Boston in May - Places to Stay, Things to Do

[Longtime Lurker]

DD22 really wants to go to Boston over Memorial Day weekend, kind of a college graduation trip. It would be just the two of us. We are considering a hotel near the airport (Courtyard by Marriott) but would also consider something downtown if we had recommendations. We are planning to do some self-guided walking tour type activities. Any recommendations for hotels and/or must-see attractions? The symphony is not playing that weekend so that is out 😞 We are thinking of mostly walking around interesting places and eating out, but we are open to suggestions. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Longtime Lurker

[Matryoshka]

Don't stay at the airport. There's nothing out there and it's hard to get to/from things. It's like no-mans land.  I'd suggest somewhere downtown near a T stop.

Lots of great history, museums... what floats your boat? Going to stick to Boston/Cambridge (easy without needing a car, in fact car likely detrimental) or venturing further afield (car useful)?

[YaelAldrich]

Another Bostonian chiming in to say the same thing.  Stay in Cambridge or downtown for sure!

[Carol in Cal.]

Is the Freedom Trail still really great?  It’s been so long since I have been there, but it was awesome for this history lover—all the local highlights of the Revolutionary War period in an easy 2 mile walk.  

[Longtime Lurker]

28 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Don't stay at the airport. There's nothing out there and it's hard to get to/from things. It's like no-mans land.  I'd suggest somewhere downtown near a T stop.

Lots of great history, museums... what floats your boat? Going to stick to Boston/Cambridge (easy without needing a car, in fact car likely detrimental) or venturing further afield (car useful)?

 

18 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

Another Bostonian chiming in to say the same thing.  Stay in Cambridge or downtown for sure!

Any hotel recommendations or areas to avoid staying in? We are just planning on Boston and Cambridge. We will only have 3 days. We are not big on museums although we loved the Tenement Museum in New York City. Things we loved on our NYC trip 4 years ago: walking all over the place including over the Brooklyn Bridge, Broadway shows, the New York Public Library, the Tenement Museum. We want to see Cambridge (I have been there but DD has not). Faneuil Hall, maybe some historic walking tours. We love old buildings but are not particularly excited about museums.

[YaelAldrich]

1 minute ago, Longtime Lurker said:

 

Any hotel recommendations or areas to avoid staying in? We are just planning on Boston and Cambridge. We will only have 3 days. We are not big on museums although we loved the Tenement Museum in New York City. Things we loved on our NYC trip 4 years ago: walking all over the place including over the Brooklyn Bridge, Broadway shows, the New York Public Library, the Tenement Museum. We want to see Cambridge (I have been there but DD has not). Faneuil Hall, maybe some historic walking tours. We love old buildings but are not particularly excited about museums.

Hotels are going to be pretty expensive no matter on which side of the river you stay. My in-laws have stayed in the Hilton downtown and the one in Cambridge closer to MIT. Both were nice. 

You should walk the Freedom Trail (and there is a Black Freedom Trail too). You'll see a lot of the downtown area. We have off-Broadway shows here too. The Boston Public Library is gorgeous.  The Museum of Fine Arts honestly is amazing. You can walk all over Harvard Yard and MIT if that's interesting to you. Boston is super walkable but easy to get lost in - your phone's GPS sometimes can't "see"  through the buildings. Download a map ahead of time to help you.

[Matryoshka]

5 minutes ago, Longtime Lurker said:

Any hotel recommendations or areas to avoid staying in? We are just planning on Boston and Cambridge. We will only have 3 days. We are not big on museums although we loved the Tenement Museum in New York City. Things we loved on our NYC trip 4 years ago: walking all over the place including over the Brooklyn Bridge, Broadway shows, the New York Public Library, the Tenement Museum. We want to see Cambridge (I have been there but DD has not). Faneuil Hall, maybe some historic walking tours. We love old buildings but are not particularly excited about museums.

