Priceline Hotel: 3.5* Boston Metro-South (Needham - Dedham) Sheraton Needham Hotel

[zzricezz]

This will be my first time going to Boston and will be travelling with my wife and daughter 8 month old, so public transit will be needed to get around. I was told to look at Brookline area by friends and I saw someone today won Courtyard By Marriott Brookline Boston for $51. I'm willing to pay more, reasonable to get a hotel for around $100? If so how can I start my bidding? Or if anyone have any other ideas to stay, let me know.

[thereuare]

Please click each of these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links, then reply to this thread and we'll have a look at your post above.

Thanks.

[zzricezz]

Thanks, I did check out HOTWIRE and the lowest rate was $125. So I'm hoping to get around the $100 mark using PRICELINE?

[thereuare]

If you look the boundaries of the Fenway-Brookline zone on PRICELINE it is about 3 miles wide... are you comfortable receiving a hotel anywhere within the shaded boundaries of this zone? (in terms that you'll be close to a train station)

It does look like the Green Line runs down Beacon so you should likely be close to a T stop, but have you thought about bidding a little higher (if your budget is flexible) and try for something more in the heart of the city... you'll likely have better access to transportation (ie- more than one train line) as well as less commute time, making it easier to stop back at the hotel during the day to rest for a little bit, freshen up, drop of packages, or let the baby take a nap, change diapers, refill bottles, etc.

You may be able to get something at the 3*/3.5* for ~$120 or so which is up to you if the convenience is worth the extra $20 per nite or so.

Let us know your thoughts and we'll advise accordingly.

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

[crito]

That Courtyard by Marriott is right near Coolidge Corner, which is a nice area (and it's right on the Green Line).

In general, Brookline is okay for public transportation, but it's going to be a little slower; that Green Line is really a trolley line, slower than most of the T system which runs underground.

It kind of depends on what things you were planning. If you wanted to spend time in Back Bay and Copley, go up to the top of the Prudential Building, go to Fenway Park, then Brookline would be quite a good headquarters. If you were thinking more of theater, Quincy Market, the Aquarium, the historical areas, then Brookline is a little out of the way. I guess that would matter more if you were thinking of returning to your hotel in the middle of the day, as we always did when we traveled with little kids...

[zzricezz]

I prefer to find a hotel that has free parking, I have a friend that will be driving to Boston and I will be renting a car as well when I'm here, our main purpose of the trip is for shopping because of the tax free weekend so we will probably only going to downtown for 1 of our day.

I will be booking my flight this week and shortly after will attempt to bid on PRICELINE for a hotel. I'm hoping to book 3 room at the same time.

[AaronJB]

Are there any HOTWIRE listings or PRICELINE Express (which currently has a 5% off coupon - READYSET5) listings of interest that show free parking when searching for your dates?

Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[thereuare]

Thank you for using the board's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

... and please click each of the links above before replying.

Thanks.

[zzricezz]

Under HOTWIRE, there was only 1 hotel at the brookline - Newton 2.5* $146.

PRICELINE, Fenway Area, Brookline 2* $136

HOTWIRE has Needham - Dedham area hotel 3* $97, looks like this hotel is Sheraton Norwood. Is this hotel too far from the city? We will now be renting a car so public transit isn't that important anymore.

[thereuare]

Is this hotel too far from the city? We will now be renting a car so public transit isn't that important anymore.

If you enter the address of this hotel into MAPS and HOTELS.com you can see the location relative to the 'downtown'. Ultimately only you can decide 'how far' is too far, but PRICELINE EXPRESS has a 3.5* hotel in the Boston Common-Theater District zone for $119/nite... personally i would rather spend an extra $20/nite for the higher rated hotel and to stay directly in the city, as the convenience would be worth the extra $20/nite to me (or try bidding on PRICELINE for a lower price... and using this PRICELINE EXPRESS link and code READYSET5 takes an extra 5% off so the difference in price is even less). Depending upon your needs staying directly in the city could also eliminate the added expense of renting a car, as well as the charge for parking (which you would likely need to pay for when driving into the city).

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

Let us know your thoughts and we'll take it from there.

[zzricezz]

Question, I need to book 3 room, 2 room will stay an extra day. Does Priceline always give us the option to extend the stay? Like I will book for 3 nights and hope priceline will give me the option to extend 1 day stay for 2 of the 3 room.

Thanks.

[thereuare]

Even when offered, the 'extend your stay' option doesn't ensure that you'll be able to extend at the same price, it is only the opportunity to try to extend the stay at the same hotel.

However, unless you're willing to 'eat' the cost of one additional room sitting vacant for the last nite, this option won't work for your needs as you can only extend the stay for the same number of rooms as the original booking... you would need to extend all 3 rooms.

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

[zzricezz]

I used the PRICELINE link and was able to get Sheraton Needham Hotel for $75. I selected a 3* hotel not sure why they gave me 3.5* :(.. cause now I have to pay $10 parking which I wasn't hoping for if I get a 3*.

Can they auto upgrade me?

[thereuare]

Sorry to hear that you received an upgrade and therefore a hotel that you were not expecting.

The star rating you choose on PRICELINE is the minimum that you're willing to accept and PRICELINE will always upgrade you to a higher hotel then you bid if a higher rated hotel is available at the price you chose.

Thank you for sharing your win and using the PRICELINE links on the board to begin your bidding.

Enjoy your stay (and try to focus on the more than half price you received for this hotel rather than the $10 parking fee ;) )

[zzricezz]

Thanks, yea not going to worry about it for extra $10. HOTWIRE has the 3* Four Points by Sheraton Norwood for $81. So it basically even out. Also I booked the 3rd room seperately using the PRICELINE link and got the same hotel for my other friend.

[AaronJB]

Glad you were able to get another room at this property! Was it at the same rate ($75?)

Thank you for sharing your win and using the site's PRICELINE or HOTWIRE links to start your purchases and searches.

[zzricezz]

Yea, I didn't even try to go lower since we wanted the same hotel.

I first bidded $70 and got rejected, then I bid $75 and won. I was kinda shock $70 didn't get me the four point cause HOTWIRE had it for $81. So I thought $75 for sure would win it but got the Sheraton instead.