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Hotel descriptions are hilarious; need advice for hotel between Boston-Rockport

rickandcindy23

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Hotel descriptions are not well written. Usually you don't really read the entire description, or maybe you are looking for something specific, so you don't notice.

Run-on sentences with no commas, bad grammar, subject-verb disagreement, and just about every mistake you can imagine. The hotel resort sites have all of them.

I am looking for a lot of information for a hotel on the way to Maine from Boston airport. We didn't want to arrive late at Samoset in Rockport. Our week doesn't start until the next day.

I have been looking at hotels that are along the route. I have a free night coming from Hyatt, and another from IHG.

I want a hotel with reasonable parking fees or free, a breakfast included, and easy access off of the interstate.

Rick will want to avoid the toll roads because we will have a rental car, and we have read too many reports of crazy toll charges by the rental car companies because of the tolls. Renter says they paid the tolls themselves, and car companies say the toll is not paid and adds a lot of money to the car rental.

Anyway, do you have any hotel recommendations for a hotel between Rockport, Maine and Boston airport? Preferably a Hyatt or IHG hotel (Holiday Inn). But I have Chase and SPG points I can transfer to Marriott, if needed. I could also book Starwood.
 
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theo

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...recommendations for a hotel between Rockport, Maine and Boston airport? Preferably a Hyatt or IHG hotel (Holiday Inn). But I have Chase and SPG points I can transfer to Marriott, if needed. I could also book Starwood.

I frankly don't recommend trying to dodge the I-95 tolls in NH and Maine en route to mid coast Maine just to save what is probably a grand total of about six or seven dollars max (you can pay cash at toll booths once outside of MA, which is now all only EZ Pass or later billing via license plate photo). Dodging those relatively few highway tolls seems very inefficient for the short money involved, particularly if you are traveling through on a weekend day, but that's certainly your prerogative. The secondary roads will take much longer and U.S. Route 1 is busy, commercial, slow and ugly in MA and NH --- and no scenic joy in southern Maine either. Time is money too, but it's your call.

Given your quest to use points or whatever for lodging, I would suggest conducting a narrowed down search for hotels in Portland, ME. That's about halfway (a bit more) to Rockport from Boston and I know for a fact there is at least one Marriott in Portland, maybe two, one of them nearly waterfront iirc. Dunno about breakfasts or parking, but it's certainly quick enough on / off the highway. i also don't know about Hyatts or IHG there, but Google should disclose all those details if you zero in on Portland ME hotels. You can inquire directly of the hotels thereafter for details of concern to you if their web sites are insufficiently descriptive.
 
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WalnutBaron

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I've stayed at both the Portland Marriott at Sable Oaks (listed at $107/night) and the Courtyard Portland Downtown ($123/night). Both are nice hotels. If you're looking to take in a bit of the downtown, I'd recommend the Courtyard, but the Marriott is south of town, right off the I-95 Turnpike.
 

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I frankly don't recommend trying to dodge the I-95 tolls in NH and Maine en route to mid coast Maine just to save what is probably a grand total of about six or seven dollars max... Dodging those relatively few highway tolls seems very inefficient for the short money involved...

Being something of a tightwad, I can appreciate trying to save on travel expenses. But I agree that it doesn't make much sense to waste precious time and pinch pennies, when you're likely spending thousands on airfare, meals & lodging (even if in the form of points) in any event. So I say: If you want to enjoy your travels, don't sweat the small stuff.
.
 

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Can you buy an EZ pass that is accepted in the states you will be traveling through and other states too? If you already have your own transponder for the EZ pass you can transfer it to the rental car. With the EZ pass they bill by plate so you will have to log in and register the rental car license plate on your EZ pass account and make sure to delete it as soon as you return the car. Just make sure to inform the rental agent when you pick up the car that you have your own transponder. Make sure the agent notes it on the rental agreement and signs confirming it.

If you pay cash make very sure you get a receipt for every toll you pay and keep them for several months afterwards. There is a good chance that you will have to prove to the rental car company that you paid the tolls.
 

WinniWoman

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rickandcindy23

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We were going to stay at a Hilton Homewood Suites hotel in Portsmouth, NH once. We just ended up not going at all, but I know I researched it and it had good reviews.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...lton_Portsmouth-Portsmouth_New_Hampshire.html
I was considering this one as one of my top five, actually. We stayed at a Homewood Suites in San Jose and loved it. I think I am going to book it.

Rick is over-the-top excited about this trip. We have been to Pennsylvania, the Poconos, and NYC for one day, and we drove to NJ, just to say we did it. Now we are 62 and need to visit the other states in the NE.

I frankly don't recommend trying to dodge the I-95 tolls in NH and Maine en route to mid coast Maine just to save what is probably a grand total of about six or seven dollars max (you can pay cash at toll booths once outside of MA, which is now all only EZ Pass or later billing via license plate photo). Dodging those relatively few highway tolls seems very inefficient for the short money involved, particularly if you are traveling through on a weekend day, but that's certainly your prerogative. The secondary roads will take much longer and U.S. Route 1 is busy, commercial, slow and ugly in MA and NH --- and no scenic joy in southern Maine either. Time is money too, but it's your call.

