A day in Boston....

[C U Onboard]

Please don't stay at the Doubletree unless all else fails.

 

Thanks for your opinion and suggestion. The main attraction of Doubletree Bayside is that they have an online ‘late check-out’ rate which is important for us because of our evening flight on Sunday. Any advice you can offer on this front would be appreciated.

[138east]

What is the rate they quoted you? Please look at a map to see where this Doubletree is - it is super inconvenient and you will either spend lots of time getting there and back on the "T" or you will spend lots on cabs. You are also not going to like the area. Call the Westin Convention Center and see what they offer for luggage - if you are actually staying at a hotel, they should keep your luggage for you (as opposed to the folks who come in on a ship and have to kill an entire day before an evening flight).

 

I can understand that you might not want to pick an "unknown" hotel from Hotwire or Priceline and prepay it. Unfortunately, that seems to be the only strategy for getting a nice hotel in downtown Boston for a reasonable price. As I said before, the 4* hotel in the Waterfront area on Hotwire for your date is most likely the Westin Convention Center. There are 3 4* hotels in this area, all within 1-2 blocks of the "T", and they are all very nice places to stay. The 3 1/2* hotel in Back Bay for $142 could also work well for you - cab to the hotel, pick up the trolley at a nearby stop.

 

The Rowes Wharf water taxi is available to you for the day you leave. You can take a cab to Rowes Wharf, buy a water taxi ticket to Logan for $10/pp and store your luggage for the day. This could be a good strategy to avoid having to return to your hotel to pick up luggage and then spend more than $20 for a cab to Logan. The thing you should know if that on the other side of the harbor you will have to get on a free shuttle bus to the Logan terminals - no worse than a rental car shuttle.

[138east]

The Hotwire hotels have actually dropped in price - the Waterfront hotel is now $134 and the Back Bay Hotel is $139. He who hesitates is lost.

[SoCal09]

Hey 138....

 

Have you eaten at the Test Kitchen near the Westin? We are planning on eating there the night we fly into Boston. Reviews say it's good....

[138east]

Yes - I've eaten lunch there several times and it was good. Supposedly this is where Legal Seafoods tries out new recipes. Their offerings are more creative than the standard New England seafood restaurants.

[fotogirl]

Lots of great info in this post! Saw the $134 price on the 4* last night on Hotwire, but didn't want to book until I had my airline tix. Booked airline this morning, go back to Hotwire, 4* is $194!

 

If anyone sees the 4* cheaper anytime soon, will you please let me know. :)

 

Thanks 138east for all the great advice!! You've made my Boston planning trip SO much easier!

[138east]

fotogirl - what date are you looking at? Is there a 3 1/2* Back Bay Hotel? IMO I think Back Bay is a better choice because of the overall ambiance in terms of restaurants and shops for the evening. However, C U Onboard was going to stay at the Doubletree in South Boston (!!!!) and wanted to drop off luggage when they docked and hit the Ho Ho trolley (that's not going to happen quickly from the Doubletree), so the 4* Westin was a slightly better fit for him or her. The down side to Back Bay is that the taxi fare is more to and from Logan. No hotel is perfect in every way.

 

I'm not sure I was emphatic enough about not staying at the Doubletree - the "T" is not far away, but every time I have been down there I have felt the area was "sketchy". There are no restaurants and no place to go at night. If UMass is in session, there are probably college students around at the "T" stop, but.... if the economics are close, I'd go with Hotwire ina heartbeat.

[fotogirl]

138east - we'll be in town on Oct 8th, leaving on our cruise on the 9th. We want somewhere safe to stay, probably won't be out too late, as we're flying in really early on the 8th (overnight flight) and sightseeing during the day. We actually were looking at the Doubletree until I read your warnings.

 

We want to be close to the port, close enough to downtown, but would like to stay around $150-$175 for the night if possible. That's why the $134 looked so ideal. And yes, we want to drop off our luggage early in the morning, and then go sightseeing until we can check in and probably pass out.

 

The 3 1/2* for Back Bay is at $179, so only $15 cheaper than the 4*. At that rate, I'd rather stay at the 4*, unless you think the area is not as ideal, based on what we're doing.

 

Thanks so much!

