jahason

I am planning 3-4 days in Boston before visiting family in Vermont. What draws us to Boston is a chance to visit Harvard and MIT. I would also like to visit places related to the independence movement (Boston tea party) and other areas of historical interest.

Clearly I don't know much about Boston, but nevertheless would appreciate any guidance on which area of Boston I should stay in. I have many Marriott, Priority Club (Holiday Inn, etc) and Hilton points and would like to pick on eof these properties.

User Name

Given your preferences in terms of activities and hotel chains there are a number of potentially viable areas and many hotel properties in them. Have you tried looking at where you want to visit in Google Maps and then overlaying the hotel chains you want to stay at? Then just look at relative distance and price. There are no 'bad' areas you'll end up at if you do this based upon what you have said.

magiciansampras

Stay at the Intercontinental. Take the train to MIT and Harvard.

That's my advice given the limited info you posted.

HUB Flyer

I assume you won't have a car so will be using public transit, taxi's, or walking.

As a MR Plat (but live in the Hub so I have never stayed at a Marriott here) I would recommend one of the properties near Kendall Square in Cambridge. There is a FS property (Boston Marriott Cambridge) and a RS (Residence Inn Boston Cambridge). These two hotels are a few hundred feet away from each other.

Both of these properties are on the MBTA Red Line as are Harvard Square and MIT. Also, this line will take you over the Charles River into Boston's Park Street station near the start of the Freedom Trail.

I can't speak to the nightlife in Kendall Square but knowing that it is in the middle of a large student population I am sure there are plenty of good, affordable options.

Enjoy your trip.

Navy2Business

The two Marriott properties that HUB Flyer suggested are good suggestions for the interests you mentioned. The Marriott is literally seconds away from the Kendall Square T station. While not a hotspot compared to Beacon Hill or Central Square (both just 1 subway station away) there is still a decent selection of restaurants on Third Street and Technology Square.

edrags

I can't get behind the Kendall Square recommendation. No ambiance whatsoever.

I would stay on the Boston side and take the red line into Cambridge. If you can swing the cost the Liberty Hotel, a former jail, is FABULOUS and part of the Starwood program.

dagaetch

Kendall Square nightlife? Surely you jest.

I live in Kendall Square and while there are good restaurants/bars, that is IT in terms of after hours activity. No music, late night shopping, and the restaurants aren't centrally located enough to create a buzz. Central Sq has some but not a lot, Harvard and Davis Sq are the better Cambridge places for activity. That said, Kendall Sq is a good central location for getting to other places in both Cambridge and Boston, so I support the idea of staying there. Just don't expect lots of activity right outside the front door at night.

OP: If you do end up staying in Kendall, I can recommend some pretty good restaurants. Let us know!

User Name

If you're at Kendall Square then I recommend the Cambridge Brewing Company - nice brewpub with good beer, food and atmosphere. That said, if you're a first time visitor to Boston and want to be central for the historic sites etc. then Marriott Long Wharf is nicely situated in the thick of the touristy stuff and right on the waterfront.

I also like the RI Tudor Wharf and Custom House.

scotty00

Never refer anyone but your enemies to this DUMP. It is an absolute pit. If someone must stay in Kendall Square, definitely stay at the full-service Marriott a block down instead!

User Name

I've stayed there at least half a dozen times and always found it pretty good compared to RIs in general. What was it about the place you didn't like?

magiciansampras

To me, the area.

HUB Flyer

Major typo, thanks. Meant to type "restaurants," not "nightlife", particularly lunch places since that area is more a work neighborhood than heavy residential.

Mainly recommending this area based on ease of transit between the OP's stated sightseeing preferences.

User Name

I acknowledge that Kendall Square is dull, and a poor location to recommend to any first time visitor to Boston who also wants to see the historic sights, but my question was aimed at the poster who called the RI Cambridge a dump, as my experience with this property leads me to think that it is anything but. Maybe they have an axe to grind?

scotty00

This was from a stay in May 2011. A shabby, dull room, with light-blueish carpet with random, splotchy stains throughout (like bleach stains). A slight scent of mold in the bathroom, though none was actually visible. Frayed sheets on the bed, which felt like they were wrapped around metal logs instead of a mattress.

Initial requests to the front desk said that they were not only sold out, but that every room was already occupied (at 930pm) so we couldn't switch rooms. For what its worth the full-service Marriott was sold out too.

Then, to make it all better, there was a party going in the room across the hall from us and in the room above us. Subsequent calls to the front desk about the noise resulted in nothing being done, and then a visit down to the front desk was even more ridiculous when I requested to speak to the manager on duty so we could actually get something done about the noise, and the woman behind the counter who had been answering my calls responded, "I am the MOD."

Bottom line, I will never stay there again and discourage anyone else from giving them their business as well. Luckily we were able to get the hell out of there and over to the Marriott the next night which was very comfortable.

Absolutely.

magiciansampras

But MIT and Harvard are pretty easy to get to from most parts of Boston. It's a small town, after all.