What is a Good but Inexpensive Hotel near Boston's Ferry?

by Dee
(Portland, Oregon)

A Boston Water Taxi

Boston Logan Airport Hyatt Hotel

Constitution Inn, in the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown

Harborside Inn, across from Boston's Downtown Waterfront

We're planning a Boston vacation with our two teenagers. Can you recommend a good, inexpensive hotel near the Boston Ferry Terminal? Thank you! - Dee

Susan's reply: Boston has ferry terminals at several points along its waterfront. Since I'm not sure whether you're interested in local ferries or those that go farther away, such as to the Cape or even some of the longer cruises that dock at the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in the South Boston Waterfront, I'll suggest a few hotels in each location. I should warn you, though, that rates at most of the hotels vary quite a bit, depending on the season, weekend vs. weekday, what's going on in the city (forget trying to find reasonable rates around college graduation time from mid-May - early June), and of course, the economy. Boston hotel rates this fall are about double what they were 2 years ago - a sure sign the economy is improving - but not a help when looking for inexpensive hotels.

So, here's the scoop on Boston ferry locations, and inexpensive (at least sometimes) hotels near by. I'll point out which hotels are usually cheapest - but since rates vary so much, do click on the hotel links (they go to HotelsCombined and TripAdvisor, both of which pull up rates and reviews from multiple sources for you to compare) to check rates for your dates when you'll be here:

Airport: You can take a small ferry or boat (here we call them Water Taxis) from Boston Logan Airport to many places around the city's waterfront. The trip from the airport to downtown takes about 7-10 minutes. Hotels near the airport: Hyatt Harborside and Hilton Boston Logan Airport - both can be reasonable or pricey, depending on the date.

Charlestown: A ferry links this historic neighborhood with Long Wharf, in Downtown Boston. This ferry is only $2 each way, the biggest bargain in town. Charlestown has 2 hotels: Constitution Inn, where rates are usually reasonable (for Boston), and Marriott Residence Inn Boston Harbor, sometimes pricey, sometimes reasonable.

Long Wharf: Many local Boston cruises including cruises to the Harbor Islands depart from Long Wharf or other nearby wharfs. The Boston- Provincetown ferry also departs from this area. Hotels in this area (the Downtown Waterfront) tend to be quite expensive because of the location. If you don't mind a bit of a walk, try Club Quarters - however, rooms tend to be small, so with teens, you may need 2 but this could still be a reasonable compared with other choices in this neighborhood. Rates vary at Harborside Inn, but it's in a really great location near the water.

South Boston Waterfront: Just south of the downtown waterfront area is the South Boston waterfront, where the Boston-Provincetown ferry also stops. It's also where Boston's CruisePort, the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, is located. There are 3 South Boston Waterfront hotels. Because Boston's new Convention Center is located in this neighborhood, they're expensive when events are scheduled - but much cheaper when they're not, so it's worthwhile to check rates.

Hope this helps, and that you find an inexpensive hotel near the ferry location that's of interest to you!

Susan

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