[C U Onboard]

you will either spend lots of time getting there and back on the "T" or you will spend lots on cabs.......

..... This could be a good strategy to avoid having to return to your hotel to pick up luggage and then spend more than $20 for a cab to Logan.

FYI the Doubletree Bayside hotel provides complimentary shuttle service to downtown and Logan airport. On this basis there should be no need for cabs, water taxis or riding the "T" for what we plan to do. Appreciate you flagging up good rates on alternative hotels currently available on Hotwire but think we will stick with our original plan to have the day room facility on Sunday. Thanks for taking the time.

[138east]

Your situation is actually very different - different date (Columbus Day weekend - lots of college family activities and fall foliage), precruise as opposed to post cruise stay, and Logan arrival instead of departure.

 

I would recommend the 4* in South Boston for your objectives.

1) Close to the port - you will eat up the 3 1/2* hotel savings in cab fares to get there and back

2) Good public transit option if you want to save more money. If you can manage your luggage at all, the Silver Line from the airport to the World Trade Center is $2/pp - escalators and elevators in the station and a 1 block walk to the Westin. The Silver Line from Logan is a disarticulated bus that is specifically designed to be a public transit option - one low step to get on - similar to a rental car bus, but much bigger, and luggage racks and not usually crowded.

3) Inexpensive cab fare to the pier or Silver Line again (SL2)

4) On your return, Silver Line option back to the airport with a change at World Trade (SL2 to SL1)

5) Silver Line to South Station to transfer to subway "T" to go wherever you want in Boston.

6) Old Town Trolley stop at the Westin if that is your choice

7) Not a lot right in the immediate area, but several good restaurants over by the waterfront. Safe area to walk at night.

[fotogirl]

Your situation is actually very different - different date (Columbus Day weekend - lots of college family activities and fall foliage), precruise as opposed to post cruise stay, and Logan arrival instead of departure.

 

Based on this, would you say the Doubletree is not such a bad fit? I like your idea of finding a hotel we can live with (Doubletree) and then checking Hotwire for a better deal as time nears. Like C U Onboard stated, DT does provide shuttle service to/fro airport, cruise terminal and downtown. Ideally though, a 4* sounds so much better. :)

 

Again, thanks so much for your help!

[138east]

C U Onboard - Please read Tripadvisor carefully about this hotel. Several folks commented that the shuttle downtown goes in frequently ONLY to the downtown Doubletree hotel, which is next to the Wang Center, several blocks from Boston Common and a good hike from Faneuil Hall and the waterfront. I'm sure return trips would be from the same location on the same infrequent schedule.

 

You stated your objectives as: "Saturday we plan to go directly to the hotel from the ship, drop off our luggage at reception and head off to pick up the Boston trolley tour (think I read somewhere the trolley stops close by the hotel but I'm not sure). Sunday we may walk the freedom trail and harbour area time permitting."

I think you will have a hard time achieving your objectives to your satisfaction if you stay at the Doubletree.

 

The cab fare from the pier to the hotel will be $15-20. If there is no shuttle to take you downtown, you will have to take the "T" or a cab the 4 miles back to downtown (another $15-20 and maybe a lot more if the infamous I93 is bumper to bumper). I honestly believe that you will have no need for cabs, the "T", or water taxis only if you stay in this hotel for the entire 2 days. There are no restaurant or shopping amenities in this area except for an Au Bon Pain in the hotel.

 

Could anyone else out there comment on this?

 

.

[138east]

fotogirl - I've posted what I've posted. The hotel is next to the Bayside Expo, which I've been to many times. I've also been to the JFK stop on the Red Line. IMO it's in an inconvenient area that has no amenities and may seem somewhat sketchy to someone from out of town. What is the price you are being quoted for this hotel? As I said, you are looking at Columbus Day weekend, which is going to be bad in Boston. I honestly don't think prices will drop on Hotwire as the time approaches, but I could be wrong. Any other weekend I might say watch and wait, but Columbus Day is very popular and the Hotwire rooms will disappear.

 

I also used to work at the World Trade Center, which is near the Westin. I took the Silver Line every day. Except at rush hour, the buses are very empty. They are easy to get on and off and the airport buses have luggage racks. A cab from the Westin to the port would be under $10. The Old Town Trolley stop is at the Westin.

