Theater in Boston...A Must See This Week!

Having had the opportunity to see Mamma Mia at the Colonial Theater Boston this past Saturday afternoon, I really must weigh in to say, if you're coming to the area this week and have an interest in Boston theater, you must check it out! "A mother, A daughter, 3 possible fathers - and a walk down the aisle you'll never forget! Now enjoying its 10th year on Broadway this smash hit musical brings the classic sounds of ABBA to life with this enchanting story." We went to the matinee at 2pm and were back out on the bustling city streets by 4:45pm. Sadly, we had to head back to reality in the suburbs, but if you're lucky enough to move on to dinner, there are oodles of Boston restaurants within a block's radius, close to the Wang Boston and the Opera House Boston. I recommend PF Chang's http://www.pfchangs.com/index.aspx if you're in the mood for Chinese, or Maggiano's for amazing Italian http://www.maggianos.com/ (don't miss the chopped salad!). And, if you need a place to stay, the following fab digs are open this week: A Little Paris on Beacon Hill (furnished apartment Boston) http://bnbboston.com/boston-apts/apartments_1b-1.php; Booth's Beacon Street Condo (Boston apartment) http://bnbboston.com/boston-apts/apartments_2a-1.php; and Verona's B&B (Boston bed and breakfast) http://bnbboston.com/boston-bnbs/b&bs_6b.php, a particularly good deal at $99/night in December. Pull your plans together pronto -- Mamma Mia moves on to New York on the 28th!

Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony
PO Box 57166
Boston MA 02457 USA
781-449-5302
fax: 781-455-6745
Toll Free: 888-486-6018

This is a surprisingly great time of year to come to Boston and check out all the city has to offer. The holidays are approaching and the craziness of college parents' weekends, Head of the Charles, and leaf peeping is now an (almost) distant memory. Because it is no longer high season, there are some amazing dining, event, and lodging options that can be yours for the taking.

One of our personal faves is Restaurant Week, when you can experience some of the city's hottest restaurants via special 3-course prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner. March 2010 will celebrate the 5th anniversary of Winter Restaurant Week Boston® when restaurants will be serving the prix fixe meals guaranteed to chase away the winter blues from Sunday, March 14 through Friday, March 19 and Sunday, March 21 through Friday, March 26, 2010. Diners will enjoy 2-course lunches for $15.10, 3-course lunches for $20.10 and 3-course dinners for $33.10 throughout Boston, Cambridge, the suburbs and beyond. Prices are per person and exclude beverages, tax and gratuities. Check out the details at http://www.bostonusa.com/visit/restaurantweek.

Another must-do activity is a Duck Tour in December! While you might think the cold weather would drive all the ducks away (hello, Florida!), these marvelous "mallards" aren't going anywhere, so book a tour and grab a Starbucks. It's a fantastic way to see the sites and create some Boston memories. http://www.bostonducktours.com/december.html

Finally, for the sports lover...Fenway Park, home of the beloved Red Sox, will be converted to a hockey venue during the beginning of January 2010. Don't miss this opportunity to get up close and personal with the Green Monster via either Hockey East or Bruins v. Philadelphia Flyers. Similar to last year's Hockey Classic at Chicago's Wrigley Field, it's generating quite the buzz in Boston! Check out http://www.stubhub.com/hockey-east-at-fenway-park-tickets/ or http://www.ticketluck.com/categories/Boston-Bruins/Boston-Bruins-Fenway-Park/index.php to score tickets!

And, of course, if you're looking for a great deal on a place to stay, we're always happy to help. With the busy tourist season behind us, we are here and ready to assist savvy travelers get the best bang for their buck when staying with us over the next five months. Those who are hardy enough to brave the cooler weather (and navigate the snow banks?!) to experience Boston's sights, shopping, restaurants, and rich history certainly deserve to save money while doing so. So, bring it on...ask us for a deal and we'll do our best to give you one.

Visit our Winter Specials page at http://bnbboston.com/top_level/lodging_deals.php and be sure to check out:

Longwood Studio Suite at Fenway (M248) is an adorable furnished studio that typically goes for $145 per night with a three-night minimum stay. In November, you can stay there for just $89 per night for a three-night stay, or $99 per night for a two-night stay. Imagine having an entire Boston apartment to yourself for that kind of money!

