The Westin Boston Seaport District (was Westin Boston Waterfront) [Master Thread]
Aug 14, 2006, 8:30 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2004
Programs: Inventor of the "Eskimojito" featuring Canadian Mint/Buquebus Rowing Team
Posts: 2,894
Stayed for one night last week. Agree with some of the points already raised about the location (though I did have a nice dinner at Legal Test Kitchen in the waterfront area) and about a few kinks at a new hotel.
My biggest issue was with housekeeping. When I got to my room, there were dirty shoe prints on the floor of the bathroom (I have no idea how anyone would miss those) and some of the amenities were missing. I thought perhaps someone started the room and forgot to finish, so I went for dinner and asked if someone could come through and do a check on the cleanliness of the room and to wash the floor.
I came back from dinner and the floor was clean, but went to jump in the shower and found sand and hair (eeeeew) and the tub obviously hadn't been cleaned. I called down again and asked if they could please clean the tub and go through the room because I was tired and really didn't want any more surprises.
I went out for a walk and when I got back, the tub had been cleaned but discovered the desk lamp didn't work. I was too tired to call again, so I went to make a cup of tea in the coffee maker and the old coffee and filter from a previous guest were still in it (eeew again).
I spent the rest of the week at the Sheraton Boston, and though the hotel was older, the service was great and so was the location.
My biggest issue was with housekeeping. When I got to my room, there were dirty shoe prints on the floor of the bathroom (I have no idea how anyone would miss those) and some of the amenities were missing. I thought perhaps someone started the room and forgot to finish, so I went for dinner and asked if someone could come through and do a check on the cleanliness of the room and to wash the floor.
I came back from dinner and the floor was clean, but went to jump in the shower and found sand and hair (eeeeew) and the tub obviously hadn't been cleaned. I called down again and asked if they could please clean the tub and go through the room because I was tired and really didn't want any more surprises.
I went out for a walk and when I got back, the tub had been cleaned but discovered the desk lamp didn't work. I was too tired to call again, so I went to make a cup of tea in the coffee maker and the old coffee and filter from a previous guest were still in it (eeew again).
I spent the rest of the week at the Sheraton Boston, and though the hotel was older, the service was great and so was the location.
Aug 15, 2006, 12:42 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 65
Agree, Housekeeping Needs Improvement
I stayed here a few weeks ago and had started to write a review, but so far I have not finished it so I'll just add to this thread.
As just about everyone else here and many on Tripadvisor have reported, housekeeping is deficient at this hotel. My own room showed last-minute use by the previous occupant after housekeeping had supposedly performed its post-checkout cleaning. In addition, not only were there dirty footprints in both bathrooms, but there was also a wad of light brown hair (my hair is dark) behind one of the doors. Yuk.
There were two positive aspects of my stay: First, I found the quality of the buffet breakfast offerings to be high, although selection was rather limited. Second, service was courteous and friendly.
I am local, so I had reserved a stay at this hotel specifically to evaluate it, and, overall, I did not come away with a favorable impression. It is a mega-hotel on the order of Sheraton Boston, and while the lobby may be physically attractive (and would be more so if the wall fountain were turned on), with all the foot traffic passing through and bodies parked in the lobby chairs, it's not an attractive place to behold.
More importantly, the quality of the decor and fixtures in the lobby has not been carried over into the guest quarters. I have never seen such bland and cheap-looking decor in a new-build/renovated upper-scale hotel. The hallways are about as blah as you can get. With perhaps the exception of the plasma TV and chair-ottoman combo in the bedroom (which is the same as the chair-ottoman found in the rooms at the Westin Las Vegas), the furniture is more functional than stylish. As for quality, the floor in my suite had dips throughout, and the ceiling is fashioned from sectioned panels, which I last saw in a 70's-era Sheraton.
For those of you who love the Heavenly Shower, this Westin does not offer the double showerhead, only a single head.
I can only surmise that this hotel was built "on the cheap" because its target guest is the covention attendee who really only cares about convenience. For non-convention goers, the hotel's newness is its only real advantage over other Boston Starwoods, but given the lackluster quality of the rooms, even this is not much of an advantage.
