Priceline Hotel: Boston, 3-4 star, March 3-6 inclusive

[pmenon]

Hi everyone, hope you're all having a great holiday season so far.

I need to be in Boston from March 3-6 inclusive for a convention at the Boston Convention Centre. I don't really need the hotel to be in this area, but I would like the hotel to be close to a T-station so that I can jump on when needed (even a little walk is). While I know that isnt necessarily something you can guarantee via Priceline, I'd look for hotels in areas of the city with a large concentration of stops.

Having said that, I would like to spend around $80/night, all in. I know that chances of landing a 4* will be next to impossible, but I've had lots of successes and great stays at places like Radissons and Holiday Inns.

Thats about it. Looking forward to getting suggestions on how to go about bidding. Cheers !

[thereuare]

If you enter "Boston" into the search box at the top right corner of the page you'll see the map of this region... exactly which zone(s) (by PRICELINE name) are you willing to accept? What is your maximum bid amount (before fees and taxes)? Is your check-out date 3/6 or 3/7?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases. (please click this PRICELINE link before replying)

[pmenon]

Hi there,

I am willing to consider the following zones:

1. harbour front

2. quincy market

3. copley square

My maximum bid amount would be around $80, and my check out date will be March 6th.

[thereuare]

Did you want to try for a 4* first up to your limit, then if rejected try for a 3.5* up to your limit, then for a 3*... OR is your goal the least expensive 3* or better for this stay?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[pmenon]

My immediate goal is to get the cheapest hotel possible :)

[mlaurence]

My immediate goal is to get the cheapest hotel possible :)

Hi, I'm from Boston and offer a little transit advice. You would be taking the Silver Line to the Convention Center, which connects to the Red Line at South Station. So you would probably have an easier trip if you stayed in Cambridge or even North Cambridge because they are on the Red Line, than if you stayed in the Back Bay (aka Copley Square) which requires a second transfer to get to South Station.

What Priceline calls "South Boston" is also a low priced possibility even though it looks like this neighborhood is not what Bostonians call South Boston, but actually Dorchester. There are a couple of lower priced hotels in this neighborhood and they offer shuttle service to the Red Line, where again you'd have an easy connection to the Silver Line and the Convention Center. But it's not a touristy part of town.

[thereuare]

mlaurence,

Thanks for the local advice... but isn't the Cambridge area so large (geographically speaking) that you could receive a hotel which is not very close or convenient to a T Station? (i'm not as familiar with the North Cambridge zone since it's fairly new and a bit further from center, but i would think a similar scenario given the distance from the 'city' and that T stations become a bit more spread out once outside of the city proper)

Please let us know so we can advise accordingly to the OP... or pmenon do you know the area well enough that you want to stick with the 3 zones you mentioned above?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[robteb]

My immediate goal is to get the cheapest hotel possible :)

If you check my recent priceline win, I got the Courtyard Downtown/Tremont for $57/night -- a great price!! It, and the other two 3* hotels (Radisson & Doubletree) in the Copley Square zone, are all towards the east side of the zone, and only about a

[mlaurence]

mlaurence,

Thanks for the local advice... but isn't the Cambridge area so large (geographically speaking) that you could receive a hotel which is not very close or convenient to a T Station? (i'm not as familiar with the North Cambridge zone since it's fairly new and a bit further from center, but i would think a similar scenario given the distance from the 'city' and that T stations become a bit more spread out

You're right that Cambridge is a more spread-out area than others, but I looked up the Priceline hotels in the zone, and in my opinion only one would be significantly more annoying to access via the MBTA than the Copley Square zone that was chosen by the OP. That's the Doubletree which would require a moderate walk across the river to the Green Line, or a bus to the Red Line. The others are all within a few blocks of the T. The Meridian, Sonesta, Marriott, and Residence/Cambridge are all on the Red Line, thus easier to reach for a Convention Center trip. The Marlowe, Holiday Inn Express, Courtyard, and Hyatt Regency are on the Green Line, offering a similar 2 transfer ride as Copley. The Residence/Boston Harbor is also a little tricky but within walking distance of 3 subway lines so it's also fairly convenient.

So, if saving money is a top priority and opening another zone in Priceline would help, I'd still recommend including Cambridge in the bidding.

[thereuare]

mlaurence,

Thanks for the additional info.

pmenon,

Based upon the information above let us know which zone(s) you'd like to proceed with.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[pmenon]

mlaurence,

Thank you so much for the local advice. It definitely looks like the hotels in Cambridge are cheaper than those in Boston proper (i.e. the other zones that i had mentioned), and so I'm definitely willing to take a chance in that zone.

However, I looked up the hotels in the Cambridge zone, and it looks like there is more than one that isnt near a T stop. For example, the Hyatt Regency Cambridge

[mlaurence]

You're right, the Hyatt is more annoying than I originally thought. I guess it depends on how annoyed you will be if you get a good price for your hotel room. :)

From the Hyatt, it's a two transfer ride to the Convention Center. During the weekdays, it's only a one block walk to the "limited stops" bus CT2. That's definitely comparable to a Copley Square hotel. During the evenings and weekends you'd have to walk a little farther to the 47 bus (1/3 mile) or the Green Line B (2/3 mile). It's a safe neighborhood but I can understand if you are hesitant to take the bus in an unfamiliar city. If you do end up taking that route, check out the MBTA smartphone apps that use GPS to tell you exactly when the next bus is arriving near you.

[pmenon]

Thanks, mlaurence. Given the above, I'd like to try initially with the zones that I had originally listed to see if any of those work out.

[thereuare]

SO to confirm... you're looking for the least expensive 3* or better in any of the following zones:

1. harbour front

2. quincy market

3. copley square

... with an $80 maximum bid?

If the above is correct i'd bid as follows:

At the 3* level in Boston you have TWO re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding.

Select 3* Quincy Market...

Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Copley...

Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Harbour Front...

Bid $55, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $60, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $65, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Quincy Market and Copley...

Bid $68, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $73, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Quincy Market and Harbour Front...

Bid $68, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $73, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE

Select 3* Quincy Market and Copley and Harbourfront...

Bid $75, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $78, if rejected add re-bid zone...

Bid $80

Any questions feel free to ask.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.