Given your quest to use points or whatever for lodging, I would suggest conducting a narrowed down search for hotels in Portland, ME. That's about halfway (a bit more) to Rockport from Boston and I know for a fact there is at least one Marriott in Portland, maybe two, one of them nearly waterfront iirc. Dunno about breakfasts or parking, but it's certainly quick enough on / off the highway. i also don't know about Hyatts or IHG there, but Google should disclose all those details if you zero in on Portland ME hotels. You can inquire directly of the hotels thereafter for details of concern to you if their web sites are insufficiently descriptive.

We are willing to pay tolls, I just know that rental car companies will sometimes say you didn't pay the toll and then charge huge fees for their "inconvenience," or whatever they call it. I guess we will pay and keep our receipts, if there are receipts.

I shouldn't have planned this mid-spring (4/20-5/3). Rick says we could see snow, and we already have plenty here in Denver, so that would not be fun. We stay in when it snows. We really don't travel much in later May and summer because our yard is a lot of work and not something we can let go to weed for summer.
 

rickandcindy23

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Can you buy an EZ pass that is accepted in the states you will be traveling through and other states too? If you already have your own transponder for the EZ pass you can transfer it to the rental car. With the EZ pass they bill by plate so you will have to log in and register the rental car license plate on your EZ pass account and make sure to delete it as soon as you return the car. Just make sure to inform the rental agent when you pick up the car that you have your own transponder. Make sure the agent notes it on the rental agreement and signs confirming it.

If you pay cash make very sure you get a receipt for every toll you pay and keep them for several months afterwards. There is a good chance that you will have to prove to the rental car company that you paid the tolls.
We have something like that on our car here in Colorado. I doubt it will work in the states on the east coast. It's for all of the tolls around Denver to carpool, even. It's a PIA thing that we had to do to use the tolls with 3 or more passengers only.
 

rickandcindy23

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Being something of a tightwad, I can appreciate trying to save on travel expenses. But I agree that it doesn't make much sense to waste precious time and pinch pennies, when you're likely spending thousands on airfare, meals & lodging (even if in the form of points) in any event. So I say: If you want to enjoy your travels, don't sweat the small stuff.
.
I am a major tightwad, and so is Rick. We get along well and are celebrating our 45th anniversary this particular trip. Tolls are something Rick's Waze app is set to avoid. I don't mind going off the trail a bit to drive some side roads. I love it. That is why I don't want to arrive at 4 PM and drive all the way to Maine because I don't want to drive it in the dark. It's just so exciting to see everything, at least for us.

I also stay in the hotel until checkout time. I am not one to jump out of bed early and checkout, then go find something to eat. I want to eat at the hotel, take a leisurely shower and enjoy the hotel a bit. I am weird that way. Rick is too.

When we go to Hawaii, we always stay at a hotel both to/from Hawaii along the coast, and Rick's stepmom is ready to leave that hotel room to get back home to Denver by 8 AM. She doesn't want to enjoy the breakfast or have coffee, she is just wanting to get to the airport. Rick tells her our flight isn't until between 1-2 PM to get home, and she says she doesn't care, she just wants to go to the airport. I tell her we are not leaving until checkout time. She goes back to her room and reads her book a bit longer and will not just relax. She has her shoes on, her jacket on, and her bags by the door.
 

rickandcindy23

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I've stayed at both the Portland Marriott at Sable Oaks (listed at $107/night) and the Courtyard Portland Downtown ($123/night). Both are nice hotels. If you're looking to take in a bit of the downtown, I'd recommend the Courtyard, but the Marriott is south of town, right off the I-95 Turnpike.
I will definitely check those before booking something.
 

WinniWoman

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It will be cold. No doubt. We were staying at the Samoset in Rockport, Maine once in April and it was very chilly- snow on the golf course, etc. But we were able to head out to Acadia on a nice 50 degree sunny day and actually we did do a lot of sightseeing all around the Rockport/Camden area and some hiking, too, and it was fine. We don't like to be hot anyway. The day we headed home was a Nor'easter storm- rain- not snow thankfully but very bad nonetheless.

BTW- if you decide to stay in NH, check out the Strawberry Bank area in Portsmouth.
 

mdurette

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Is this correct - you arrive in Boston at 4pm on a Friday? One word - TRAFFIC. If it were me....I would just stay the night in the city and then take the entire day to get up to Samoset. There is a Hilton right at the airport or find a place with a shuttle service.

Route 1 (back road) and Route 95 (toll road) run pretty much parallel with each other. Taking route 1 will add about 1 1/2 to 2 hours onto your trip. But, if you have all day Saturday to do it....then why not! Plan for a pit stop in Ogunquit for lunch.
 

theo

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Is this correct - you arrive in Boston at 4pm on a Friday? One word - TRAFFIC.

I don't recall that arrival detail being disclosed initially; I now retract my previous Portland, ME suggestion.

