Staying in Boston with a Teen : Things to Consider

Boston has long been one of my favorite US cities! I actually lived in Boston for four years during college and then in the outskirts of Boston for two years during grad school. I’d been wanting to bring Josh to visit for years and am so thankful to have been able to partner with Marriott Bonvoy and the Sheraton Boston to bring you this sponsored post recapping our visit!

Visiting Boston with a Teen

There are several things that make me really love Boston as a vacation destination. First is the ease with which you can move around the city. The MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) is the public transportation system consisting of the buses, commuter rail (trains), ferry and subway system that can get you around Boston and even out to the suburbs. The subway is referred to as “The T” and is a very economical and convenient way to get around Boston. When choosing where to stay during your Boston visit, proximity to a T stop should be high on your list of considerations.

We stayed as guests of the Sheraton Boston Hotel and could not have asked for a more convenient location! Located in historic Back Bay, not only was the hotel within walking distance to many of the attractions we wanted to visit such as shopping on Boylston Street and Newberry Street, the Boston Public Library, the Prudential Skywalk and the Boston Public Garden which were all under a mile away, but the T has both the Green line (Hynes Convention Center or Copley Station) and the Orange line (Back Bay Station) RIGHT there to hop on easily. If you are trying to pack a ton of things into your stay like we were, you will appreciate the ease with which we could access the T.

Convenience is Everything!

Getting from the airport to your hotel is something you will want to plan ahead as well. Because the Sheraton Boston Hotel is conveniently located at the Hynes Convention Center, we were able to take advantage of the Logan Express Bus which dropped us off right by our hotel.  Logan Express Buses stop at every airport terminal and travel to: Back Bay (both the Back Bay Station and to Hynes Convention Center), Braintree, Framingham, Peabody and Woburn. Fairs vary based on where you are going, but the Back Bay bus is free leaving Logan and $3.00 returning to the airport. Very reasonable!!

Another thing to consider when choosing where you will stay is what you will do if the weather does not cooperate. We had a list of things we wanted to do outside but were met with pouring rain the night we arrived. We were so excited to realize that the Boston Sheraton was connected to the Prudential Center which has a large selection of places to eat and shop without setting a foot outside.

 

Josh was excited to find an Under Armour store and I was happy to find a Dunkin Donuts!

 

We shopped for a while and then decided to try out the SideBar Restaurant in the hotel. Josh enjoyed a delicious burger and I feasted on a HUGE salad with grilled shrimp. The service was outstanding – Josh secretly tried to let his water glass get below half full but our attentive waiter never let that happen – and the food was extraordinary.

Should You Spring for a Club Level Room?

Another benefit of staying at the Sheraton Boston Hotel is their club level. Sheraton put us up on the 29th floor in a BEAUTIFUL suite. Having a separate room and bathroom for the teen was a definite luxury and made getting out at a reasonable hour in the morning a lot easier. While I realize a Presidential Suite might not be possible for all travelers (although check out their offerings because they do have all styles of suites at very reasonable prices), staying up on the Club level is a definite must.

 

First, there are separate express elevators that only access the Club level by scanning your key so you are not stopping at every floor to pick up and drop off other people. That may sound trivial, but when there are 29 floors it is a consideration! Club Level guests also have access to the Club Lounge. This gorgeous room (check out the view!!) boasts complimentary food including a very robust breakfast (eggs two ways, sausage or bacon, yogurt, toast, muffins, cereal, juices, coffee, and SO much more), snacks available during the day, hor d’oeuvres at happy hour with a cash bar and 24 hour complimentary non-alcoholic beverages including bottles of water and cans of soda. There is also free high-speed Wi-Fi and complimentary business services including several computers available. (Peek inside the Club Lounge here!!)

 

Both Josh and I drink a TON of water (especially when we are traveling) and even more when we are sightseeing in a hot city. Having cold bottles of water available to us 24/7 was a huge perk. (I should add that in-room bottled water is also complimentary and housekeeping was amazing at making sure we always had full bottles available).

 

Having a complimentary breakfast available was also a huge plus. If you have a teen boy, you know how much they can eat! Josh really enjoyed the offerings at the breakfast and we saved quite a bit by taking advantage of it every morning. Anyone who knows me knows about my latte addiction and the coffee machine saved me a ton and I loved being able to grab a freshly made latte before even hitting the shower in the morning! In my opinion, the advantages of the Club Level make it worth every penny and I would book a Club Level room again, especially when traveling with a teen.

Are You a Marriott BonVoy Member?

If you do a lot of traveling, you have probably racked up a decent amount of rewards points. If you stay at Marriott Bonvoy Hotels which include a TON of brands including the Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, Westin Hotels, aloft Hotels, Sheraton Hotels and all of the Marriott properties just to name a few, you will receive a variety of great perks. You can access things like free Wi-Fi, mobile check-in and the lowest rate at all times. You will save at least 2% on weekday visits and 5% on weekends and it’s completely free to join!  Another cool perk is that you can use your accumulated points to book fun activities and experiences with the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program. You can access everything from luxury boxes at your favorite sporting events to VIP dining experiences to amazing seats at your favorite artist’s concert.

 

While in Boston, we got a taste of this with an amazing Fenway Park experience seeing the Red Sox play. (And a super cool gift basket with Red Sox hats and lots of other goodies!) Our seats were in the home plate area just 12 rows back. In all my years in Boston, I had never sat that close to the field – ever.  It was incredible!! My teen is probably ruined for any other Red Sox games!

 

No matter what city you are visiting, Marriott has a place for you to stay – and at each price point!

• Boston: Nearly 30 hotels across 11 brands
• New York City: Over 50 hotels across 18 brands
• Philadelphia: 24 hotels across 11 brands
• Washington, D.C.: Over 20 hotels across 12 brands

We had the chance to check out the Westin down on the waterfront when one of their restaurants, MJ O’Connor’s invited us over for dinner. The restaurant had an authentic Irish pub feel and was really hopping on a Friday night. Josh enjoyed one of the many lobster rolls he consumed during our visit and I had a good ole fish and chips platter. We started off with Boston clam chowder and finished up with Creme Brulee. (Okay, so that dessert isn’t exactly a Boston thing, but it was delicious!)

 

 

Even though we packed our days in Boston with a ton of activities, we still didn’t get to do everything we wanted to. Which just means we will have to come back again! You can bet that the Sheraton Boston Hotel will be at the top of our list when looking for a place to stay thanks to their amazing service and convenience! Josh and I would like to thank Sheraton Boston for partnering with us and hosting us for our stay – we will treasure those memories for a lifetime!!

Check out the video tour of the suite we stayed in at the Sheraton Boston!!