 

Folks from out of town don't really understand that free shuttles are not a big part of the hotel scene in Boston. The only hotels that offer them are the airport hotels, many of which are in Revere, Saugus, or Chelsea, and several "fringe" hotels like the Doubletree in South Boston. IMO they are the come-on gimmick to out-of-towners to get them to come there. From the comments I've read about the Doubletree shuttle, it would not live up to your expectations about "shuttle service" to downtown Boston. You would end up taking cabs or the "T" anyway.

 

I really don't have a problem if you choose this hotel - I realize the price may be too good to pass up. But what you save in money, you will pay for in time and inconvenience to get everywhere.

[fotogirl]

thanks 138east! I value your opinion. Now I'm bumming that I didn't book the Hotwire 4* at $134 last night!

 

I'm inclined to stay away from the Doubletree now, based on your opinion and the reviews. If we're staying there only because of the free shuttle service, and it's spotty at best, we really don't gain anything.

 

thanks again!

[138east]

If you really want to save $$$, suck it up and pare down your luggage so that the Silver Line is a reasonable option for you. You're going to arrive early on a Friday morning when traffic into Boston is awful. The Silver Line has its own dedicated right of way into the city, so it will not be caught in any of that. This line is new within the last several years and was designed to offer a cheap, easy way for travelers with luggage to go from the airport to South Station. It's a great deal at $2/pp. If it works out, then the Silver Line is an option for getting to Black Falcon (although a cab would not be much more expensive), as well as an option for returning back to Logan after your cruise (a more expensive cab ride because of surcharges and tolls).

[fotogirl]

travelocity has a top secret 4* hotel in downtown Boston/Waterfront for $128. Any ideas which hotels these might be?

 

138east-would love to pare it down, but being that we'll be on a two week cruise, it won't be feasible. We're resigning ourselves to the fact that our one night stay in Boston is going to be pricey. Unless the travelocity deal pans out. Thanks! :)

[138east]

That's a fabulous deal for Columbus Day weekend. Grab it. It doesn't matter what hotel it is - you will not be disappointed in any 4* Boston Hotel. My guess is that it is still the Westin, which may not be selling well for that date.

[C U Onboard]

Please don't stay at the Doubletree unless all else fails. The location is super inconvenient unless you are just doing the JFK Library. There is nothing much around the hotel except the Bayside Expo Convention Center. You will probably not feel comfortable walking to the hotel at night and it's not an area where you can just hail a cab.

 

Having said all that, look at Hotwire for Sept 18. I am seeing two of our favorite hotels for that date. The $139 4* hotel in Waterfront is most likely the Westin, which is only a few blocks from the Black Falcon Terminal. The trolley has a stop there. The $142 3 1/2* hotel in Back Bay is most likely the Sheraton, which would also be within walking distance of a trolley stop, but would be a longer cab ride from the pier. The big difference between the properties is that there is nothing much at the Westin, but there are some restaurants in the area. Very safe, but not a lot of action. Also close to the pier, airport, "T", and downtown. The Sheraton is close to the restaurants and shops at the Prudential Center and Copley Place as well as Newbury St. More things are open here in the evening. Also very safe with "T" access, but a bit more out of the way in Back Bay instead of downtown.

 

Hotels are expensive in Boston and these are two good deals - you should seriously consider them.

 

In consideration of your views and comments as to the location of this hotel I have decided to cancel the flexible reservation we had there and make a firm reservation to stay at the Westin Waterfront hotel instead due to its close proximity to Black Falcon cruise terminal and more convenient location for the main tourist attractions and airport transfer etc. They agreed to provide the late check-out we required and quoted us an advanced purchase promotional rate which, including taxes etc, worked out a bit more expensive than the 4 star waterfront hotel rate you saw on Hotwire but, in our view, the extra amount was well worth paying to have the day room use facility assured on the Sunday.

Thought it only decent to come back on this to show my appreciation of the many helpful posts you generously provide to all fellow Cruise Critic members seeking advice on matters concerning your home patch. Keep up the good work ;).

Charles

[138east]

Charles - thanks for the kind feedback. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and enjoy your stay in Boston. You made a good deal with the Westin that should accommodate your timing considerations. Please feel free to post back if you have other questions.