It's never too early to start thinking about where to stay for the Boston Marathon. In fact, some of the popular hotels sell out close to a year in advance. We’ll break down some of the locations in and around Boston, give the pros and cons of the area, and provide some choices in each area. Book your rooms early to get the accommodations that best meet your needs.
The two locations that are most convenient to the Boston Marathon when it comes to accommodations are:
You could stay in towns near the start or along the course. However, you’ll need transportation to Hopkinton or to the bus loading area and may have to arrange transportation back to your hotel after the race. We do have some recommendations if you want to stay outside the Finish Line or Bus Loading areas.
There is no shortage of hotels near the Expo location at the Hynes Convention Center and the Finish Line near the Boston Public Library. The two locations are about 1/3rd of mile apart on Boylston St. A few hotels are located along the finishing straight on Boylston; however, most are located south of the finish line and the Expo.
Keep in mind that runners will not be able to exit right at the finish line. You will need to walk east through the gauntlet of medal distribution, space blankets, food/drink, etc. for before exiting. After crossing the finish line, you may have to walk a total of one-half to three-quarters of a mile to backtrack back west to the finish.
Pros:
Cons:
| Finish Line/Expo Hotels | To Expo | To Bus Loading | To Finish Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenox Hotel | 0.3 miles | 0.7 miles | 0.1 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. Location just before the Finish Line. | |||
| Charlesmark Hotel | 0.3 miles | 0.7 miles | 0.0 miles |
| 3-Star Hotel. Location just past the Finish Line. | |||
| Fairmont Copley Plaza | 0.4 miles | 0.5 miles | 0.2 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. Next to the John Hancock Tower a block behind Boylston St. | |||
| Westin Copley Place | 0.4 miles | 0.6 miles | 0.2 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. A block behind the Finish Line behind the Boston Public Library. | |||
| Courtyard Boston Copley Square | 0.3 miles | 0.7 miles | 0.1 miles |
| 3-Star Hotel. A block behind the Finish Line just before the finish. | |||
| Colonnade Hotel | 0.4 miles | 0.9 miles | 0.4 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. A few blocks from the finish behind the Expo location. | |||
| Four Seasons One Dalton Street | 0.2 miles | 1.1 miles | 0.5 miles |
| 5-Star Hotel. South of the Expo behind the Sheraton and Hilton Back Bay. | |||
| Hilton Boston Back Bay | 0.2 miles | 1.1 miles | 0.5 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. Located behind the Expo. | |||
| Mandarin Oriental | 0.1 miles | 0.75 miles | 0.15 miles |
| 5-Star Hotel. On Boylston St. just before the finish line. | |||
| Sheraton Boston Hotel | 0.0 miles | 1.1 miles | 0.5 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. Connected to the Expo location (Hynes Convention Center). | |||
| Boston Marriott Copley Place | 0.8 miles | 0.3 miles | 0.2 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. A block south of the finish line. | |||
| Loews Boston Hotel | 0.7 miles | 0.4 miles | 0.4 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. Next to the Family Meeting Area at the finish. | |||
On race morning, runners will trek down to Charles Street between the Public Garden and Boston Common to load the buses to Hopkinton. Staying near here may allow you to sleep in a little on race day.
Since these hotels are farther from the Expo, you may want to take the T (Boston’s subway system) instead of walking. The Expo can be accessed from either the Copley Station or the Hynes Convention Center Station (both on the Green Line). Both stations are 0.3 miles from the Expo.
Pros:
Cons:
| Bus Loading Area Hotels | To Expo | To Bus Loading | To Finish Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Park Plaza | 0.8 miles (Across from Arlington Station T) | 0.2 miles | 0.5 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. A block from the bus loading area. | |||
| Four Seasons Hotel Boston | 0.8 miles (0.1 miles to Arlington Station T) | 0.1 miles | 0.5 miles |
| 5-Star Hotel. Cross the road and you are at the buses. | |||
| Revere Hotel | 1.0 miles (0.2 miles to Arlington Station T) | 0.2 miles | 0.7 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. A short walk up Charles St. to buses. | |||
| Courtyard by Marriott Downtown | 1.2 miles (0.2 miles to Boylston Station T) | 0.3 miles | 0.9 miles |
| 3-Star Hotel. A few blocks south of the buses. | |||
| W Boston | 1.1 miles (0.2 miles to Boylston Station T) | 0.3 miles | 0.8 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. On the corner of Tremont and Stuart. | |||
| The Ritz-Carlton, Boston | 1.1 miles (0.1 miles to Boylston Station T) | 0.3 miles | 0.9 miles |
| 5-Star Hotel. Just east of Boston Common. | |||
| Omni Parker House | 1.4 miles (0.2 miles to Park St. Station T) | 0.5 miles | 1.2 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. Near Boston Common and Pasta Party. | |||
| Hyatt Regency | 1.0 miles (0.2 miles to Boylston Station T) | 0.4 miles | 1.3 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. Just east of Boston Common. | |||
There are lots of hotels outside the general marathon area. Typically, these are more affordable, but you will have to take the T or arrange transportation to the Expo or to the bus loading areas. They are still convenient, but are not located within walking distance.
| Beacon Hill | To Expo | To Bus Loading | To Finish Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Hotel | 1.5 miles (Across street from MGH/Charles St. Station T) | 0.6 miles | 1.2 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. North of the Commons. | |||
| Whitney Hotel Boston | 1.4 miles (Across street from MGH/Charles St. Station T) | 0.4 miles | 1.1 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. North of the Commons. | |||
| Wyndham Beacon Hill | 1.7 miles (0.2 miles from MGH/Charles St. Station T) | 0.6 miles | 1.4 miles |
| 3-Star Hotel. Close to the Pasta Party at City Plaza. | |||
| Cambridge | To Expo | To Bus Loading | To Finish Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Marriott Cambridge | 1.7 miles (20 minutes via Red/Green Line T) | 11 minutes via T (Kendall to either MGH or Park) | 1.9 miles |
| 3-Star Hotel. North of the finish and across the river. | |||
| Residence Inn Cambridge | 1.6 miles (20 minutes via Red/Green Line T) | 11 minutes via T (Kendall to either MGH or Park) | 1.9 miles |
| 3-Star Hotel. North of the finish and across the river. | |||
| Kendall Hotel | 1.6 miles (20 minutes via Red/Green Line T) | 11 minutes via T (Kendall to either MGH or Park) | 1.8 miles |
| 3-Star Hotel. North of the finish and across the river. | |||
| Along the Course | To Expo | To Bus Loading | To Finish Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Commonwealth | 0.6 miles (Across street from Kenmore Station T) | 16 minutes via T (Kenmore to Arlington or Boylston) | 1.0 miles |
| 4-Star Hotel. Along the course near the Citgo sign. About mile 25.3. | |||