Definitely The Freedom Trail then. You can do it yourself, or there are guided tours that start at the Common. And yes, theres a Black Freedom Trail, but I dont think its marked like the other one and you may have to book a walking tour ahead Boston Public Garden (right next to the Common) is also nice, you can take a ride on the Swan Boats and see the Make Way for Ducklings statues there. 

Copley Square is nice; there's Trinity Church, you can take a ride up to the top of either the Prudential or John Hancock towers but check ahead about the status of the observatories because who knows what's reopened since Covid.  And that's also where the Boston Public Library is, which yes, is gorgeous as a piece of architecture,  and there are tours.

If you like churches at all, there's also the Christian Scientist Mother Church and the Maparium inside it.

And yeah, MIT and Harvard Square are right across the river. 

Do you not like any museums, or just the arty ones? The Museum of Science is great, and also planetarium and IMAX theater.

There are whale watches from the wharf, if you'd like those.

[Longtime Lurker]

18 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Is the Freedom Trail still really great?  It’s been so long since I have been there, but it was awesome for this history lover—all the local highlights of the Revolutionary War period in an easy 2 mile walk.  

This sounds great! We would like to do a lot of outdoor walking type activities.

8 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

Hotels are going to be pretty expensive no matter on which side of the river you stay. My in-laws have stayed in the Hilton downtown and the one in Cambridge closer to MIT. Both were nice. 

You should walk the Freedom Trail (and there is a Black Freedom Trail too). You'll see a lot of the downtown area. We have off-Broadway shows here too. The Boston Public Library is gorgeous.  The Museum of Fine Arts honestly is amazing. You can walk all over Harvard Yard and MIT if that's interesting to you. Boston is super walkable but easy to get lost in - your phone's GPS sometimes can't "see"  through the buildings. Download a map ahead of time to help you.

We are definitely interested in the library and the freedom trails. Thanks for the tip on downloading a map! We are map people so we will probably study the map ahead of time to get oriented.

[kirstenhill]

We really enjoyed walking the freedom trail, and taking little side journeys along the way to find interesting snacks (amazing Italian pastries, for example) and just look at interesting shops and buildings.  The swan boats are iconic and not that expensive.  

For me seeing the USS Constitution ship was a must do, but I get that not everyone finds old ships all that interesting.  I had already read a lot about it so I was so thrilled to tour it in person. 

[Longtime Lurker]

3 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Definitely The Freedom Trail then. You can do it yourself, or there are guided tours that start at the Common. And yes, theres a Black Freedom Trail, but I dont think its marked like the other one and you may have to book a walking tour ahead Boston Public Garden (right next to the Common) is also nice, you can take a ride on the Swan Boats and see the Make Way for Ducklings statues there. 

Copley Square is nice; there's Trinity Church, you can take a ride up to the top of either the Prudential or John Hancock towers but check ahead about the status of the observatories because who knows what's reopened since Covid.  And that's also where the Boston Public Library is, which yes, is gorgeous as a piece of architecture,  and there are tours.

If you like churches at all, there's also the Christian Scientist Mother Church and the Maparium inside it.

And yeah, MIT and Harvard Square are right across the river. 

Do you not like any museums, or just the arty ones? The Museum of Science is great, and also planetarium and IMAX theater.

There are whale watches from the wharf, if you'd like those.

Thanks! This is really helpful. It's not that we dislike museums exactly, just that with limited time we would rather do something different, The freedom trail and self-guided tours of the city and/or interesting architecture are more our thing.

[Matryoshka]

Just now, Longtime Lurker said:

Thanks! This is really helpful. It's not that we dislike museums exactly, just that with limited time we would rather do something different, The freedom trail and self-guided tours of the city and/or interesting architecture are more our thing.

Boston and Cambridge are super-walkable. And for buildings/architecture other than the Trails you should the definitely check out the BPL and the churches mentioned. The super-ugly City Hall Plaza is a classic example of the Brutalist school of architecture, lol. (not joking, it really is...).  

And the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is in an old mansion with an inner court styled after a Venetian palace, if you'd be interested in it just for the architecture (also where the big unsolved art heist was pulled off...)

