Boston hotel question

I know we have some Boston people here, and I hope you can help!

I need a hotel near Boston's South Station. Amtrak goes there from NYC and the Needham Line originates there, I understand.

Can anyone recommend a hotel near the station? And does anyone know, if I bid for a hotel on Priceline or look on Hotwire, is this the Financial District or what?

My DD and DH are going up on August 5, and they're staying just the one night.

Thanks for any ideas!

Up the street from South Station is the new Hyatt Convention Center hotel. About 1 1/2 blocks over from the Hyatt is the Seaport Hotel. Both are rather pricey being near the water.

Along the same line is the Boston Harbor Hotel, beaucoup bucks, right on the harbor.

A little remembered Art Deco gem in the financial district, which is about 5 blocks from the trains is the Wyndham Boston hotel. Quite a nice hotel, nice rooms, dead neighborhood after dark, as it is the financial district.

Those are probably the four closest hotels to South Station and the green line. Remember, all hotels in Boston tend to be expensive, parking is very high, and as long as you take public transport, you can get virtually anywhere. Have lived in Boston suburbs for almost 20 years and spent 12 years working in Boston's Chinatown, so ask questions.....


Mitch

What about the Holiday Inn in Boston-Government Center??

A few comments and suggestions:

1) With respect to the first response, the Convention Center hotel is a Westin, not a Hyatt. The Wyndham has been reflagged as a Hilton.

2) Amtrak (and the Needham commuter rail line) both stop at Back Bay Station and then South Station. So you hotels options are pretty varied. Right next to Back Bay Station is the Fairmont Copley Plaza and Westin at Copley. Within a 5 minute walk are the Marriott at Copley, Courtyard Marriott at Copley, Lenox Hotel, Copley Square Hotel and others. As far as South Station goes, there are no hotels right next to the station, but the closest is probably the Hyatt Financial District, followed by Le Meridien and Ritz-Carlton Boston Common. Other Financial District hotels are all within a 10 minute walk. The Holiday Inn at Government Center tends to be overpriced for what you get and is a long walk (20 minutes) to South Station.

3) What is you price range, and what is the purpose of the 1 night stay in Boston, i.e. what do you want to do in Boston?

Thanks for all the very thorough replies! They're going to visit Olin College in Needham, so we would like to keep this trip as inexpensive as possible. There will probably be other trips up to Boston for the same purpose. DD needs to be back home Monday morning b/c she's taking a summer class.

I've tried to convince DH that they should stay right in Boston for the night, so they can do something fun before they pick up a rental car the next morning and go out to the college, but he's saying he'd rather stay in the Needham/Dedham area.