Hotels Near Boston

We are reader-supported (thank you)! When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Question about Hotels Near Boston Hi, I like your site. We are planning to visit for a week in March. We have 2 children (3 and 5) so we plan to visit The Children’s Museum, The Aquarium etc… The only night, at this time, would be a game at TD Center (Celtics). We would be happy to take the T everyday and stay someplace outside of downtown if that meant we could find cheaper accomodations. Would you have any suggestions for a part of town that has hotels close to the T, no more than an hour from downtown? And safe? Patti

Answer

Hi Patti,

Thanks so much for your question about hotels near Boston, and for your feedback on the site!

You have a variety of options in terms of locations outside of Boston proper, as Boston’s public transportation system is quite extensive.

You’ll notice that several of the hotels near Boston that I’ve listed below are Holiday Inns because they’re known to have pretty reasonable pricing. As a result, I’ve also included a couple of “city hotels” that might work for your family.

If Holiday Inn doesn’t feel like the right vibe for you, there will certainly be other hotels in each area that will do the job!

Also, I’ve put average walking times between these hotels near Boston and their closest train stations. However, as I know personally from being the mother of a two-and-a-half-year-old, five minutes isn’t always five minutes with kids!

1. HOTELS NEAR BOSTON

Location: Brookline
Hotel: Holiday Inn
Phone: 617-277-1200
Address: 1200 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02446

As an area outside of Boston, Brookline would be my parents’ pick in a second. Brookline is the first town west of Boston, and is safe, family friendly and “happening”. The Beacon Street entrance of the Brookline Holiday Inn is literally across the street from the St Paul St T Station on the Green Line. The hotel is walking distance to the main part of Coolidge Corner where you’ll find shopping, cafes and restaurants. You can also take the T a fews stops away from Boston to Washington Square which has cafes, restaurants and several places to go for a good beer.

Location: Newton
Hotel: Hotel Indigo
Phone: 617-969-5300
Address: 399 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02462

Just beyond Brookline is Newton which is another particularly family friendly suburban area. The Hotel Indigo is a 4 minute walk to the Riverside Station on the Green Line, and the trip into the city will take 30-40 minutes depending on where you’re going. This is Boston’s first and only Hotel Indigo.

Location: Beacon Hill
Hotel: Holiday Inn
Phone: 617-742-7630

Address: 5 Blossom St (at Cambridge Street), Boston, MA 02114

This downtown accommodation is in the most touristy area of the ones I’m including. It often has surprisingly reasonable rates considering its location. The hotel is a 5 minute walk to the closest T stop (Charles/MGH). And only 10-15 minutes to the Park St Station at Boston Common, the starting point of Boston’s famous Freedom Trail. It’s also a short walk to The Esplanade along the Charles River. Loads of people go to The Esplanade to jog, sunbathe, watch the boats on the Charles, or enjoy free outdoor concerts at the Hatch Shell.

Unfortunately, the concerts are only an option during the summer, so if you come back between May and September, they’re definitely worth checking out!

Location: Quincy
Hotel: Marriott Boston Quincy
Phone: 866-539-0036
Address: 1000 Marriott Dr, Quincy, MA, 02169

While the Marriott is never an inexpensive option, if you were to stay on Boston’s South Shore in Quincy, you’ll get much more bang for your buck than in Boston itself. This location would truly take the hour (maybe even a little more) to get to the city. It is a 15 minute walk to the Quincy Adams Station on the Red Line and a 40-45 minute ride into the City. There is significant history here however, as both John Adams and John Quincy Adams were born here. So if you wanted, you could take a short cab ride to the Adams National Historical Park.

Location: Cambridge
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites
Phone: 617-577-7600
Address: 250 Monsignor O’Brien Highway, Cambridge, MA 02141

The Cambridge Holiday Inn Express is outside of the the most famous areas of Cambridge which include Harvard Square and MIT. However, it’s only a twenty minute bus trip to Harvard Yard, and a 7-8 minute walk to the Lechmere T Station on Green Line.

Location: Somerville
Hotel: Holiday Inn
Phone: 617-628-1000
Address: 30 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143

Somerville has what you might call a hip/alternative vibe to it. It’s got loads of lively coffee houses, a strong arts scene and great vintage clothing stores. The Somerville Holiday Inn has free parking and free scheduled shuttles to downtown Boston. In addition, it’s a 6-8 minute walk to the Sullivan Station T Stop on the Orange Line.

2. BED & BREAKFASTS

Another good option is to go the B&B route. This can be a great way to stay in better locations for less money.

My parents recently stayed at a Bed & Breakfast in Brookline. They used Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony to find their B&B, and they were extremely happy with both the location and the space itself.

FYI, they stayed at the Queen Anne House, which looks like it’s on the more expensive side for B&Bs, but they are child-friendly and located right across the street from a public playground.

This is what my mom had to say about the service:
“They seem to use private homes throughout Boston; no signs on the homes, so no way to reach them other than through Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony. They don’t provide daily housekeeping in homes, but our house was beautiful, the innkeeper was lovely, location was fabulous, and the price was good.”

 

FYI, we also have several city B&Bs listed on the Boston Bed and Breakfasts page of our Boston Lodging Guide.

Patti, I hope the above information on hotels near Boston is helpful in planning your trip and that you have a FANTASTIC time in Boston! Please let me know if there’s anything else I can help with.

If you will ever want to stay in the heart of Boston’s events, visit our page with top recommendations of hotels located near Fenway Park!

Cheers,
Deborah
Boston Tourism Made Easy