Accommodations in Boston and NYC?

April 4, 2019 10:12 AM

Seeking recommendations for AirBnB or modestly priced hotels in Boston and New York.

Hi! Have you stayed somewhere in Boston or NYC within the last few years that you could recommend?

The travellers: two adult men, two beds. Mid-September this year.

I, a third party, am tasked with booking rooms.

I saw some past recommendations for hotels in Brooklyn, but am seeking leads to no-hassle AirBnBs, if they exist.

Feel free to memail me if you need to keep your spot super-sekrit! Also would love to hear from anyone who is a no hassle AirBnB host in Boston or NYC themselves!

Me and my croutons thank you!

posted by Rube R. Nekker to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)

There are a number of AirBnBs in Cambridge that might meet your needs--as long as you're close to the Red Line, it's a short trip over the river to Boston. Irving House is the best-known, I think. (Note that "modest prices" in Boston in September can be quite difficult to achieve.)

Formal reminder that the vast majority of AirBnB listings in NYC are illegal and that the people of New York would appreciate that you not trash our city and scorn our laws in the process of supposedly appreciating its charms. You can get sub-$300/night rooms at the Holiday Inn on Delancey St. in September if you need to be in Manhattan. It's a slightly weird location because it's right by the Williamsburg Bridge, but it's close to an MTA stop and all the wackiness of the LES and tourists seem not to mind it.
posted by praemunire at 10:32 AM on April 4, 2019 [4 favorites]

Best answer: If you are fine with modest then I've been satisfied with both the Sheraton Brooklyn New York Hotel and the Red Lion Inn & Suites Long Island City, both offer two bed rooms for around $200/nt in Sept.
posted by Cosine at 10:57 AM on April 4, 2019

Best answer: Room at The Franklin Hotel on the UES can be had for sub-$200/night, depending on when you go. They are small (per NYC standards), but very nice and well-located.
posted by mrfuga0 at 10:58 AM on April 4, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: My partner and I go to NYC all the time, and stay at the Club Quarters Wall St. I think because it's a less "sexy" location (everything in that area tends to close a bit earlier than all-night Manhattan areas) the prices are low, but the hotel itself is lovely, right next to a subway entrance, and we love it. I checked a couple of weeks in September, and you can get weekday rooms for under $200/night, for singles.
posted by xingcat at 11:03 AM on April 4, 2019

Best answer: I used to stay here in Boston (technically Somerville) a lot before I got a dog (they don't allow pets). It's very very reasonable and in a great location, right off the red line in Porter Sq, walking distance to many Cambridge/Somerville attractions.

The Sheratons in Boston can be a good deal, but vary a lot in price. When the date gets closer, look into the Sheraton Commander in Harvard Sq (which would be my first choice) and the Sheraton in Back Bay, I've stayed at both of these locations for less than $200/night, but sometimes they can be prohibitively expensive.
posted by cakelite at 11:16 AM on April 4, 2019

For hotels, just use Hotel Tonight and filter by your definition of "modestly priced". Please don't stay in an Airbnb in New York.
posted by caek at 11:26 AM on April 4, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer:
Bubba and Bean Lodges (named after their two Boston Terriers), NYC. Quiet, spotlessly clean and reasonably priced. Completely self-contained, including small kitchen. The apartment we stayed in had a fabulous outdoor patio too. Close to public transport and some excellent restaurants. (Wishing I was there right now...)
posted by The Patron Saint of Spices at 11:33 AM on April 4, 2019 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: To clarify: by no hassle AirBnB I do mean one that is legal and that you or your immediate circle have experienced recently and can confirm is no hassle.

Are all AirBnBs in NYC illegal? Sincerely asking, don't mean to derail. Thanks.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 11:35 AM on April 4, 2019

Best answer: Are all AirBnBs in NYC illegal?

NOLO's Airbnb in New York City looks like it has a lot of information.
posted by readinghippo at 11:45 AM on April 4, 2019

Essentially any AirBnB in a dwelling of three (I believe, can't check right this second) or more units rented for less than a month where the owner is not physically present in the apartment at the time of the rental is illegal. So if someone is renting out their second bedroom while they are still in the apartment, that's fine, but not if they're not there. Also someone in a two-family dwelling using the second unit as an AirBnB would probably be fine. However, there are few dwellings with fewer than three units owned by people who would be interested in putting them on AirBnB in Manhattan. More in the outer boroughs, of course.
posted by praemunire at 12:05 PM on April 4, 2019 [1 favorite]

The Wall St. area does shut down at night to a considerable degree, but most of the major subway lines converge on it. It's like staying in the City in London, where you can often get decent weekend deals on nicer hotels. If you like a place like Club Quarters, it's definitely worth considering (though I haven't had anyone stay there).
posted by praemunire at 12:10 PM on April 4, 2019