[Anne]

I love the Gardner!!  Some cool art in a lovely mansion - it's not too big, and if you were seized with a desire to run into the MFA, it's just around the corner.  🙂    

Anne

[Matryoshka]

3 hours ago, kirstenhill said:

We really enjoyed walking the freedom trail, and taking little side journeys along the way to find interesting snacks (amazing Italian pastries, for example) and just look at interesting shops and buildings.  The swan boats are iconic and not that expensive.  

For me seeing the USS Constitution ship was a must do, but I get that not everyone finds old ships all that interesting.  I had already read a lot about it so I was so thrilled to tour it in person. 

I love the USS Constitution! It's on the Freedom Trail, but the guided tours don't make it there. TIP: Take the MBTA water shuttle from Aquarium Wharf to the Charlestown Navy Yard to get there. Cheap way to get a harbor tour!

[whitestavern]

I’ve done Boston a lot as I’m in New England. I thought the duck tour was surprisingly fun/different. 

[Longtime Lurker]

13 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Don't stay at the airport. There's nothing out there and it's hard to get to/from things. It's like no-mans land.  I'd suggest somewhere downtown near a T stop.

Lots of great history, museums... what floats your boat? Going to stick to Boston/Cambridge (easy without needing a car, in fact car likely detrimental) or venturing further afield (car useful)?

 

13 hours ago, YaelAldrich said:

Another Bostonian chiming in to say the same thing.  Stay in Cambridge or downtown for sure!

We will be arriving at the Boston airport at 11 pm, so our thought behind staying near the airport was easy access to the hotel by hotel/airport shuttle. Do you know if downtown or Cambridge hotels would have a shuttle from the airport? Or how would you suggest getting from airport to hotel at that hour? 

[MEmama]

42 minutes ago, Longtime Lurker said:

 

We will be arriving at the Boston airport at 11 pm, so our thought behind staying near the airport was easy access to the hotel by hotel/airport shuttle. Do you know if downtown or Cambridge hotels would have a shuttle from the airport? Or how would you suggest getting from airport to hotel at that hour? 

Big hotels will have airport shuttles. It’s a huge pain to get out to the airport—you really will be much better off staying closer to the things you’ll want to do.

We've stayed here a couple times—it’s a perfect location for exploring the interesting things you’ll want to do in Boston and Cambridge by foot https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/massachusetts/hyatt-regency-boston-cambridge/bosrc?src=corp_lclb_gmb_seo_bosrc

In addition to the previous recommendations, exploring Beacon Hill, Newbury St and Boston Common can keep you busy for a good part of a day. Do be forewarned Boston is seriously lacking in coffeehouses, so take advantage when you happen upon one (there is a Peet's near the park). You’d think you’ll have an easy time of finding caffeine near MIT and Harvard, but you’d be wrong I’m afraid. When in Cambridge I’d recommend planning to find lunch near Harvard, MIT doesn’t have much to offer near campus.

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by MEmama

[Matryoshka]

43 minutes ago, Longtime Lurker said:

We will be arriving at the Boston airport at 11 pm, so our thought behind staying near the airport was easy access to the hotel by hotel/airport shuttle. Do you know if downtown or Cambridge hotels would have a shuttle from the airport? Or how would you suggest getting from airport to hotel at that hour? 

I'm not sure. I always drive in for the day! There's always taxi/uber. I'd call the hotels to see if they have shuttles. The Marriott Long Wharf is very close to the city side of the airport tunnel, so could be a good choice. It's right on the water, next to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market,  Waterfront Park the North End (Italian food, Paul Revere House, Old North Church), and the wharf where the whale watches and water shuttle to the USS Constitution leave.

[MEmama]

Also maybe you already know, but you will NOT need (or want) a car. Boston is a very small, very walkable city; we’ve walked many many many times from MIT to Faneuil Hall/ Boston Harbor area, in all kinds of weather.

It is kind of a slog to walk from MIT to Harvard Square though, catching the subway between those makes sense to me if just to save time and feet.

