Where to stay??? Downtown or Back Bay or ...

This will be my first trip to Boston June 11-14. Advice on what area to find a hotel. We will be sightseeing for a long weekend. Want to be close to sights and nice area with restaurants within walking distance. Price around $200/night. Thanks

Where to stay??? Downtown or Back Bay or ...

Both are great areas to stay for exploring Boston. In the Back Bay you have upscale shopping on Newbury Street, Copley Square and lots of great restaurants. Downtown you are closer to all the Freedom Trail historic sites, Faneuil Hall (with its shopping and restaurants) and all the great Italian restaurants in the North End. It looks like the Omni Parker House has rooms for about $200 on hotels.com. If you really want to be close to the sights, that may be a good choice -- the Freedom Trail is outside the front door and it is only a 15 minute stroll through the Common and Public Gardens to the Back Bay. There are also some very good restaurants nearby. Plus, it is close to the Park Street subway stop, so you can get almost anyplace in Boston (or to Harvard Square on the Red Line) easily from there.

Where to stay??? Downtown or Back Bay or ...

Hello there gmaday,

A few options for you to consider. I won%26#39;t way in on which location is better as I%26#39;m not local, but rather give you options in both locations:

Colonnade Hotel- room averaging $171/night when booked via the special on travelzoo.com. hotels.travelzoo.com/lodging-hotels/571725

This hotel is in the Back Bay area across from Prudential Center and recently went through renovations. Has nice rooftop pool also. Rooms are ~350 sqft with contemporary furnishings.

Jurys Hotel- $138/night on easyclicktravel.com. This hotel does have a best rate guarantee policy, so if you are interested in this hotel, I would try booking through the hotel website (make sure you book a cancelable rate!) and then fill out a claim form to get them to adjust your reservation to the low price. Located in Back Bay as well in the old Boston Police Headquarters building. This is a very good price for this hotel (I%26#39;ve never seen it this low frankly). Standard rooms are about 290 sqft.

InterContinental- #142/night on Hotwire.com. This hotel shows up on Hotwire as a 4.5 star in the Quincy Market/Financial District Zone with the amenities of non-smoking, fitness, pool, restaurant, business center, high speed internet, spa. Using betterbidding.com and the Zone, amenities, and star level, you can guess the hotel with a reasonable certainty. New hotel on waterfront in Financial District. Located next to the Aquarium and on the actual site of the Boston Tea Party, this hotel boasts large standard rooms (~400 sqft) with contemporary styling.

Nine Zero hotel- $202/night on kimptonhotels.com. Part of the Kimpton Hotel group, this hotel is located on Tremont Street across from the old Granary Burial Grounds right on the freedom trail. Basically around the block from the Parker House, so everything that Bostongal said about the location of that hotel above applies here as well. For the price above, you can book into a Premier Queen room with about 350 sqft.

There are other options, like the Sheraton (likely) on Hotwire for $106/night (which is fine but you can stay in a Sheraton anywhere) but these are the ones that stood out to me...

Let me know if you have any questions.

:)

Gosh I wish we could edit posts around here.

The above should say ';I won%26#39;t WEIGH in on which loaction is better.';

whoopsies

Thanks for the great info. I was looking at most of these hotels but the Colonnade is a new addition to my list. My dh will be on business so the company will pay for the hotel up to around $200 - $250/night. So for once the price is not as much of a factor. We enjoy being on the waterfront so we%26#39;re looking at the Intercontinental ($143 hotwire) or Boston Marriott Long Warf ($195). The Nine Zero ($202) is in the Financial District that I read may not be the best area on the weekends. I am wondering if the Marriott will be mainly families with kids? Are there restaurants close to the Intercontinental?

The second area we are looking at is BackBay. Jurys is highly rated and only $138/night nonrefundable. After looking at the Colonnade for $171 it also sounds nice. Any thoughts on advantages to one of these hotels over the others.

A little background - we are a couple around 50. Enjoy sightseeing, nice restaurants and low-key, relaxing evening. Not looking for shopping as we live in a metro area and have that at home. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

gmaday,

First, the Nine Zero is NOT in the Financial District. But even if it were, there would be nothing wrong with that. The Financial District is near the Waterfront, Fanueil Hall and the Heart of the Freedom Trail. Sure, some of the area is quiet at night, but some folks would view that positively.

If you enjoy being on the Waterfront, then the Marriott Long Wharf is the best choice. It will have a mix of everybody, including families, business people, etc. The Intercontinental is on the Fort Point Channel, close but not actually on the Harbor. But it%26#39;s only a 10 or 12 minute walk to Quincy Market and a a ton of restaurants.

In Back Bay, Jurys to me is a little better situated than the Colonnade. Closer to Downtown, more restaurants, shopping, etc.

A little background - we are a couple around 50. Enjoy sightseeing, nice restaurants and low-key, relaxing evening. Not looking for shopping as we live in a metro area and have that at home. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Sorry, thought I read in Frommer%26#39;s that Nine Zero was in downtown financial district. Fodor%26#39;s lists it in Back Bay. Jurys has a great rate of $138/nt but only on easyclicktravel.com Has anyone used this travel site? Not sure about their cancellation policy. I plan on calling Jurys to see if they will price match. They are rated #1 on TA so considering them at the top of my list? How is the location?

Also looking at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf. Rate of $195 with AAA. Any other suggestions?

If you can get Jurys for $138, definitely go with it. You won%26#39;t be disappointed. The location is excellent for getting around Boston.

Fodor%26#39;s lists the Nine Zero in Back Bay?

There is a thread on the Chicago forum regarding easyclicktravel.com right now.

鈥ripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g35805-i32-k25589鈥?/a>

I have used their sister site, lastminutetravel.com before without a hitch. I%26#39;m pretty sure they have a $25 cancelation fee, but check the fine print...

The price I%26#39;m seeing for the Jurys on EasyClickTravel is $255 per night. Was the $138 price a deal that came and went in a hurry?

We will be in Boston for 3 nights in September at the end of a Montreal-Boston cruise. We are considering the John Jeffries House, the Taj Boston, and the Lenox. Any input on any of these?

Thanks.