Location, Location, Location?

[kat52]

We are sailing out of Boston on 9/18/10 and plan on visiting the city for a few days before. We have never been to Boston so we are not familiar with the city. We were looking at the Radisson for our hotel since it near the Boston Commons and the beginning of the Freedom Trail. Is this a safe area to stay in? The current price is $175 which we thought was pretty decent. Any tips on the hotel and on places to eat near the hotel? Thanks!

[138east]

What are your exact hotel dates?

[138east]

Boston is a small city and it's easy to get around on the "T" and walking. No hotel location is going to be perfect - there will always be somewhere else that you will want to go.

 

The Radisson is in the Theater District. The area is fine, but IMO not that exciting. You are sort of close to the Common, but in reality you are about 8-10 blocks from the beginning of the Freedom Trail.

 

There is a 3 1/2* hotel on Hotwire in Copley/Back Bay for $149 which is likely the Sheraton. This hotel is often on Hotwire and we recommend it often. The hotel is across the street from the Prudential Center and Copley Place which are indoor urban mall areas with shops and restaurants. Newbury Street is close by. If you're staying several nights this is a much more exciting area in the evening than the Theater District. From the Sheraton you have access to all the areas via the Green Line "T".

[Got2Cruise]

The Sheraton Back Bay is in the perfect location. And the price that 138 found for you is half the rack rate.

[cruiserking]

The Sheraton at the Pru is a great location and a very nice hotel. I stayed there years ago and it has a beautiful big swimming pool which is a nice place to relax after a day of walking around.

 

You are nearby many restaurants on Boylston Street, Newberry and the Common is fairly close too. Having lived in Boston I think you would much prefer the sheraton over the Raddisson. The theater district is okay but, I stayed in that area recently for a college reunion and found the neighborhood a tad on the seedy side.

 

Book yourself in the Sheraton and have a great trip.

 

Jonathan

[138east]

cruiserking - I'm glad you had the nerve to say "seedy". The term I usually use on these boards is "sketchy". I feel perfectly safe in the Theater District, but there is nothing interesting there, particularly for a tourist. I've stayed in about 10 Boston hotels over the years and for personal trips, I much prefer the Copley area. For cruisers my second choice is the Waterfront area because of its proximity to Logan, the pier, and downtown, but nothing much interesting there either.

[kat52]

Thank you so much for the information on the Radisson, Sheraton and Hotwire. I have to admit we have never used Hotwire so we are checking into that. Boston is a city I have always wanted to visit so I want to pack in as much as I can in the short time we are there before the cruise. I have been reading the boards on Cruise Critic for a year now (I started when I was planning the Alaskan cruise last year) but just decided to participate on the boards.

Thanks again.:)

[138east]

kat52 - please remember that on Hotwire there are no guarantees. However, in Boston there are limited choices of hotels in the 3 1/2* and 4* categories and there are certain hotels in certain areas that appear on Hotwire all the time. Specifically in the Copley area this is the Sheraton and in the Waterfront area this is the Westin. These are two large hotels designed to handle the conventions at the the Hynes Convention center and the Boston Convention center, so if there are no events these hotels have excess capacity.

[cruiserking]

cruiserking - I'm glad you had the nerve to say "seedy". The term I usually use on these boards is "sketchy". I feel perfectly safe in the Theater District, but there is nothing interesting there, particularly for a tourist.

 

 

138east,

 

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency in the Boston Theater District a couple of years ago. The hotel was very nice but, the surrounding area left little to be desired.

 

If you're on vacation it's nice to stay in a part of the city that is more inviting and has more interesting areas to browse and explore. A tourist visiting Boston is certainly afforded this pleasure by staying in the Copley area in the Back Bay at the Westin or Sheraton.

 

Jonathan

[kat52]

Thanks for the info on Hotwire and the Sheraton. We were able to book the Sheraton through Hotwire for a price lower than any other travel site and lower that the price we were looking at for the Radisson. :)

[138east]

It sounds like you got a good deal - I think you will be very happy with the Sheraton. You can go off to the historical sites during the day and enjoy the activities around Copley at night - the best of both worlds.

[Got2Cruise]

Thanks for the info on Hotwire and the Sheraton. We were able to book the Sheraton through Hotwire for a price lower than any other travel site and lower that the price we were looking at for the Radisson. :)

 

:)You are going to love the location. You are going to be close to a major T stop so there will be no limit to where you can go. My favorite place Newbury Street is within walking distance, and so is Fenway Park, though a little far if you are not a regular walker. The HoHo trolley stops very close to the hotel if you are not up to "walking" the Freedom Trail or would prefer some commentary along with the ride between stops. If you borrow a Fodors Boston book from the public library there will be several walking tours you can enjoy.