[Matryoshka]

Just now, MEmama said:

Also maybe you already know, but you will NOT need (or want) a car. Boston is a very small, very walkable city; we’ve walked many many many times from MIT to Faneuil Hall/ Boston Harbor area, in all kinds of weather.

It is kind of a slog to walk from MIT to Harvard Square though, catching the subway between those makes sense to me if just to save time and feet.

Agreed. No car.

[AmandaVT]

I love the Parker House hotel  - it's a bit old fashioned, but lovely. They also have a great breakfast and it's the birthplace of Boston Cream Pie! 

Duck Boat tours are always fun- I had a blast bringing DS on one a few years ago. 

 

 

[Ali in OR]

We went in 2016 and purposely had no car. When traveling with dd in a wheelchair, I prefer a central location where we can walk everywhere and will pay a premium for that. It allows me to walk back to the hotel with dd when either of us needs a nap! We did this when everyone else went to see the Constitution. I wish I could remember the name of the hotel, because it was perfect for our needs. I do remember that it was right by an Au Bon Pain which was just lovely for breakfasts. My favorite thing was the Freedom Trail. The girls wanted to do the Boston Tea Party tour and we all ended up enjoying that.

[Matryoshka]

10 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Big hotels will have airport shuttles. It’s a huge pain to get out to the airport—you really will be much better off staying closer to the things you’ll want to do.

We've stayed here a couple times—it’s a perfect location for exploring the interesting things you’ll want to do in Boston and Cambridge by foot https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/massachusetts/hyatt-regency-boston-cambridge/bosrc?src=corp_lclb_gmb_seo_bosrc

In addition to the previous recommendations, exploring Beacon Hill, Newbury St and Boston Common can keep you busy for a good part of a day. Do be forewarned Boston is seriously lacking in coffeehouses, so take advantage when you happen upon one (there is a Peet's near the park). You’d think you’ll have an easy time of finding caffeine near MIT and Harvard, but you’d be wrong I’m afraid. When in Cambridge I’d recommend planning to find lunch near Harvard, MIT doesn’t have much to offer near campus.

 

Well, c'mon, there are like three Starbucks in Harvard Square, and the super, super excellent Tatte Cafe right across the street from Harvard Yard.  

In the North End, I love Cafes Vittoria and Paradiso.  But really there are tons of Starbucks. Too many. And Dunkin of course. But also cute local places like Tatte and Vittoria. There's another Tatte downtown, I hear.  

[MEmama]

1 minute ago, Matryoshka said:

Well, c'mon, there are like three Starbucks in Harvard Square, and the super, super excellent Tatte Cafe right across the street from Harvard Yard.  

In the North End, I love Cafes Vittoria and Paradiso.  But really there are tons of Starbucks. Too many. And Dunkin of course. But also cute local places like Tatte and Vittoria. There's another Tatte downtown, I hear.  

Ummmm….exactly! 🤣

This west coast girl has never acclimated to the dire lack of good coffee in New England, I’m so sorry but it’s just a fact and I’m sticking to it. So there! 🤣☕️
 

[Matryoshka]

Just now, MEmama said:

Ummmm….exactly! 🤣

This west coast girl has never acclimated to the dire lack of good coffee in New England, I’m so sorry but it’s just a fact and I’m sticking to it. So there! 🤣☕️
 

You west coast people are the ones who infected us with the Starbucks virus! We had a local chain of strong coffee but Stabucks bought and converted them.

And you're saying the Italians can't make espresso drinks?  Tatte is also excellent, though I admit to paying more attention to the baked goods made with halvah than the coffee.

We're going to have to agree on Dunkin,  even if it makes me a NE traitor... 🤣

[Lori D.]

We visited almost 15 years back, so things may have changed a lot.

We stayed an hour outside of Boston in Gloucester in a little B&B and rode the commuter train into Boston and walked all around Boston, which eliminated trying to find parking (non-existent and expensive). It's a touristy little town, but fun to stroll down the line of shops on the wharf, get fresh clam chowder at a little restaurant/shack.