Veronas B&B (M314) to uncover some oustanding off-season deals. While rooms there go for $150 per night during the high season, you can snag one for just $115 per night this month. This lovely bed and breakfast is tucked into the South End, just minutes from restaurant row with high-end bistros, and blocks from Copley Square's shopping galore. Rooms here are equipped with kitchenettes, so guests can save even more by enjoying a wonderful complimentary breakfast in the morning and perhaps preparing a light lunch or dinner in their room. Talk about Boston on a budget!

TravelMole, an online community for the travel and tourism industry, released a AAA report at the end of January stating that once gas prices reach $3.50 a gallon, consumers will start traveling closer to home. According to this AAA Travel Pulse report, more than one-third of AAA members indicate they would consider altering vacation plans to travel closer to home if the price of gasoline reaches $3.25 per gallon. Nineteen percent said they would consider altering their plans if gasoline reached $3.50, AAA says. AAA says 28% report they won't change their vacation plans no matter how much gasoline costs. You can read the complete article at http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1126045.php.

So, what does this mean for you? Well, for one thing, you may want to give some serious thought to visiting a Boston Massachusetts B&B this summer season. Why?

1) Boston is just 310 miles from Montreal, 216 miles from New York, and 440 miles from D.C. Although the price of gas per mile is staggering, driving these distances certainly beats paying airfare to get your family to a vacation destination.

2) The buck ends in Boston. The city is almost completely walkable, and ditching your car and relying on the user-friendly Boston subway system is not just practical, it's advisable.

3) Boston area bed and breakfasts are typically less expensive than hotels, and you get more for your lodging dollars, with breakfast included and no taxes added to your room rates.

4)Boston has it all. Make the gas investment to get here, and you'll marvel at the city's museums, restaurants, historical sites, boating excursions, proximity to beaches (even subway accessible ones!), and so much more.

5) There's a reason both Dave Loggins and Kenny Chesney sing "Please Come to Boston."

We really wish you would.

Haunted hospitality? Close encounters over coffee? Does it get any better than that?? We've all heard the stories (and having seen a few episodes of that new show, Paranormal State, on A&E, this blogger is even more of a believer!) about shadowy figures passing through a room, unexplained energy and orbs, and strange movements in the night. For whatever reason, and perhaps it's merely because so many B&B's are friendly and welcoming and located in older homes rife with history, there do seem to be an awful lot of urban legends about ghosts stirring around getting acquainted with guests. We hear that some travelers stay exclusively at Boston bed and breakfasts and historic inns where ghostly enounters are more likely to occur! If you're one of those adventure seekers, and you're coming to stay in a Massachusetts bed and breakfast, you're in luck. You can crash in the home where the ax-wielding Lizzie Borden "took care" of her mother, join the ranks who have heard a bump in the night in quaint Concord (ask us for details on that one!), or brush up on your Civil War knowledge (ghoul-style) at our own popular Copper Beech Haunted Bed and Breakfast (http://bnbboston.com/west-suburbs/western_suburbs_3a.htm). This historic home once served as a safe house in the Underground Railroad, and a kind and helpful slave who died in one of the rooms has been known to come back to the place she was hidden to provide guidance for those struggling through difficult times. Visit if you dare!

This is the year of green, and Kermit has never been happier. The hospitality industry is doing their part in the saving of the earth by reducing, reusing and recycling materials. A TIA study showed that 25% of all leisure travelers prefer “green,” and we encourage all of our properties to be active participants in this trend. Updates will include notes in the bathroom to reuse towels to conserve energy, compact fluorescent and energy saving light bulbs, water reduction requests and low-flow toilets, cotton vs. synthetic linens or hypo-allergenic linens, air purifiers, real plants, and non-biodegradable chemicals. Can "green" and "luxury" be compatible, or will travelers view the two as mutually exclusive? An interesting trend to keep an eye on...
And to learn more about how Boston in general is going for the green, visit http://boston.com/lifestyle/green/gallery/boston_going_green_expo/