mediator

Although there is a thread about Boston Marriott-family hotels, I feel like The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common deserves its own thread. I recently stayed at this hotel and here is my brief review. Overall, it's a great place!

Location:
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common is in the theater district. The Chinatown T station is right around the corner of the building and the Boylston station is across the Tremont St. This is a huge plus since Boston can be a tough place to navigate by car.

Lobby and room:
The lobby is quite small. I would say fits around a dozen of people. Upon check in, I was greeted, handed in my key card, then showed the way to the elevator. I booked the City View Deluxe room and did not get any upgrade. No big deal. The room is spacious, overlooking the Paramont with plenty of lighting.

Service:
This is the reason I want to stay at this place again. Later in the day after I checked in, I received some delicious treats (Chocolate-Covered Strawberries), delivered to my room. Admittedly, I left a note during the booking and mentioned it was my birthday. What a nice gesture from the hotel.

Gym:
This hotel shares its gym with an Equinox sports club. The facility is quite impressive, like a full-size pool.

Conclusion:
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common is definitely worth to stay and I would rank it among the Top 3 of the Boston luxury hotels.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the trip report. Much appreciated!

Cheers.

bhrubin

I'm trying to decide between the RC Boston and my regular SPG options, The Liberty and the W. Any word on the pros and cons for each?

Madone59

Spent two nights at RC Boston in September and absolutely loved it. I also highly recommend this property - it is a short walk to Boston Common Park which is a nice place to stretch your legs and get some fresh air.

FYI Access to the Gym is not gratis, we were charged per entry.

bhrubin

Thanks!

And yes, only Club level rooms get access to the Equinox gym; regular rooms have to pay for access. (I'm already Equinox member so doesn't matter for me!)

op487062

I stayed one night in the hotel in September, decent hotel, but service wasn't up to par if other RC.

bhrubin

I'm more curious how this RC compares with other luxury hotels there in Boston--like the FS, MO, XV Beacon, The Liberty, etc.

Sometimes, there are considerations of brand, and sometimes there are considerations of the specific market.

mikeef

I've stayed at the Four Seasons and W (if you want to consider that luxury). The Four Seasons is old. I did not think it was one of their better properties. Thought service was good, not great. It has an unbeatable location.

The W wasn't bad, but it doesn't compare with the Ritz. Service was good, room was good. The cost differential between the Ritz and the W would be my determining factor.

Mike

bhrubin

That's what I thought. My assumption is that the RC is among the best in the city, but that no hotel in Boston is the clear cut luxury winner. I'm most curious how it will compare to my very good experiences at the Liberty more than the W.

I'm booked now for 1 night at the RC in March to test it out. I'm also booked for 4 nights in Sept for a conference nearby with a cash+points rate of $280+30K points, since it and the W are the closest location to the convention center location of my luxury-ish options. (The Westin waterfront is at the convention center, but it's rate is exorbitant at over $400 and I'd rather be a bit farther away.)

I detest the FS Boston, actually. I'd had a few too many poor service experiences there to ever try again.

DJ_Iceman

Interesting you should say that as I just spent the weekend there and felt exactly the same. In fact, I spent the week before at the Renaissance and felt it was equal in terms of hard product and actually better in terms of gracious, attentive service.

Kacee

You should put Boston Harbor on your list. Fantastic property.

bhrubin

I've had drinks there; it's certainly a very nice and comparably celebrated Boston property.

For work stays, though, when I'm alone, which is how I'm almost always in Boston, I prefer to stay at SPG and now MR/RC properties to benefit from elite status and help earn future elite status. Also, earning SPG points towards future leisure stays has a lot of value for me, versus not earning those points toward a stay at a hotel like the Boston Harbor Hotel. For a luxury work-related stay, it's going to be the RC or The Liberty, or perhaps the W, for me, therefore,

That's also why I don't normally stay at the FS or MO or XV Beacon. Trust me, if I were to stay at a non-SPG/MR hotel, it would be XV Beacon. I'm more a fan of boutique and unusual. It's also why I absolutely love the quirkiness and luxury treatment at The Liberty. But I want to see what the RC here offers.

bhrubin

After a poor air con and terrible management/service experience at the Liberty in March and a poor service experience at the W this past weekend, I now will try the RC in Sept on my next visit. Crossing my fingers...

bhrubin

Supposedly I am now "reserved" for 4 pm late checkout for my stay in Sept...though it doesn't get "confirmed" until check-in, apparently. I'm Marriott Platinum, so this is supposedly send to be one of the new Platinum benefits recognized at all Marriott and RC hotels (excluding resort and convention hotels).

Anyone else have data points for getting 4 pm late checkout as Marriott Platinum at this RC Boston property? Just want to make sure I don't have any hassles...

9volt

How is elite recognition for Platinums here? Specifically the breakfast benefit and late checkout. I know most Ritz properties do very little to acknowledge your status, but there are some exceptions (i.e. Ritz Laguna Niguel) so I was hoping this property might be one of the exceptions.