<p>Hoping my CC pals can give some hint on this last detail for our summer trip. </p>
<p>Next month we will land in Boston 11pm (it will feel like 9pm on our home timezone). We need to get a rental car and then pick up DS near Cambridge and head toward Albany. Our goal is to get far enough to avoid Friday morn rush hour traffic. Also we want to economize (we’ll probably be there less than 8 hours)… but still avoid the dumpy places. </p>
<p>So far the hotels I’ve found in idea area (around Newton) seem to pricey and/or noncancellable. We are committed for the trip date, but our 4pm departure from Denver means chance of flight changes to the next day. </p>
<p>I’ve found some good choices near Auburn. Would that be too far late at night? Any night miles will reduce our morning trek, but we still hesitate to go too far.</p>
<p>Could you stay in Natick /Framingham? Lots of hotels at all price ranges. And it’s all perfectly safe, and near plenty of retail / restaurants if you need that the next morning. That’s a bit west of Newton.</p>
<p>Or why not just crash at the airport hotel, get sleep and pick up the rental car in the morning and head out?</p>
<p>DS works near Framingham and has suggested Sheraton $169, but it is noncancellable. Best Western has 3-day prior cancellation (no help) but is only $114. </p>
<p>Has anybody found good Logan deals? The disadvantages of Logan hotel are cost (I think), morning rush hour traffic hassles (we hope to be to Albany for a lunch date), and silly mom preference to see the kid asap (we have not seen him since early March).</p>
<p>Nothing silly about mom preference to see kid!</p>
<p>I agree Framingham sounds good. But if you want to drive further, you should be able to find something in west springfield as well…about 3 hours from Logan (factoring in getting the car).</p>
<p>Or check Sturbridge…near the 84 exit on the Mass Pike.</p>
<p>Ah, I love Sturbridge. But Springfield and Sturbridge are just too far west for an 11pm Logan arrival. </p>
<p>Even Auburn/Worcester may be too far - still deciding on that. I do love the idea of being beyond all concerns of morning traffic tie-ups.</p>
<p>Waltham, it you think to late to drive to Framingham or further to Worcester… It is actually the same exit as Newton but there are several hotels and it is easy access to get back on the highway.
Our d is a Brandeis grad and so our hotel of preference whenever we stayed there was the Doubletree but there are several others. We’ve also stayed at the Sheraton 4 Points. Some of these hotel chains switch around so you would need to check.</p>
<p>We had great success with Hyatt House in Waltham- free breakfast in AM, snacks in afternoon, free parking, right off I 95. A little further west of Newton but not as far as Framingham.</p>
<p>I would use Natick/Framingham. That get’s you beyond I-95 for the morning rush hour and puts you right on the Mass Pike westbound.</p>
<p>CM: If you stay in Auburn, you’ll have a 50-60 minute drive once you leave Logan. I travel on the Mass Pike to Logan 2-3 times a month and live just north of the Mass Pike. I’d stay at a hotel near the airport and get up early and drive to Albany in the morning. If you’re staying at the airport, you’ll be going westbound from Boston on the Pike. Most of the traffic on the Pike in the AM is going to be eastbound into the city.</p>
<p>I agree with getting away from the airport to make your morning easier. We recently stayed in Natick for a wedding at the Crowne Plaza Verve. Not your typical hotel. Awesome restaurant called Pantry. Other family members stayed at the nearby Hampton Inn. Had great late night drinks and food at the attached sports bar. There ate many hotels in the Framingham- Natick area.</p>
<p>I would also look around the Rt. 30/Speen St. exit off the pike at Natick/Framingham. It’s far enough but not too far. The problem with Auburn is you go past 495 and then keep going into the hills, which are pretty steep, and then past Worcester. If you haven’t driven that at night - tired and maybe later than you hope - it can be a bit demanding.</p>
<p>I was also going to say either Framingham or Worcester.</p>
<p>All hotels should be cancellable 24 hours before arrival.</p>
<p>However, the lowest rates are now more commonly non cancellable.</p>
<p>I am finding some cancellable 24 hrs ahead… or sometimes 4pm. But I usually can find 6pm cancellations for just a bit more than nonrefundable. (That would be ideal for this trip… our flight leaves around 4:30pm MT)). </p>
<p>Focusing my search on Waltham… maybe as far as Framingham. We have driven this route many times (once even all the way to Albany after a redeye flight)… but this timeit will be deep night, and we want to limit driving to under an hour. Thanks for all the helpful input!</p>
<p>I grew up in Framingham and have family still there. I agree that Natick/Framingham Speen St. exit is a good choice. There are both a Marriott Courtyard and a Hampton Inn on Speen St. as well as a Crowne Plaza nearby on Route 9. If you go to the next exit, Framingham, there’s the Sheraton Tara hotel and also a Marriott Residence Inn. Any of these will have easy access back onto the Mass Pike in the morning.</p>
<p>I am again considering the Framingham Red Roof I looked at a few days ago. (We are a bit leery about RR based on dives we’ve seen in other towns… but the trip advisor reviews on this one are decent). I could get a $99 rate with 6pm cancellation. </p>
<p>Our main vacation will be a beach house splurge for 3 generations. So I was trying to keep costs down. I’d be willing to spend a bit more for a better place… but not too much more if I have to worry about eating the costs if flight gets cancelled.</p>
<p>That Red Roof Inn in Framingham is within spitting distance of the Mass Pike.</p>
<p>The Marriott Courtyard is maybe a two minute drive further off the Pike, and was built relatively recently.</p>
<p>Sheraton Tara would also be a good stop IMO, only a couple of minutes further down the road and just off the highway. There is a Motel 6 across the street from the Sheraton Tara which looks like it should be the cheapest accommodations around – might be okay if you are just looking to crash for the night.</p>
<p>We like to stay at the Westin Waltham to visit our D – but they charge an INSANE amount for parking – I get charging for parking in a city, but in the suburbs, it’s ridiculous. We park at the hotel across the street and walk literally 30 yards to get to the Westin – saves $30! Just something to be aware of.</p>
<p>I LOVE Westins but if this poster is looki g for a bargain hotel, I’m not sure the Westin would work:)</p>