crito

I think this one is not safe if one is trying to avoid the Omni. Try searching for more than two people and it disappears, which of course could happen with any hotel, but the Omni Parker has notoriously small rooms (at the low end of the pricing) so it's just what you'd expect to happen if that's the one.

Ah, thanks -- that does sound like a really good deal. But the thing is, I'm going to be going into the north part of the Loop every day (for my conference), so it's rather more convenient if I can stay within a reasonable walk (and reasonable is going to be pretty short given that it looks like it will be pretty cold). That's why the Grant-Millennium 4.5* caught my eye. (The Conrad is also a little more my style than the Mile North -- I'm very happy with it, just thought an upgraded Swiss room cheap might be worth switching.)

$109, for a City View room.

Hm. Upgraded room? Or did Hot.wire just give the Swissotel a half-star bump?

Hm, tempting. I will probably keep my reservation (at the Conrad), but let's not close this yet since I might decide to go for this 4.5*. If I was sure it was the Swiss with upgraded rooms, I think I'd do it -- upgraded rooms at the Swiss are apt to have really great views, aren't they?

Do you guys have any idea what this 4.5* in the Parks zone might be? I searched using your Bidding.Helper for 2/26 - 3/2, 2 adults, and here's the full amenities list: Indoor pool(s) Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Pool(s) Restaurant(s) Business Center Internet Tennis It's listed for $86. I already have a very good fully-refundable deal, but not as good as a 4.5* for $86. Just want to get an idea of what it might be. Could it maybe be the Swiss with an extra half star?

Very convenient for the Garden, though -- just a few stops on the Orange line. There are several garages within a couple of blocks, but as thereuare says $40 is pretty much par for the course downtown. You might save $5/day shopping around.

Also, you might want to take a look at Last Minute Travel. They're showing the Marriott Copley, which is a 3.5* but to my mind should be 4*, for $166, and the Loews for $206. And you can almost always get a lower rate by phoning them instead of buying off their web page. (LMT is opaque, but BB has good tricks for uncovering the hotel identities.)

Hotwire is showing what looks to be the Colonnade for your dates at $188. That hotel has a 'free wifi' icon -- I believe you have to sign up for their affinity program to get the wifi in your room. It also has a really nice outdoor pool on the roof. Some people complain about noise there, and you won't get a view (it's not tall enough). But excellent location for a trip to Fenway Park -- the walk is just about a mile and a quite pleasant one in July. Copley/Back Bay is definitely the most convenient downtown area to Fenway. Back Bay also has upscale shopping and chic restaurants. For historic sightseeing you want the Downtown/Faneuil Hall, Beacon Hill, or Waterfront/North End areas. And the Commons/Theater is in between. Personally I'd recommend looking in all of those districts and just trying to find the best deal -- as thereuare says the city is smaller than you might think, and the T public transportation system is easy and cheap to use.

I've never stayed at the Revere, but it gets great reviews. The Hyatt doesn't have free wireless so I think you're safe (since your listing had a "free wireless" amenity). The Colonnade has terrific service. Its rooms are aging a bit, so if that bothers you go for the Revere. You won't get the best views from either hotel -- I guess that tends to be true with more "boutique" properties. If your plan is to walk around the historic areas, the Revere (and Hyatt, for that matter) is in a better spot. If your plan is to shop, the Colonnade has a better location. But they both have very easy T (metro) access.

Two Cambridge Center is indeed at MIT, not Harvard. It is right next to the Cambridge Marriott, a block from the Residence Inn, maybe two blocks from the Kendall, and if you could get any of those I would recommend them highly. It's not too far from the Sonesta, less than a mile. I think anything else you're looking at using public transportation rather than walking. (The Best Western Tria, despite being actually in Cambridge, is not very convenient because it's a long walk to the T, and it's at the far west end of Cambridge while MIT is at the east end.) Beacon Hill would be a good alternative. It would be a long walk from the Boxer, about a mile and a half, but a short walk to the T and a very short Red Line trip from there. Downtown/Faneuil or Theater District are also likely to be an easy trip because they have Red Line T stops. Brookline or Newton would be a bit of a pain, actually. I can't see doing that trip in 25 minutes, because the Green Line is slow out there and you have to change at Park St. But anyplace in Boston proper would be a quick taxi ride, since as thereuare noted the city is pretty small. Cambridge is typically a bit cheaper than the downtown Boston areas, but because the stock of rooms is so limited even a small conference can soak up availability and bump Cambridge prices. If you can save a bunch of money, you might try looking in the Quincy district. (This is not the area that used to be called 'Quincy Market' on Hotwire, but rather the southern suburb of Quincy.) That is a long Red Line trip, about a half hour, but it's easy and cheap. But I don't know much about the hotels in that area.

Couple things. First, you are correct about what "Free Internet" means on HOTWIRE, but it's sometimes listed incorrectly. (About a year ago I posted about getting Hotwire Bucks as compensation for my hotel listed as "Free Internet" having an in-room charge and free in public areas.) Second, I believe the HOTWIRE listing you're looking at also has a TripAdvisor number on it, and it's 4.5, which does suggest the Seaport. Third, I think the main reason prices are so high for your weekend is the meetings of the American Society of Human Genetics, which is quite large (about 6000) and is soaking up hotel rooms all over the city (the main meetings are in the convention center but there are many 'satellite' meetings at universities). Fourth, on Last Minute Travel I see the Copley Marriott for about $190/night, and you might spot it on HOTWIRE for about the same price in the 3.5* listings. That hotel is not as nice as the Seaport, but it's nice hotel in a good location. Since it is attached to both Copley Place and the Prudential Center, you will have a huge variety of restaurants to choose from, although the Marriott's own restaurant is nothing special.

