Boston Marathon - Hotels

Hi Guys - This is my first time to the Boston Marathon and first time to Boston in general. Where is the best place to stay? I plan on getting in on the Friday before the race and leaving the Wednesday after the race. Looking for some insight from those Boston veterans.

Thank you in advance!!!

That depends on what you want from the race (i.e. the experience or a fast run) and your budget.  The hotels in the city are not inexpensive, but I think staying in the city itself is the best option as you can access everything by foot or by T (the subway).  You also get to experience the vibe of the whole city and the race and take the infamous bus ride to the start.  Unlike NY or even Chicago, everyone in Boston knows that the marathon will be happening on Monday (and that was before the events of 2013) as it is a state holiday and I would bet many people don't even realize that the holiday has nothing to do with the race, but is the anniversary of the Battles at Lexington & Concord and Paul Revere's ride.

You can stay in some of the northern and southern suburbs (like Cambridge, Revere, Newton, Braintree) and still access the T to the city so you still do not need a vehicle, but you are not in the city to kind of drink it all in so to speak.  

Then you can stay in the western suburbs like Wellesley, Natick or Framingham which are along the (Mass Pike) highway and not far from the start, but you will need transportation both to get there and get to the start.  And if you are solo, it might be a bit difficult to retrieve your vehicle if you drive to the start and/or a bit expensive if you drive into the city and park and take the bus.  

I know that Schuey and others prefer to stay in the burbs, save a bit of money, and be removed from the hype as they are planning on running seriously.  As for me, I grew up in those burbs and until 2012, I always stayed out there and caught a ride to the start.  Now that my parents are in their 80s, I don't want them driving me to Hopkinton, so I stay in the city and take it all in.  It was something that I never did as a kid or even a college student (since I was running) and well, I can afford it now - so I do it.  You only live once and you might only run it once.

We always stay downtown.  We love the buzz and the relatively short walk after the race to recover.  We've stayed at the Plaza (right in the heart of the action) hotel 4 times and the Intercontinental (a little further from the action) once.  We also avoid the famous bus ride by signing up for a private bus with a porta john.  Cost is usually around $35.  I have a travel agent I use that takes care of that.  She sold out last yr in Sept which is why we ended up at the Intercontinental.  If you're interested in staying at the Plaza and riding a bus let me know and I'll send you the info.

Too late, I booked downtown 8 months before I qualified in January 2009.

Jerry wrote:Too late, I booked downtown 8 months before I qualified in January 2009.

It's far from too late, as there are plenty of hotels available in the downtown area...

I ended up booking our rooms out in Westborough near the start for the days prior to the race. Then, I booked rooms at the Boston Marriot Copley for the night after the race. That way we will be able to soak in everything after the race. I haven't booked the rest of the week after the race yet, but will probable book someplace outside of Boston that has easy access to downtown via train.

Thanks everyone for helping out a Boston newbie...