GandalfTheGreat

Our son is joining MIT this fall. He is planning to go there late August. We parents are also planning to go with him and stay there for 2 days.

Could you recommend some inexpensive hotels (Ideally, not more than $100 or so per night) hotels within 15-20 minutes of driving from MIT campus?

We are planning to rent a car. Is that a bad idea? We are just guessing that having a car might be helpful for shopping (to buy anything he may need) and also to go a little outside to save on hotel cost.

Any other suggestion/advice pertaining to the trip/stay would also be welcome. We are going there first time.

Thanks.

mathmom2

Congratulations to your son!

First, if you haven't already, and are willing to use Facebook, I suggest you join the parents group there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MITparents/.

There's been a lot of discussion on that site on what to do that first week. Many suggest that you don't worry about shopping as in most cases, the student is not in his/her final room. MIT is very convenient to the T (subway) stop, so as long as you find a hotel close to another T-stop, you should be fine.

A car may be more hassle than it's worth but I'll let others chime in. We took a car up to take son's stuff up from home. But once we were up in Cambridge, we did not use it. Then again, we didn't see him much once we dropped him off at the dorm.

WiseGuy

I'm not sure of the prices, but the Kendall Hotel is probably one of the closest to MIT. It is in Kendall Square, relatively on the eastern edge of campus. There is also a Marriott right across the street, both hotels are probably about 5-10 minutes walk to the center of MIT.

However, if your son will be staying on the west part of campus (where most of the dorm buildings are), the walk would be a little longer from Kendall Square (maybe 15-20 minutes). If that is the case, you may even look into hotels somewhere in Boston, just south of MIT over the Mass. Ave Bridge.

AnotherMITMom

I booked from booking.com the "40 Berkeley" hotel. $84/day. Only a couple of miles from MIT and from the airport, and I believe I can take the subway as well (so I don't plan on renting a car). It was the only one I could find and afford. The reviews on the hotel I read online were pretty good. Only thing I don't like is the bathrooms are shared (so you get what you pay for).

Address:
40 Berkeley Street, Back Bay
Boston (Massachusetts), MA 02116

molliebatmit

I usually put my parents up in the Holiday Inn Express in Cambridge (on Msgr. O'Brien Highway). It's a relatively budget-friendly hotel, but it's close to convenient public transportation options. (Of course, all the hotels in Boston increase their prices for MIT/Harvard/BU/BC move-in times -- it's a popular time for parents to come to Boston, and the hotels price accordingly.)

I wouldn't advise renting a car unless you're pretty comfortable with city driving. Boston's streets aren't very straightforward, and there aren't many places to park (and those that exist are pretty expensive). My parents had a car the first one or two times they visited me in Boston, then they just gave up and took the subway the rest of the time.

MITChris

I would try to avoid a car if at all possible. Most folks stay at the Marriott right on campus, but if for any reason that doesn't work, you can take any of the suggestions above or use kayak.com to just find a good one which fits your budget and is accessible via subway.