trivianut Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 I may truly be mad for trying this, but I shudder when it comes to paying $200 or more for a Hotel room, so I gotta ask..I qualified to run the Boston Marathon for next April, and plan to travel and stay there from April 16-19. I have checked rates for various hotels in the 4 main areas I consider acceptable (Back Bay, Downtown, Cambridge and Logan Airport), and the best rates are as follows: LoganHilton (4*) $159, Embassy Suites $149, Comfort Inn $134; Downtown Omni Parker $199, Hyatt $186; Back Bay Hilton $259, Sheraton $299; Cambridge Doubletree @ MIT $179, Hyatt $190, Radisson $199. All of this from the various hotel websites. Many hotels are N/A or showing as sold out, particularly in Back Bay area, where the race finishes. I am open to a 3 or 4*, preferably cheappest, and am willing to stay in any of the areas as long as I can get to that area for packet pick-up and from the finish easy enough.I know that South Boston, Chestnut Hill/Brookline and Medford/Sommerville are free rebid opportunities for me, b/c they top out at 2.5 stars. I will not have a car, so I want to be close to the T. Cambridge is probably the only iffy area, b/c some areas you can be far away from public transit. If I could get a room for under $125 I'd be happy. I saw the Hyatt in Cambridge on Hotwire for $138, and a phantom 3* at Logan w/ NO amenities for $70 (scary :) ) for these dates. So can you help me? If I'm not successful, I'll most likely book the airport Embassy Suites, as it is close to airport and public transit, and is reasonable rate for direct booking. Thanks for any and all suggestions and assistance! Link to comment
thereuare Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 Congratulations on your entry in the Marathon. My wife ran the NYC marathon a few years back and it was a very exciting time. She has entry this year as well but has deferred her entrance until 2005.OK, onto your bidding... Obviously demand will be higher during this timeframe but we have seen acceptances for other busy time periods and since it's almost a year away (no, this doesn't mean you should slow down your training :) ) you may get lucky and find a hotel that hasn't been diligent in updating their rates.Hopefully you have some time on your hands and this is what i would do in order to approach your maximum $125/bid. I have left out Cambridge as it seems like it may not work out well for you based upon your needs, so i would recommend going with your other 3 zones first and then if it doesn't work out we can go back and utilize a strategy that focusses on the Cambridge area (essentially using zones with prior rejected bids as re-bid zones).Here it goes:Select 4* BackBay and...Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $100if rejected close browser and acceess priceline however you did previouslySelect 4* Downtown and...Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $100if rejected close browser and acceess priceline however you did previouslySelect 4* Logan and...Bid $70, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $80, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $90, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $100if rejected close browser and acceess priceline however you did previouslySelect 4* Downtown and BackBayBid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $120if rejected close browser and acceess priceline however you did previouslySelect 4* BackBay and LoganBid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $110, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone and...Bid $120if rejected add Downtown and Bid $125.If all the above fails :) , repeat the process but trying for 3* properties instead of 4*.If that too fails report back and we'll give a final recommendation to bid the Cambridge area.Feel free to ask any questions that you may have regarding the above.Good Luck with the bidding as well as with your training. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
designer2 Posted July 10, 2004 Report Share Posted July 10, 2004 The issue with hotel rooms in Boston on the maraton weekend is that most running clubs book off a few rooms for their clubs. Small clubs may only have one room, larger have 10 or more. Hotel occupancy is at nearly 100% for that weekend, so if you're finding anything available now, book now either by priceline or any other means. :) Link to comment
trivianut Posted August 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2004 Yes, I'm back at trying to find a property for the Boston Marathon in April. I saw this listed on Hotwire today, and am wondering if it is either the Marriott Courtyard or the Holiday Inn, both in Brookline. The amenities listed are as follows:3*Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Business CenterLooking at both of these properties, it appears that they both have the amenities listed. The lowest rate for the available dates at the Courtyard is $179, and $161 for the Holiday Inn. Anybody have a clue as to if it is one or the other, or a totally different hotel? I would be real happy with $79 for either place, they are less than 1/2 mile from each other and close to the T. I just don't want to deal with an unknown if I don't have to. Thanks a lot! Link to comment
trivianut Posted August 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 Any ideas? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller? :) Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Register now, we have a huge community of travel enthusiasts to answer any questions you might have.
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountAlready have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now