Grandma and Grandaughter visiting for a week in July..where to stay? (Boston: how much)

[knj]

Need some advice from the people who know concerning moderately priced and safe places to stay for a Grandma and her Grandaughter coming to visit in late July. Grandma wants to show our 11 year old where she grew up but she been in Texas for so long that we dont know the places to stay that are safe for two "gals" about the town. Not to mention the best areas to stay for a week to allow for easy commuting to the sights and sounds of Boston and the area. Any and all advice would be appreciated. We are all thinking downtown would be nice but dont know if its is the price range and about any security issues.

thanks,

k

[goyguy]

Probably the best resource out there (IMHO) is tripadvisor.com; it's chock full of info about places to stay and - better still - reviews from regular people who've patronized 'em. "Cheap" is a relative thing around Boston, where few are the decent hotel rooms that go for under $200/night. But since many places have unadvertised specials, some Web surfing would be well worth the time. Many lodging places have rooms that go begging between conventions, and offer "happy prices" to fill them - and "TA" contributors pull no punches about how good the accommodations are.

I don't know how much of a novelty a beach would be to your 11-year-old traveling companion, but you might want to consider spending at least part of your time here along the coast. Rates on Cape Cod would of course be sky-high in the middle of summer, but who says you have to overnight there? There's now a Clarion (?) hotel at Nantasket Beach (Hull) which often has incentive offers such as $95/night rooms during the week, for example. Commuter rail now serves neighboring Hingham, and I bet the hotel has a shuttle service to the station for excursions into the city.

My personal favorite "near yet far" place on the ocean is Rockport, where I always hang my hat at the Sally Webster Inn (Home) whenever I indulge in spending more than a day there. The inn is an 1832 house with seven guest rooms, all of which have names instead of numbers, and the owners are super friendly. They provide rides to/from the train station, you're a short walk from beaches + restaurants + shops, and the breakfasts are fantastic. Better still - their rates are low year 'round, and the rooms are all spacious and comfy enough for two people. Somewhere like that could be just the ticket for part of your stay, with the rest spent "in town," for a sample of two different environments and paces.

Enjoy your time (back) here! Let us know where you hail from, so we can fill you in on how things are there today.

[lrfox]

Good suggestions, goyguy. I second a visit to Rockport (accessible via Commuter Rail train) and probably Salem too (also accessible via train). This is the transit website for the region. You'll find subway and commuter rail info easily here. If she's never seen the ocean, a great thing to to is the Boston- Provincetown ferry. Make it a day trip as the hotel rates in Cape Cod are sky high. It's a 90 minute boat ride and you can spend the day in one of Cape Cod's most beautiful towns. The ferry leaves from downtown Boston.

As far as affordable hotel rates go, Kayak.com is the best traditional place to look. Anywhere near the Financial District, Back Bay, Copley Place, Faneuil Hall or North End will be more than safe and ideally situated. I always suggest Hotwire.com and bidding on Priceline. These two services will give you a neighborhood, price and star rating (i.e. 2-5). The prices are generally close to half of what you'd pay on kayak or directly through the hotel. Hotels use those services to fill unbooked rooms at the last minute so the discounts are incredibly good. The catch is that you won't get the hotel's actual name until after you book because they can't "advertise" prices lower than what the hotel is showing publicly. This is no big deal in Boston though because any 3,4, or 5 star hotel in the following neighborhoods is fine: Financial District, Faneuil Hall, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, Copley Square, North End. A hotel in those areas will put you right on all of the major subway lines and within walking distance of every major attraction. It's worth looking into. Enjoy your trip!