ORBITZ $70 Boston Motel...downtown! (Worcester, Springfield: city hall, hotels, neighborhoods)

[bostonguy1960]

Wow. Talked to somebody tonight who paid only $70 on Orbitz for the Midtown Hotel (actually, a '50s-style two-story motel). Sure, it looks dumpy, but it's always had that "AAA" approved logo on its sign.

I believe she paid $100 last visit.

It's a one-minute walk to Symphony Hall, down the street from Copley Place and the Prudential Center (for those unfamiliar with the city).

Great location, right on the "E' branch of the Green Line, near the Orange Line.

She marvelled at the large size of the room.

......

The Ames Hotel is about to open, in a beautifully restored building across from the Old State House, near Faneuil Hall. They lit up their facade nicely, but will have no major sign at the entrance, so as to preserve the original look, I'm told.

[lrfox]

Not a bad deal. Not at all actually. You're certainly paying for location there. You can still do MUCH better either bidding on priceline or booking on hotwire. I stayed at the Marriott Long Wharf for $68/night once via Hotwire. People are timid about using it because you book by neighborhood and star rating and don't get a name of the hotel until after you book. So for example, you see something like this: "$68/night 3.5 star hotel Faneuil Hall/ Financial District area." after you pay for it, it sends you the name of the hotel you're staying at (in my case, the Marriott).

These sites have deals (hotwire/priceline) with hotels to fill unbooked rooms at steep discounts (often times more than 50% off of the lowest advertised price which is why they can't show the name of the hotel before you book). That's why they are unbeatable in terms of price. They work best in major cities like Boston, New York, Chicago, DC, etc because there are so many neighborhoods and you can pick the good ones. It's less effective in a place like Worcester or Springfield where they list the entire city (often times nearby towns) as one, "neighborhood."

If you're ever booking a hotel in Boston or another major U.S. city, I can't emphasize enough that hotwire or bidding on priceline (emphasis on the bidding... the regular section offers little in the ways of discounts) WILL give you the best deals. Furthermore, the closer to the last minute you wait, the better the deal will be as the hotels will really scramble to fill the space.

As far as a budget hotel in a good location goes, I can't fault the Midtown. However, the urban and architectural enthusiast in me hates it with every inch of my being. I think the argument could be made that it's the ugliest/ least functional (from an aesthetic standpoint) building in Boston. Yes, City Hall is ugly. The Hurley Building is worse (links are to photos of the buildings). However, these structures are relics of a bold modernist architectural style called Brutalism. In a decade or two, people will probably think the Stata Center at MIT is ugly, but many will remember it as being groundbreaking and bold. The midtown is a cheaply built (neither groundbreaking or bold) and does nothing but take away from an otherwise charming streetwall and cityscape (you have the beautiful Christian Science Plaza across the way). It looks out of place (perhaps it would blend well on route 66 in the desert?) and detracts from everything around it. I hate it with a passion.

The Ames Hotel is about to open, in a beautifully restored building across from the Old State House, near Faneuil Hall. They lit up their facade nicely, but will have no major sign at the entrance, so as to preserve the original look, I'm told.

NOW you're talking. I saw pictures of the renovated interior the other day. Gorgeous. That's a hotel worth booking. It's a beautiful building and they've taken great pains to restore it properly. I think it's paid off.

*edit*
just saw THIS on boston.com... a few cool photos from the Ames.