It must be the ICMA convention. I've heard that's huge, and it's in the Hynes, in Back Bay. There's not much you can do about this. You might try booking in Cambridge, if the (in my opinion minor) loss of convenience is worth it to you to save quite a lot of money. Back Bay in particular is going to be virtually impossible.

Mandarin Oriental?

Very good. I stayed there recently. Could easily be 4*. The lobby is a large, pleasant atrium with two different levels. The Champions bar is nothing special and the hotel doesn't have any other restaurants, but you can walk into either of two adjacent upscale malls to find alternatives. (I recommend the Legal Seafood in the Prudential Center.) Easy walk to Back Bay or Copley stations for the MBTA. Rooms and service are fairly standard Marriott. Many rooms have excellent views, even for Hotwire customers (I assume -- I got mine from Last Minute Travel).

As your BB hosts noted, Boston in December is much cheaper than you expected. I'll add this: you've already made a smart choice, because by far the best way to get to Gillette Stadium for the Patriots game is by the Patriots Train. It leaves from South Station, which is in the Quincy Market/Financial region (the Intercontinental or Langham would be extremely convenient, since it sounds like you might want to go high-end for this trip). It also stops at the Back Bay station, which means the Copley/Back Bay hotel region would also be very convenient. For the TD Garden events any downtown region is fine because you can take the Green Line from there, very easy. Quincy, Commons, and Harbor are all sort of walking distance, but maybe not late on a cold December evening!

Great location. Beautiful lobby. Small rooms. Sounds like a good deal, if you aren't going to be unhappy with a small room.

So you did! Right, it looks like you'll save about $50/night by staying in Cambridge. So it all depends on what you want to do in Boston, and how important it is to you to save the money.

You haven't said your exact dates, but I think you will save maybe $40/night by staying in Cambridge, unless you dropped a half star to stay downtown instead. Whether this is worth doing depends on what you want to do in Boston, and also on your personal style. From the Common or Theater areas, East Cambridge is a very easy subway ride -- literally five minutes on the Red Line. From Quincy Market, the North End, or Back Bay, it's a little longer but still comfortable. (The T is not dangerous, don't worry.) Central Square has some great restaurants and bars, Harvard Square more upscale, and the Kendall area has a few. Cambridge also has some of the best jazz in Boston. But, if you wanted to be in the historic neighborhoods, then go back to the hotel, then go out to dinner in Back Bay, or something like that, it might be worth the extra money to stay more centrally. I'm sorry I'm not familiar with Berlin so I can't give you a good comparison :-)

Depends on what kind of stuff you're going to be walking to. Prudential building, best shopping areas, upscale restaurants, all right in the Copley neighborhood. Part of the Copley/Back Bay area is very close to the Boston Garden/Common. Chinatown or Beacon Hill (historic, State House) maybe a mile. Aquarium, North End (historic neighborhood, also now Italian neighborhood) probably not walking distance. All of these things are very easy by public transportation, though. If your main plan is to walk around the historic areas (the Freedom Trail, say) Quincy Market or Boston Common areas are a bit better, but probably not worth spending a *lot* of extra money for.

Hm, well, I would not say it is rough and creepy, no. It's not the *best* neighborhood, and it's kind of on the edge of MIT -- Central Square is the closer T stop, not Kendall Square. There is a big supermarket next door so that block will be pretty comfortable even fairly late. Toward Central there are bars, people hanging out on the street, but more hip youth than scary criminal element. (I'm a middle aged white guy. :-)) Do you know Cambridge or Boston at all? Or another big city, something to give me a 'benchmark'?

HOTWIRE has what looks like the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge for these dates. That's about a mile from a T stop, which is about as far as any hotel in Boston, I believe. But, the Hyatt will shuttle you for free around Cambridge (including the Kendall or Central T stop), and it's actually an easy walk to the Back Bay, just over the bridge (that would also be a mile or so, to the Boston University T stop). The thing is, Cambridge appears to be MUCH cheaper for your dates than downtown Boston. Seems worth it to me. Just take taxis, you'll still save a bundle!

The Hyatt is the only hotel on Goat Island. Goat Island is very small. It's connected to the city by a short causeway. I like the Hyatt, myself, but it does have resort fees and clearly some people are underwhelmed.

I decided to use Last Minute Travel to get the Copley Marriott for $142/night. The Langham seems really nice, but Copley Square is better for me for this trip and fortunately LMT had a very good price.

This is more than I wanted to pay, and I would rather stay in Back Bay, but maybe for a 5* it's worth it. $193, 8/5 - 8/7 Pet Friendly Indoor Pool Smoke Free Fitness Pool Restaurant Business Internet Spa In-room Access Blind Access Deaf Access Path of Travel Access Wheelchair Access Access Bathroom Handicapped Parking Roll-in Shower