Boston Hotels - Hotwire

[riverdees05]

We are going on an RCL cruise to Canada/New England the end of September 2011 and starting to research and look for hotels to spend a couple of nights before the cruise.

 

Which area of Boston should we look? Boston Common - Theatre, Quincy Market - Financial, Waterfront Area - Convention Center, and/or other?

 

Any recommendations on hotels that we might get in the areas?

[PokerStarNH]

Hi,

I'd look for the Waterfront - Faneuil Hall - Quincy market area.

It's within walking distance of the major historic tourist attractions like the Freedom Trail. Also, the New England Aquarium is in the area.

Boston is a walking city and is not very big. Check out public transportation at http://www.mbta.com. It's easier to take the "T" around town than trying to drive and park.

If you want something less expensive, go outside the city a bit and check with the hotel about access to the "T" to get into town.

[138east]

What are the exact dates you would need? For a couple of days I would recommend Back Bay/Copley - lots of stores and restaurants, 2 indoor urban malls, and a generally more active area at night. Wherever you stay in Boston, you will have to take the "T" or a cab to get somewhere you want to go.

 

Dates can be important because of the potential college activities. Having said all that, Boston hotels are expensive and I would feel comfortable with any 3*+ hotel in any of the areas you mentioned. Back Bay would be the first choice (the 3 1/2* hotel has consistently been the Sheraton), Quincy Market second, and then Waterfront and Theater last. Waterfront would be closest to the pier - there are 3 4* hotels that show up on Hotwire - the Westin Convention Center, Seaport, and Renaissance. Most often the good deals are for the Westin when there are no conventions. Waterfront is primarily an office/hotel area with a few restaurants within walking distance. The Silver Line "T" is one block away, so it is easy to go 2 stops downtown to South Station. All these areas are safe at night, but you should always take the normal precautions.

[riverdees05]

We are looking for the nights of September 22 & 23, 2011 and we will need between 4-6 room with two beds each.

[138east]

That's a lot of rooms and a lot of people. On Hotwire you can put in 6 rooms and then the number of people. I put in 6 rooms with 24 adults and our favorite Back Bay 3 1/2* hotel came up at $196 + tax. That's really not such a bad price considering the number of people. If you do 6 rooms and 18 adults (you need to do at least this to be assured of the 2 beds/room), the price is $154. Do you plan to use cabs to transport this group from Logan to the hotel and then from the hotel to the pier? How many people are you?

[riverdees05]

We will have folks coming from TN, MO and MN, so cab would probably be the best way to get to the hotel, correct? We are checking and see if RCL has transportation to the airport after the cruise and assume that would be the best, what do you think?:)

[138east]

IMO cab is a better way to go to the airport than an RCL transfer. You can see the airport from the ship - it is a quick ride through the Ted Wiliams Tunnel. However, because of the tunnel toll and an airport surcharge, this ride can cost $20-25. I would be surprised if an RCL transfer was competitive with this price.

 

Public transit is also an option from the pier to the airport. The Silver Line stops at Black Falcon - you can take it to World Trade and transfer to the SL1 bus to the airport for $2/pp ($1.70 with a Charlie Card). The Silver Line is very new - large articulated buses similar to rental car buses. The airport buses have luggage racks. Please post back if you are interested in the public transit options.

[riverdees05]

Public transportation might be an option for some of the folks.

 

How many people and bags with fit in the normal Boston cab?

 

We are on a 7 night cruise, plus 2 nights in Boston.

[138east]

Just a few more thoughts. It's still a bit early to be booking Hotwire hotels for next September, but it's not too early to be monitoring them. Are you really 24 people? That's a lot of folks. Are you managing the whole group, or will everyone be pretty much on their own?

 

If folks can manage their luggage and take the Silver Line, it might be better to pay a little extra money and stay at a Waterfront Hotel - this would essentially eliminate the cab fare from the airport to Back Bay and Back Bay to the port which would cost $25-$35 each way. You're only going to be in Boston for 1 full day.

[riverdees05]

There are 16 people going, but only 3 couples, the rest are singles that would want to share a room. I will try to book 5 rooms and provide the rest with helpful information. What I know about hotwire, if I want 5 rooms in the same hotel, I need to request rooms with 2 adults and 2 children (no children coming) to be assured of getting two beds in each room. The couples are OK with two bedroom rooms so that the single can get separate beds.

 

We think we would have about a 1/2 day, 1 full day and 1/2 day to sightsee in Boston before the cruise.

[138east]

I just tried Hotwire with 2 adults and 2 children - the price is $109 for the 3 1/2* Back Bay hotel. That's a great deal. You aren't going to do much better than that in September even if you pay a little more for a cab to the hotel.

