Can't afford Boston hotels? Try Bedford

Bedford hotels are 20 miles out, but low-cost

The no-frills Bedford Motel is the least expensive in the area. (Ellen Harasimowicz for The Boston Globe)

Boston isn't cheap.

Residents and visitors alike know that whether they're finding a permanent home or just a place to lay their heads for the night, the cost of sleeping is expensive.

The town of Bedford, however, has found the formula for cost-effective hotel stays in the Greater Boston area. Visitors willing to dwell nearly 20 miles outside the city will find the best rates in eastern Massachusetts.

"You can go from high end to . . . the bare-bones," said Maureen McAuliffe Sullivan, executive director of the Bedford Chamber of Commerce.

According to travel websites offering hotel service, such as Hotels.com, Travelocity.com, and Expedia.com, two Bedford motels are among the least expensive places in the region to get a room: the Bedford Motel and the Bedford Plaza Hotel.

Leading the way is the Bedford Motel, which is almost always the lowest-priced per night, with rates between $55 and $60.

"We aren't a part of any franchise, so we don't have the overhead," said Sheila Patel, general manager.

The 40-room motel is family-owned and has four employees. The only amenity offered outside the rooms is Internet access, so the motel doesn't have to spend money on upkeep of a pool, restaurant, banquet hall, or exercise room.

The Bedford Motel does offer in-room necessities such as shampoo, soap, and other bathroom amenities, but those are available only upon request, so savings can be passed on to guests.

"We market it as close to Boston but cheaper," said Amita Bharat, Bedford Motel's assistant manager.

Despite low rates, the Bedford Motel has vacancies in the summer, which is its busiest time, along with October, when motel visitors tend to be Boston tourists and sightseers looking at fall foliage.

However, on some weekends in those busy times, the occupancy rate nears 100 percent .

"We do have repeat customers throughout the year," Sheila Patel said. "People compliment us on the good beds we have."

Bedford's location - close enough to Boston but still in rural Massachusetts - works to the advantage of businesses courting New England tourists.

"It goes both ways. You can go to Boston one day, and the next day you can do the Concord, Minuteman, Lexington trip," McAuliffe Sullivan said.

For the visitor looking for more than a bed, bath, and TV for the night, the Bedford Plaza Hotel offers a step up at still low rates.

Unlike the no-frills atmosphere of the Bedford Motel, the Plaza Hotel offers the room plus an indoor heated pool area, an exercise room, Internet access, banquet facilities, free breakfast, and a lounge.

"We are competing with the Boston market, so we offer everything you can get there, only at half the price and 18 miles away from the city," said Sal Patel, general manager of the Bedford Plaza.

The Bedford Plaza is also independently owned - by Jalaram Kutir Inc. - so its rates aren't dictated by a franchise.

Its busy season, much like the rest of the Boston area, runs April through October, but it never reaches full capacity.

"It is difficult because people judge us from the look on the outside, which isn't as nice as what is on the inside," said Patel, who is not related to the Bedford Motel's Sheila Patel.

The Bedford Plaza Hotel is a triangular-shaped building with two sides flush against the busy streets and the third against a McDonald's parking lot. The parking is underground and at a lot across the street.

To improve the image of the hotel, Patel plans renovations to the outside of the building in addition to what is being done inside.

Jalaram Kutir Inc. just took over the building in January, so the company still has changes planned for the future.

The Bedford Plaza Hotel now offers weekly and monthly rates as well, starting at around $1,500 per month for the furnished room.

Brad Kane can be reached through www.bradkane.com.