Based on this new information, Portsmouth, NH would be a good overnight lodging choice, getting completely out of Boston (yes, there will be serious commuter traffic at that time of day). Except for that commuter traffic delay and congestion, it's only about an hours' drive to Portsmouth. OP would then have a more relaxing morning and a more leisurely drive to Samoset. All driving done in daylight (on both travel days), without having to start the drive to Samoset from Boston's Logan Airport.
 
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Glynda

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...I don't mind going off the trail a bit to drive some side roads. I love it. That is why I don't want to arrive at 4 PM and drive all the way to Maine because I don't want to drive it in the dark. It's just so exciting to see everything, at least for us.

As I recall from our drive up I-95 from Portland up to where we got off to go over towards Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island there was nothing exciting to see. It's rather boring. Coming back along the coastal highway was slow but charming.
 

Talent312

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If you'd like to meander a bit near Boston, get off I-95 to visit:

-- Lexington Common National Historic Site -- where the Minute Men were holed up in a pub, put down their steins, saying, "We'll be back in a Minute," and shot at the British passing by (mostly missing).
-- Follow Massachusetts Ave & Hwy 2A (Battle Road Scenic Byway) to the Minute Man National Historic Park near Concord -- where hot-head farmers, thinking the British had set fire to the town, came down from the hills and shot at them from across the Old North Bridge.
-- If you have time, stop at Walden Pond -- where you can walk around to see Henry David Thoreau's original cabin site.

http://www.battleroad.org/sites.html
https://scenicbyways.info/byway/75243.html
https://www.nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/maps.htm
https://www.mass.gov/locations/walden-pond-state-reservation
 

rickandcindy23

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Talent 312:
I love American history. It was my minor in college and should have been my major. I chose English as my major. The two complement one another for teaching. I never really used either. I just have a lot of nonsense info in my brain, and some of it is buried deep down in my brain. Love Mark Twain, by the way.
 

rickandcindy23

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Okay, so we are actually arriving more like 3 PM, according to our itinerary. By the time we get a car, we will be on the road by 4 PM. I will have to re-think our plan a bit. Traffic jams can be kind of fun, if you have never been in that particular jam before.

Our second week is at Brewster Green, by the way. We hope to take some day trips around us to see some history. I hope we get to see quite a bit while there. Rick is already looking at other resorts for future stays nearby.
 

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Okay, so we are actually arriving more like 3 PM, according to our itinerary. By the time we get a car, we will be on the road by 4 PM. I will have to re-think our plan a bit. Traffic jams can be kind of fun, if you have never been in that particular jam before.

Our second week is at Brewster Green, by the way. We hope to take some day trips around us to see some history. I hope we get to see quite a bit while there. Rick is already looking at other resorts for future stays nearby.

We like Brewster Green. It's nothing fanc and it's not in a special location but it's a handy location for the Cape as far as we are concerned. We live near the water year round so it's not a loss to us. Do try the Brewster Fish House!
 

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FYI regarding using the rental car EZ Pass. If you use the EZ Pass provided by the car company, you must pass the ez pass fee for every day the car is rented, not just the day you use it. This is in addition to the actual toll fee. Thank goodness I had a lengthy conversation with the rental car agent.

This is true for Hertz. I don't know about other car companies. It's like if you prepay for gas. They charge you for the full tang not just for what you use.
 

rickandcindy23

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Okay, so we are going to book the Hyatt hotel in Medford on the way to Samoset. I have a free night to use with our credit card.

We are so excited about our trip. I hope the weather warms for our trip, but I don't want it too warm. I am picky like that.
 

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Can you buy an EZ pass that is accepted in the states you will be traveling through and other states too? If you already have your own transponder for the EZ pass you can transfer it to the rental car. With the EZ pass they bill by plate so you will have to log in and register the rental car license plate on your EZ pass account and make sure to delete it as soon as you return the car. Just make sure to inform the rental agent when you pick up the car that you have your own transponder. Make sure the agent notes it on the rental agreement and signs confirming it.

If you pay cash make very sure you get a receipt for every toll you pay and keep them for several months afterwards. There is a good chance that you will have to prove to the rental car company that you paid the tolls.
I think all this nuisance (plus the risk of a rental car company bill) is why the OP wants to avoid the toll roads. It is potentially not a trivial amount even when the tolls themselves are small. I share the OP's sentiment.
 

Jan M.

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I think all this nuisance (plus the risk of a rental car company bill) is why the OP wants to avoid the toll roads. It is potentially not a trivial amount even when the tolls themselves are small. I share the OP's sentiment.

I agree. I posted what we know about rental cars, EZ pass and tolls roads because sometimes it is really difficult to avoid the toll roads. It can be very challenging when you don't know an area well and even more so when there is heavy traffic. I learn a lot of miscellaneous information when I read the threads so thought it might be helpful for other people reading this who might not have much experience with toll roads or how rental car companies handle the tolls. The people who live in some States never experience toll roads unless they get on a turnpike. A lot of people come to the Orlando and Fort Lauderdale areas where Florida toll roads are quite commonplace. I remember the first time I came to Orlando in 1998 before toll by plate and also before we had a GPS. Being unfamiliar with the area I stuck to the main roads and it seemed like everywhere we went I was paying tolls.
 
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