 

If folks are trying to keep down expenses, one trick is to take the Silver Line from the airport to South Station and a cab from South Station to Back Bay. The cab fare from the airport to Back Bay is estimated at $38 incl tip whereas the fare from South Station to Back Bay is estimated at $15 incl tip. South Station is the major train station and is traveler friendly - lots of elevators and escalators - so for anyone who can manage their luggage this is an option to save about $20 for 2 people traveling together. The Silver Line bus to the airport is very nice - very similar to a rental car bus with a low step and luggage racks. It is the newest transportation in Boston and was designed specifically to offer an easy public transit option to and from Logan Airport.

[riverdees05]

Is that in a good area to see Boston and to the cruise chip harbor? Which area do I look under in hotwire?

 

Do you have an idea what the cab fare is from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to ship?

 

We have some older folks in the group that could not do the bus and/or train.

 

Thanks for all the help!

[138east]

Is that in a good area to see Boston and to the cruise chip harbor? Which area do I look under in hotwire? Look at Back Bay/Copley for a 3 1/2* hotel. The area is good for a 2 night stay - it has lots of restaurants and shops and places to wander around at night. The Prudential Center and Copley Place are indoor malls - Newbury Street is very close.

 

Do you have an idea what the cab fare is from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to ship? The cab fare would be about $38 from the airport to Back Bay and about $21 from Back Bay to the port.

 

We have some older folks in the group that could not do the bus and/or train. Not a problem. I was just including the information in case some folks wanted a more budget option.

 

Thanks for all the help!

 

Boston is a small city. It is easy to get around on the "T". The HoHo trolley is an option for sightseeing - you can get pretty much everywhere on it during the day. IMO it doesn't really matter what hotel you stay in in downtown Boston - no single hotel is convenient to everything you might want to do. The area around many hotels is really dead at night. However, there is much more going on around the Back Bay/Copley hotels, which makes them more attractive in the evening.

[Got2Cruise]

Boston is a small city. It is easy to get around on the "T". The HoHo trolley is an option for sightseeing - you can get pretty much everywhere on it during the day. IMO it doesn't really matter what hotel you stay in in downtown Boston - no single hotel is convenient to everything you might want to do. The area around many hotels is really dead at night. However, there is much more going on around the Back Bay/Copley hotels, which makes them more attractive in the evening.

 

The HoHo bus stops directly in front of the Sheraton, which is a plus for people who are unable to walk long distances. Another touring option is the Duck, which leaves from the Pru Center, (which is directly connected to the Sheraton). The Duck Tour will bring you around and you will pass the important sights, but you will not stop and actually go inside the places. My friend was recovering from a broken leg last year, and he loved this option. Also, it is easy to get a taxi from the Sheraton, simply ask the bellman, and he will blow a whistle and a waiting cab will come. Tom Brady the football QB lives in the BackBay section of Boston, so this should tell you something about the area.:) Fenway is walkable for healthy people from the Sheraton, but others can use the HoHo or a cab to get there if you will be taking the tour, which is lots of fun.

[riverdees05]

Cab Fare of $38.00 is that about what it would be to any and all of the downtown hotels from the airport?

[138east]

It really depends on the hotel. I would say $25-$38 would be the range. The Back Bay hotels are further away so they are more money. It's all a tradeoff. You will spend some of the money you save on a Back Bay hotel on cab fares. What you get in return is a superior hotel location that will have access to restaurants and shops that are open in the evening - a safe area that has something to offer for a wide range of ages.

 

For example, if you stay at the Westin Convention Center (probably the 4* Waterfront hotel showing at $189 on Hotwire), which is close to the port in the Waterfront area, there is not much there except the hotel. There are waterfront restaurants that you can walk to. The area is safe. But bottom line it is uninteresting. You have to take the "T" or a cab to go back downtown. The same applies for many of the hotels in the Theater/Financial/Quincy Market area.

 

I'm not really sure about what lies behind your question about the taxi fares. What does your group anticipate doing on their full day in Boston? For the older folks who might not like public transportation the HoHo trolley is the perfect solution. Take a look at the Old Town Trolley map - http://www.trolleytours.com/boston/ Most of the Boston sights that folks want to visit are spread out - not really that far apart, but a lot to do walking and not all easily accessible by public transportation (i.e. the Constitution). As I said before, there is no perfect location for a hotel as long as you are within the "downtown" Boston area.

[riverdees05]

Living in the MidWest and MidSouth, we usually drive or rent cars, so I don't have a good base on cab fares are in any city. It is my understanding that driving is Boston is something that one doesn't really want to consider because of the cost of parking, etc., correct?

