy and parking very expensive in Boston anyway (sounds familiar - just like home in the UK!), so the money we save on a car we don't need copuld offfset the higher hotel costs. This is beginning to sound like a plan...

kjenn

We stayed over New Years and bid for a hotel on Priceline. We got the Boston Park Plaza, a beautiful hotel right off Boston Common for around $75/night. I've used Priceline in Boston, Miami, San Francisco and other cities and have always been extremely happy with my hotels. Also, have you checked hotwire.com? You can use sites like www.betterbidding.com and www.biddingfortravel.com to try and figure out likely hotels.

You may want to check VRBO.com too. Its a site where ppl list their vacation homes, etc. I know that there were quite a few 1 br. or studios for rent nightly in NYC. Probably Boston too. Good luck

Ackislander

You can usually get the Embassy Suites for $135 USD per night if you prepay, though you cannot then cancel. That includes a good breakfast -- omelettes prepared in room, etc. They have a van that will pick you up at the terminal and drive you to the T. The downside is no view. Our usual view looks out on the Avis parking lot, but you do get two rooms for the price, nice if you are jetlagged and wake up at 4 AM, as many UK visitors do.

Absolutely do not rent your car until leaving Boston. You won't need it, parking is dear in lots, particularly those near attractions and non-existent on the street. The T and busses go everywhere pretty efficiently, and just riding the Riverside T line D to its terminus and back is an interesting view of a cross section of Boston when it is too hot to do anything else.

You should look into picking up and dropping off your car in Cambridge or Brookline rather than Boston as you may then avoid substantial city fees on rentals. It is a bother, but it can be a money-saving bother. Compare rates with taxes and without. One person can drop off the other with the luggage, return the car and be back on the subway in 45 minutes or so.