In Boston itself, we enjoyed getting cannoli at Modern Pastry Shop while strolling about. We walked the Freedom Trail with a free National Parks guide tour (don't know if that option still exists or not), but it looks like you can also do it self-guided with the National Parks audio app.

We also really enjoyed the Science Museum, and really thrilled to walking on the decks of Old Ironsides, a piece of US history.

Edited April 4, 2022 by Lori D.

[Matryoshka]

19 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

We also really enjoyed the Science Museum, and really thrilled to walking on the decks of Old Ironsides, a piece of US history.

For clarity to those not from these parts, Old Ironsides = USS Constitution. 

Also, if you don't have a car to deal with, no point in staying outside of Boston... but you're right that a car in Boston itself is more trouble than it's worth. 

[MEmama]

17 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

You west coast people are the ones who infected us with the Starbucks virus! We had a local chain of strong coffee but Stabucks bought and converted them.

And you're saying the Italians can't make espresso drinks?  Tatte is also excellent, though I admit to paying more attention to the baked goods made with halvah than the coffee.

We're going to have to agree on Dunkin,  even if it makes me a NE traitor... 🤣

Starbucks doesn’t count as coffee except in the most desperate of circumstances IME. Coffee culture in my youth was blissfully pre-corporate. 🙂 

And oh, I wasn’t thinking about the Italian area—ofc there’s good coffee there. But shocking little to be found near the Cambridge campuses, and even along Newbury street. I’ve spent too many under caffeinated days to not at least warn visitors what they might be in for. 😆

[Matryoshka]

3 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Starbucks doesn’t count as coffee except in the most desperate of circumstances IME. Coffee culture in my youth was blissfully pre-corporate. 🙂 

And oh, I wasn’t thinking about the Italian area—ofc there’s good coffee there. But shocking little to be found near the Cambridge campuses, and even along Newbury street. I’ve spent too many under caffeinated days to not at least warn visitors what they might be in for. 😆

Tatte is fairly new. Give it a shot next time you're in town.

When I'm near MIT, I'm more focused on a trip to Toscaninni's (gelato), but now that you mention it, they also have good coffee. I usually get a mocha to go with my favorite cardamom/pistachio gelato...

[MEmama]

7 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Tatte is fairly new. Give it a shot next time you're in town.

When I'm near MIT, I'm more focused on a trip to Toscaninni's (gelato), but now that you mention it, they also have good coffee. I usually get a mocha to go with my favorite cardamom/pistachio gelato...

Good tip, thanks. 🙂 

 

 

 

[kristin0713]

We stayed at the Marriott Long Warf and it was an excellent location. Walking distance to a lot of things and Starbucks in the lobby. Marriott Long Warf 

 

[Matryoshka]

3 minutes ago, kristin0713 said:

We stayed at the Marriott Long Warf and it was an excellent location. Walking distance to a lot of things and Starbucks in the lobby. Marriott Long Warf 

That's two votes for Marriott Long Wharf!

[Junie]

Dh and I honeymooned in Boston (in the fall).

At the top of his list was the USS Constitution.  Fenway Park was at the top of mine.

We also did a Duck Boat tour, part of the Freedom Trail, the science museum, the aquarium, a whale watch tour, and a sunset cruise of the harbor.

[J-rap]

We've been there several times... I love it.  We enjoyed all the typical historical tourist spots -- many mentioned already.  I loved the Beacon Hill area.  Also, interesting and fun landmarks like the narrowest house in Boston, the Make Way for Ducklings bronze ducks in the Public Garden, climbing the Bunker Hill monument, the Old State House, Union Oyster House.   (We went on the Duck Tour in Boston too!)

The first time we went, we stayed in a BnB in the Beacon Hill area.  Don't know if it's still there...  More recently, we stayed at a hotel/inn/boarding house which is where people often stay for longer periods of time -- but you can stay there for short periods too.  (We stayed there a month.)  It's a really beautiful old building, and there's a shared kitchen where you can make your own meals.  It's more in the medical area of Boston, but still walkable to many places.  Also, fairly close to a subway stop there.  (The "T".)  We always felt safe on the T while there, but were last there about 7 years ago.  Otherwise, Uber/Lyft are always good options!