 

Again, I really appreciate all the help.

[138east]

There is no reason to rent a car to be in Boston - parking is very expensive and the downtown area is a maze of one way streets. Walking, the "T", and cabs are the way to get around. Airport cab fares are higher because you pay the tunnel toll plus an access fee for the airport. That's why I suggested that the single abled bodied folks in your group might consider hopping on the Silver Line Bus for $2 to go to South Station and then taking a cab.

 

As I said before, the HoHo trolley is a good option for your group if you want to hit all the tourist highlights and get to the less convenient destinations like the Constitution and North End. Encourage folks to become familiar with a map of Boston to identify what they might want to do.

 

Trolley - http://www.trolleytours.com/boston/

"T" - http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/

Freedom Trail - http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

Taxi fares - http://boston.taxiwiz.com/?lang=en

 

I don't envy you your task organizing this for a group of 16 people. Folks are going to have to get engaged at some point and take responsibility for planning their own time in Boston. The best you can do is provide them with lots of information and a nice reasonable hotel choice. Have you priced hotels not on Hotwire? They pretty much start at $200+ for not as nice hotels in more fringe locations.

[Got2Cruise]

You don't want to drive in Boston, it is very congested, and there is no place to park. And, if you do park, it will be expensive paid parking. My daughter graduated from Boston U., that is why I am familiar with the BackBay. The day of her graduation, we paid $319 to stay at the Sheraton for one night. Boston is a very popular city with all the colleges plus the Boston Red Sox. Boston is in line with NYC when it comes to pricing. Very expensive compared to the midwest or south. The T is very safe, but it still could be intimidating if you are not used to public transportation, that is why I would do the HoHo tour. Plus you get the historical commentary while riding.

Living in the MidWest and MidSouth, we usually drive or rent cars, so I don't have a good base on cab fares are in any city. It is my understanding that driving is Boston is something that one doesn't really want to consider because of the cost of parking, etc., correct?

 

Again, I really appreciate all the help.

[138east]

Got2Cruise - thanks for posting your Boston experiences.

 

As soon as we get into the New Year, the fall college events will be finalized and may be reflected in the hotel rates. As you get even closer, if the Red Sox are doing well, this could affect the hotel rates as well. I can understand that folks might not want to commit to a nonrefundable hotel reservation, but they will pay for that reluctance later on. I only envision a slight chance that rates will drop below $109 for a 3 1/2* hotel, but a big risk that they will increase or disappear entirely.

[riverdees05]

I am waiting one reply and then ready to book.

 

Another question? The Cruise gets in at 6:00 AM on October 1, 2011, how much time should we allow for the cab ride to the airport.

[138east]

You arrive at 6 am, but I don't know what time you will actually be cleared to disembark. Then there's finding your luggage and going through immigration and customs. And then there's finding cabs for everyone. It's a Saturday morning, so no rush hour traffic. You can see the airport from the cruiseship - it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to get over there once you have a cab.

[riverdees05]

I couldn't get everyone to agree, so went ahead and booked 3 rooms on Hotwire and got the Sheraton Boston Hotel.

 

A couple of questions: 1. Is the estimated cab fare per person or per cab? 2. How many people with bags - probably a checked bag and a carry on bag can ride in the cabs? Do they have minvan cabs in Boston?

 

Thanks, Eric:confused:

[JAKE3337]

Hi,

 

We will be driving in taking a one way car rental from Niagara Falls Canada on Oct 28, 2011 staying in Boston just 1 night pre-cruise.

 

Would you suggest the 3+ star in Back Bay/Copley. It shows $104 for a 3+ star for a Friday night Oct 28. We leave Oct 29 for our 14 night Royal Carribean cruise that finishes in Tampa. We will only have that night in Boston. Would we have been better to stay outside Boston and not worry about seeing the town that night? It's ashame to come all this way and we don't even have a night to walk around Boston.

 

I tried bidding on Priceline up to $86 for a 3+ star and all were rejected. I have never been to Boston so not sure how high to go. Just started reading here that hotel rates are high. I would have thought that late Oct, the prices would have been lowered, guess not.

 

Thanks

Angela

[138east]

Grab the $104 hotel - there's nothing else out on Hotwire that even begins to approach that price. Consider yourself very lucky - it will disappear.

 

Are you going on the Jewel? That's a very popular cruise with many repeat cruisers. Two years ago folks were having problems finding any reasonable rates. Boston is very busy in the fall with all the college activities. Once the college schedules are set for next year, the prices will only go up up up.

 

When you get to Boston, drop your luggage off and return your car even if you have to go to the airport to do it. Otherwise you'll be paying $30-35 to park a vehicle that is useless in downtown Boston.