HotelChatter

Hotel Closings / Gay Hotels / Massachusetts Hotels / → All Tags

Provincetown's Gay-Friendly Oxford Guesthouse Closes

Yesterday, we got word from a tipster that Provincetown's Oxford Guesthouse has shut down. As it turns out, the popular gay-friendly inn recently closed on September 12.

The English country-style inn, which operated for 12 years, was sold and we suspect it has been converted into a private residence.

If you want to stay in a similar-type place in Provincetown, the former Oxford Guesthouse owners recommend spending the night at the nearby White Porch Inn, a nine-room bed and breakfast that offers perks like views overlooking Providence harbor from a number of the rooms, a 24-hour coffee bar and free WiFi. Rooms at White Porch start at $125.

[Photo: Martin Pinker/The Oxford Guesthouse, Provincetown's Facebook]

more ›

aloft Hotels / Hotel Video Tours / HotelChatter Reviews / Massachusetts Hotels / → All Tags

Inside Aloft Lexington :: Now We Get It

Where: 727 Marrett Rd [map], Lexington, MA, United States, 02421-7311

Aloft was probably the most over hyped hotel brand, ever, so needless to say we were all a little asick of aloft long before they opened a hotel. However, visiting the aloft Lexington changed all that.

We get it. Starwood is gussying up roadside hotels and making them millennial nostalgic, if there is such a thing, and you know what? Roadside hotels were in need of some millennializing.

more ›

Bad Rate / Massachusetts Hotels / Comfort Inns / Thanksgiving Hotels / → All Tags

Bad Rate :: Roadside (Un)Comfort Inn in Plymouth

Where: 155 Samoset St. (US 44) [map], Plymouth, MA, United States, 02360

[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same region and decide which one most deserves your hard-earned benjamins. Rates quoted here were captured on November 6, 2007 and are subject to change. Enjoy.]

If you're going to historic Plymouth, MA over Thanksgiving, do you really want to sleep in a below-average chain hotel room with lousy breakfasts?

On the official site the Comfort Inn Plymouth motel is listed as "conveniently located just minutes from historic waterfront attractions," which here translates to "next to a non-descript highway and nothing is within walking distance."

This Comfort Inn ranks near the bottom of hotels in Plymouth on TripAdvisor, with these being a few of the choice comments:

· "Your view is either of Samoset St., a long street of chain malls that used to be Route 44 before they built a bypass recently, or of low-income housing on the back."

· "The pool was so cloudy you couldn't see your feet."

· "The woman in charge of the breakfast area clearly disliked her job and they did not replace many food items that had run out. The coffee was worse than mud."

You get the idea. The lowest rate we could find anywhere over Thanksgiving weekend was $119 at the hotel's own website. On the other booking sites we didn't see anything under $149 unless we were a member of AAA or AARP.

So book direct if a ho-hum motel by a highway is your idea of the best bet in historic Plymouth. Otherwise check into one of the Bed and Breakfasts with character, good chow, and a location good for strolling--this week's Good Rate.

Related Stories:
· Good Rate :: A Plymouth B&B for Thanksgiving [HotelChatter]
· More Plymouth Hotels [HotelChatter]

Bed and Breakfasts / Good Rate / Massachusetts Hotels / Thanksgiving Hotels / → All Tags

Good Rate :: A Plymouth B&B for Thanksgiving

[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same region and decide which one most deserves your hard-earned benjamins. Rates quoted here were captured on November 6, 2007 and are subject to change. Enjoy.]

To get to the roots of Thanksgiving, there's no better spot than where it all began, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. See the Plymouth Rock! See the Mayflower! See a replica of the original settlement! And hey, it's right on the water, with a nice beach panorama.

Staying in a cookie-cutter chain hotel just doesn't seem right in a place like this, so it's best to book at one of the dozen or so New England bed and breakfasts scattered around town. Rates run anywhere from $80 to $250, but most fall in the middle of that range.

The top two spots with TripAdvisor reviewers are A Beach House Oceanfront Plymouth (named by a search engine optimization specialist apparently)and By the Sea Bed & Breakfast - pictured here. In both cases you'll have a nice location, a quality breakfast, and attentive service for somewhere between $140 and $170 a night.

We couldn't automatically check availability over Thanksgiving weekend, so you'll have to nose around. Most Plymouth bed and breakfasts are not listed in the big corporate booking sites such as Expedia or Travelocity. You'll need to look in a specialized directory or book direct through the B&B's website.

[photo by cozybeach]

Related Stories:
· Bad Rate :: Roadside (Un)Comfort Inn in Plymouth [HotelChatter]
· More Plymouth Hotels [HotelChatter]
· Visit Plymouth [Official Site]