From the airport, you can easily catch an airport taxi to a hotel, or call an Uber/Lyft.  I often prefer the taxis at the airport because they're right there and easy.  Otherwise, I take Uber/Lyft.

This is the inn where we stayed:

http://longwood-inn.com

 

 

[Longtime Lurker]

Thank you so much for all the info! We are busy looking up the hotel links and other activities. We will definitely not have a car. We are all about walking with some public transport when needed. I am not a coffee drinker but DD is, so thanks for the heads-up on the coffee situation 🙂

[Longtime Lurker]

2 hours ago, J-rap said:

We've been there several times... I love it.  We enjoyed all the typical historical tourist spots -- many mentioned already.  I loved the Beacon Hill area.  Also, interesting and fun landmarks like the narrowest house in Boston, the Make Way for Ducklings bronze ducks in the Public Garden, climbing the Bunker Hill monument, the Old State House, Union Oyster House.   (We went on the Duck Tour in Boston too!)

The first time we went, we stayed in a BnB in the Beacon Hill area.  Don't know if it's still there...  More recently, we stayed at a hotel/inn/boarding house which is where people often stay for longer periods of time -- but you can stay there for short periods too.  (We stayed there a month.)  It's a really beautiful old building, and there's a shared kitchen where you can make your own meals.  It's more in the medical area of Boston, but still walkable to many places.  Also, fairly close to a subway stop there.  (The "T".)  We always felt safe on the T while there, but were last there about 7 years ago.  Otherwise, Uber/Lyft are always good options!

From the airport, you can easily catch an airport taxi to a hotel, or call an Uber/Lyft.  I often prefer the taxis at the airport because they're right there and easy.  Otherwise, I take Uber/Lyft.

This is the inn where we stayed:

http://longwood-inn.com

 

 

This sounds like something we need to see!

[Mom_to3]

Great suggestions! Add a walk along the Charles if the weather is nice. You can look across to MIT (I'd skip the MIT campus itself - it's mostly a disappointment and a bit out of the way for a 3 day trip).

[pitterpatter]

DD and I are going early May. We are doing the Freedom Trail and taking the commuter rail to Salem. We are also taking the commuter train to Gloucester to go whale watching.

https://www.seethewhales.mobi/

And, we're going to try to make it here...the Boston location.

https://taiyakinyc.com/

We plan to hit some of the outdoor markets too.

Still deciding on other things.

[Matryoshka]

25 minutes ago, pitterpatter said:

DD and I are going early May. We are doing the Freedom Trail and taking the commuter rail to Salem. We are also taking the commuter train to Gloucester to go whale watching.

https://www.seethewhales.mobi/

And, we're going to try to make it here...the Boston location.

https://taiyakinyc.com/

We plan to hit some of the outdoor markets too.

Still deciding on other things.

There are also whale watching tours leaving directly from Boston (from Aquarium Wharf) - no need to go to Gloucester unless you want to see Gloucester. 

[Longtime Lurker]

We just booked our flights and made reservations at the Parker House (thanks @AmandaVTfor the recommendation)! It turns out that Boston is incredibly expensive over Memorial weekend, but that is the only time we can go. We are using flight vouchers from a cancelled March 2020 trip so that helps a lot. Plus we haven't traveled in more than two years, so I guess we have saved money in the meantime...

[Pam in CT]

OK I see you've landed on your hotel so won't weigh in there. Another vote for the science museum even if you don't generally like museums -- it's very hands on and really is the best of all of them, also Curious George.

I plan on seeing this Great Migration exhibit at the Charlestown Naval Yard next time we're up there.

Fanieul Hall area is great walking-around people watching, with loads of places to eat.

Check if there's a baseball game.

