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I'll be residing at the Sheraton from 4/17-4/21... would also be neat to know where everyone else is staying.
Kindly 'chime in' at your will. :)
Any recommendations?
Sheraton was sold-out on the 17th, but there are rooms available from the 18-21.
Hilton has a limited amount of rooms available from 4/17-4/21 as well.
From what I gather, these are the two 'primary' hotels.
The other thought is people that already know each other and have an extra bed in their room could possibly share a room for that one night until the second party can get into their own room. Something to consider trying, rather than booking a mile away for the whole time when rooms are available for all but one night of the week. And since Easter is so packed in Boston, some hotels block a few rooms for Monday for guests that ask to stay another day. And then those rooms sometimes become available at the last minute.
Also, the Colonnade Hotel, a 4 star hotel, across the street and down the block appears sold out just about everywhere but Orbitz still had some rooms for $219. Most sites indicate normal rates of over $300 so it's not a bad deal. That's where I wound up.
For those not familiar with Boston, the Hynes Convention Center is in the area known as Back Bay (it is a filled-in bay, reclaimed from the sea like much of The Netherlands.) The convention center faces on Boylston St, where the Boston Marathon finishes and just a few blocks from Fenway Park and Boston University.
So the immediate area is chock full of hotels: Hilton, Sheraton, Westin, Copley Plaza, Copley Inn, Copley Place, Sonesta, Collonade -- and just a few more blocks is the center city and financial district which is also hotel-studded. There's Four Seasons, Park Plaza, Parker House, Rowe's Wharf, SuisseHotel, Meridien -- on and on, plus another Sheraton, another Hilton, and a host of "off-brand" spots as well.
Boston is a relatively small and focused city. Even if you end up a few blocks away from the Hynes Convention Center, it's easy to get around via cab or public transit. The subway system (called the "T") has a "Green Line" with a Hynes Convention Center station stop.
Even with the Boston Marathon on the Monday before PubCon, I'm sure anyone who wants to attend can find somewhere to stay. If you have Google Earth, just go to Boston and click on lodging. You'll see that the hotels have gone crazy building in Boston. There are 20,000 rooms within 15 minutes of the Hynes Convention Center.
And if you really strike out, the city of Cambridge is right across the Charles River with its own mulititude of hotel rooms serving Harvard, MIT and the like -- and still just a short cab ride away over the Harvard bridge. In fact, the Hynes Convention Center is near the corner of Mass Ave and Boylston St. Mass Ave is a major thoroughfare -- a straight shot right across the bridge and through the heart of Cambridge.
I am a Chinese! I do not know how many Chinese are coming. I wish Jack Ma is coming as well, so I could meet him there.
To guoqi: you better book the hotel now (you can always cancel your reservation usually in 72 hours time ahead or more) without loosing any money. It helps with a hotel reservation when applying for visa as well.
I'm arriving on Monday, they said I probably won't be able to get to my hotel until very late Monday night. The city is just jammed all day and all the roads around Copley plaza are closed from 6am to midnight.
I'm taking private transportation from the airport to the Sheraton on Monday at 7PM... neither the transportation company, or Sheraton's conceirge mentioned there being any problem with arriving to this hotel.
Everyone needs to use public or a private flat rate transportation, no matter how long it takes. Taxi cabs would kill someone on the time charge since you wouldn't be moving in that kind of traffic.
I'm not a huge baseball fan myself, but I've always wanted to see a baseball game at Fenway Park.
I'm 32, female, and not too particular :-)
I already have a flight plan picked, which would have me coming in on Monday the 17th and leaving out on Friday the 21st. I am not at all familiar with the area, so it's good to know about the events discussed here.
Any tips on hotels (or potential roomies) would be much appreciated.
Lynn Terry
Any tips on hotels
After a quick check, the following nearby hotels still had availability from the 17th - 21st:
Hilton Boston Back Bay
Westin Copley Place
Fairmont Copley Plaza
Courtyard Boston Copley Square
Hotel Commonwealth
The Colonnade Hotel
All are within walking distance of the Convention Center.
Hope this helps!
I wouldnt have known where to start otherwise. You are a big help :-)
I'm considering:
Harborside Hyatt Conference Center And Hotel
101 Harborside Drive
Boston, Massachusetts 02128
It looks like its closer to Logan Intn'l than it is the Hynes... but has water shuttle and other transportation options.
Anyone familiar enough with it to say either way?
It's maybe a 30 minute cab ride to the Hynes Convention Center during commuter time, unless the harbor tunnels get clogged (it happens). During light traffic time it could be 20 minutes.
Yes, there are water shuttles that would take you to Long Wharf near Boston's north end -- but then you still have some hops on the T or need to grab a cab to get over to the Hynes. I would probably do a cab the whole way if I were at the Harborside.
It's tough to choose, not being familiar with the area. I'm leaning towards 'Courtyard Boston Tremont Hotel' now though - as its closer, looks convenient... and of course they are showing a great package deal for this one on Priceline.
I'm still open to rooming with others if there's anyone out there interested - but you'll have to catch me quick before I book this deal through Priceline ;-)
As for an update, after sleeping on it I am considering the Commonwealth Hotel, with the Radisson being a close second.
Anyone else already booked their rooms?
Lots. I'm betting on 2,000+ this time.
I'll be there, bobothecat.
volatilegx: I'll be there, bobothecat.
Looking forward to meeting the guru of spiders :)
Lynn_Terry: Wow, this will be my first and I'm really looking forward to it!
That makes two of us!
A few year ago, I booked a hotel in Miami that turned out to be in the middle of the Miami Grand Prix, sort of a LeMans type race. It made the hotel darn near impossible to get into, but it was a blast to watch the race from a vantage point 8 floors up. If you are near the Marathon, make the best of it.
Looking forward to seeing old friends and turning some "screen names" into new ones.
