Doubletree Downtown Area

I am visiting Boston in October, and have booked into the Doubletree Downtown, but having read some reviews I am worried the area may be a little unsafe, and too far off the tourist track.

Would appreciate a local%26#39;s view.

Also I have heard menton of good rates on priceline.com - is this a serivce anyone would recommend for a tourist who needs some reassurance they are getting a fairly decent hotel?

Thanks in advance.

Doubletree Downtown Area

This hotel is not far at all ';off the tourist track';... a couple blocks from Boston Common and the start of the Freedom Trail. It is in the heart of the shopping area known as Downtown Crossing, where you will find the major department stores. It is also convenient to Chinatown and the Theatre District.

Having said that, you may find that in the late night, there is not much foot traffic in the IMMEDIATE area of the lobby entrance, though just a block away is the entrance to the new Ritz Carlton. The majority of people on the street will be waiting for cabs or valets due to the proximity of restaurants and theatres... at least after the stores close.

I wouldn%26#39;t say the area is ';unsafe'; at all... but for someone unused to somewhat vacant and unfamiliar streets late at night, it might feel ';uncomfortable';...

All in all, I wouldn%26#39;t dismiss the option based on location or safety issues, though if you could find a comparable rate in the Back Bay/Copley Square area you might be happier.

Doubletree Downtown Area

Try www.betterbidding.com and then consider www.priceline.com for ';Copley Square'; area hotels. Some people were obtaining Mariott Copley hotel rooms for $80 per night in the last few weeks by utilizing Priceline. However, prices for October can be higher due to demand during this popular visiting month. Another hotel area is the one that you chose, ';Downtown';.

Thank-you both for your input. I have also spotted good rates at the Radisson on South Street - is that a better bet?

Hi

We stayed not too far from Downtown Crossing this summer. My advice to you would be the same as if you were at home, in town at night. Keep your wits about you and your personal possessions secure. Know where you are going. If you get lost, go in a shop or restaurant, dont be getting the map out in the middle of the street. Boston is a great city. The people are friendly. Yes, there are all the %26#39;usual%26#39; suspects that you would find in any city, in any country, but we had no problems at all.

Enjoy your trip and check out this forum for local info, I found it a great help that by the time I got there I felt I knew it already. Hope this makes sense.

I believe that you meant the Radisson on Stuart Street not South Street. This hotel has received good reviews overall. You can check the reviews in the hotel section of Travel Advisor or by typing in ';Radisson'; into the search engine box on the upper left on this page. If you decide to lodge at this high rise hotel in the theater district, then choose one of the higher floors for the view.

Thanks Edgers,

You%26#39;re quite correct I meant Stuart Street not South Street - sorry for the confusion. Thanks also for the advice about the higher floors at the Radisson. So, on balance, would you say the Radisson is a better bet than the Doubletree? It%26#39;s slightly cheaper given the deals I%26#39;ve been able to find, but not enough to make-up my mind!

I say go with the Radisson. Not only does it seem to be offering a slightly better rate, its location is more than slightly better than that of the Doubletree. They%26#39;re a mere three blocks apart, but the Rad is opposite the Park Square and City Place restaurant areas and a short hop away from the Public Garden. Perhaps more importantly, it%26#39;s in a safer-feeling area with a good level of pedestrian traffic later at night. The Doubletree is on the far side of a medical complex and some nightclubs. So after dark you%26#39;d be faced with a hospital area that%26#39;s deserted outside and, in the wee hours of the morning, swarming with people departing the clubs. You%26#39;d be perfectly fine walking through the neighborhood by evening when productions are on at the Wang Center and Wilbur Theatre, but it turns sketchy once the showgoers have dispersed. The Tremont/Stuart intersection is a beehive of questionable activity and suspicious characters, and frequently streetwalkers and drug dealers are plying their trades along Washington and Kneeland Streets a block to the east. This is not to say that the vicinity is fraught with danger - I%26#39;ve never had troubles there at any time, and the residents there have stepped up their crime watches with measurable results. But the alternative you%26#39;ve had presented to you is worth pursuing.

Many thanks Spensworld for taking the time to give such a full reply.

I will certainly take your advice.

What a great resource this forum is!

To: SouthampstonVisitor: I concur, choose the Radisson.

Thanks Edgers