I once took the T out to John Adams' house and LOVED it, if you are into John Adams. As I recall the T dumped me out within a block or two of the house, also a (free) NPS site.

[Longtime Lurker]

So we are still planning on Boston next weekend!

Can anyone give me any advice about tipping? We plan to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel since it will be late at night? How much should we tip for that? Cash? Or can we add the tip to the credit card when we pay the fare? Also, we are staying at a nice hotel. When and how much is it appropriate to tip? And to whom? 

I normally only need to tip in restaurants and I know how to do that well 🙂 But I can't remember the last time I rode in a taxi and I haven't stayed in a nice hotel in 4 years. Our most frequent travel destination is Chicago and we always stay with my sister there and either drive or walk or take the El. I want to make sure that we tip appropriately.

[YaelAldrich]

We tip the taxi driver. You can tip him with your credit card when you pay your fare. Usually 15% or so. In hotels I tip the people who take my luggage up (if there is such a person), people who bring room service, and housekeeping. It's a buck or two for each piece of luggage, 10-15% of room service, and $5-10 for each day of housekeeping. Have fun in Beantown!

[Longtime Lurker]

2 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

We tip the taxi driver. You can tip him with your credit card when you pay your fare. Usually 15% or so. In hotels I tip the people who take my luggage up (if there is such a person), people who bring room service, and housekeeping. It's a buck or two for each piece of luggage, 10-15% of room service, and $5-10 for each day of housekeeping. Have fun in Beantown!

Thank you! This is super helpful!

[AmandaVT]

24 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

We tip the taxi driver. You can tip him with your credit card when you pay your fare. Usually 15% or so. In hotels I tip the people who take my luggage up (if there is such a person), people who bring room service, and housekeeping. It's a buck or two for each piece of luggage, 10-15% of room service, and $5-10 for each day of housekeeping. Have fun in Beantown!

The Omni Parker also has concierge service in the lobby - they can help you find and make restaurant reservations, etc. When I use that service, I tip - usually $20 for the visit. I tend to do $5/day for housekeeping, but I wonder if I'm low these days! I usually do $10 for the valet if I'm having my car parked. I figure it gives me a slight chance of not having my car used as the smoking section of the parking garage. 🤣

[YaelAldrich]

39 minutes ago, AmandaVT said:

The Omni Parker also has concierge service in the lobby - they can help you find and make restaurant reservations, etc. When I use that service, I tip - usually $20 for the visit. I tend to do $5/day for housekeeping, but I wonder if I'm low these days! I usually do $10 for the valet if I'm having my car parked. I figure it gives me a slight chance of not having my car used as the smoking section of the parking garage. 🤣

$5 when I bring in the car and $5 when I pick up.

[Longtime Lurker]

8 hours ago, AmandaVT said:

The Omni Parker also has concierge service in the lobby - they can help you find and make restaurant reservations, etc. When I use that service, I tip - usually $20 for the visit. I tend to do $5/day for housekeeping, but I wonder if I'm low these days! I usually do $10 for the valet if I'm having my car parked. I figure it gives me a slight chance of not having my car used as the smoking section of the parking garage. 🤣

 

7 hours ago, YaelAldrich said:

$5 when I bring in the car and $5 when I pick up.

Thanks! We will not have a car, so that is a non-issue. I appreciate all the advice!

[Longtime Lurker]

We had a wonderful time in Boston, despite our original flight getting canceled due to weather. Thanks again for all the great advice on places to stay and things to see!

We walked the Freedom Trail and the Black Freedom trail. And did a lot more walking all over the place. Some highlights were: the Boston Public Library, the OId North Church (we also did the crypt tour!), exploring the lower decks of the USS Constitution, and eating Italian food on the North End. The weather was beautiful (other than some rain the first day, during which we did the library and Trinity Church on Copley Square) so we spent most of our time outside and did all of our dining outside, as we had hoped we could do.

And the Parker House was the perfect place to stay. A beautiful old lobby and location, location, location.

Edited June 5, 2022 by Longtime Lurker