As just about everyone else here and many on Tripadvisor have reported, housekeeping is deficient at this hotel. My own room showed last-minute use by the previous occupant after housekeeping had supposedly performed its post-checkout cleaning. In addition, not only were there dirty footprints in both bathrooms, but there was also a wad of light brown hair (my hair is dark) behind one of the doors. Yuk.
There were two positive aspects of my stay: First, I found the quality of the buffet breakfast offerings to be high, although selection was rather limited. Second, service was courteous and friendly.
I am local, so I had reserved a stay at this hotel specifically to evaluate it, and, overall, I did not come away with a favorable impression. It is a mega-hotel on the order of Sheraton Boston, and while the lobby may be physically attractive (and would be more so if the wall fountain were turned on), with all the foot traffic passing through and bodies parked in the lobby chairs, it's not an attractive place to behold.
More importantly, the quality of the decor and fixtures in the lobby has not been carried over into the guest quarters. I have never seen such bland and cheap-looking decor in a new-build/renovated upper-scale hotel. The hallways are about as blah as you can get. With perhaps the exception of the plasma TV and chair-ottoman combo in the bedroom (which is the same as the chair-ottoman found in the rooms at the Westin Las Vegas), the furniture is more functional than stylish. As for quality, the floor in my suite had dips throughout, and the ceiling is fashioned from sectioned panels, which I last saw in a 70's-era Sheraton.
For those of you who love the Heavenly Shower, this Westin does not offer the double showerhead, only a single head.
I can only surmise that this hotel was built "on the cheap" because its target guest is the covention attendee who really only cares about convenience. For non-convention goers, the hotel's newness is its only real advantage over other Boston Starwoods, but given the lackluster quality of the rooms, even this is not much of an advantage.
Aug 19, 2006, 11:51 am
#18
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: SPG, AA: PLAT; Hilton: Diamon, UAL: Premier Exec; IC_PriClub; 308 hours flying Boeing 707's
Posts: 242
Points/stay never posted
Originally Posted by fly co to see the yanks
regarding #5, i assume you didn't have one of those prepaid rates via spg.com, did you? i sometimes have trouble getting a bill from the front desk when paying these rates.
regarding #6, i hate that.
regarding #6, i hate that.
Points never posted, stay credit never received. This week I called to ask for credit/points. They have no record of my stay. They asked me to check my AMEX and I noticed they charged me half of the prepaid amount.
I guess that's a true SPG50... I didn't get stay credit or my roughly 1000 points (with plat amenity) for staying, but they cut an instant 50% of my rate. I'm sure they'll fix their accounting soon, if they haven't already.-- CaptainG
Aug 19, 2006, 1:36 pm
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: new york, ny, usa
Posts: 13,536
Originally Posted by BoyAreMyArmsTired
My biggest issue was with housekeeping.
please report it so that it can be brought to the attention of the "powers that be" at the property.
Aug 20, 2006, 3:00 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2006
Programs: SPG PLAT, EI ELITE, ONE WORLD EMERALD, HH
Posts: 7
just back from a stay at the westin, agreed the location needs to be built up more, short cab ride from the the centre of downtown though, nightmare back to the airport with the tunnels being closed. Got upgraded to a top floor deluxe room when I arrived, promptly asked for a suite upgrade and was given a two room corner suite on the 11th floor. Received plat amenity. Heavenly bed was gorgeouys. The staff were very friendly, never waited more than 5 seconds for a lift
Aug 20, 2006, 10:31 pm
#21
Join Date: Jan 2004
Programs: Inventor of the "Eskimojito" featuring Canadian Mint/Buquebus Rowing Team
Posts: 2,894
I did chat with the manager at the property. Would it be worthwhile to mention it to someone else (or should that be sufficient)?
Originally Posted by fly co to see the yanks
i would, without question, report these issues to starwood customer care.....for the sake of all of us.
please report it so that it can be brought to the attention of the "powers that be" at the property.
please report it so that it can be brought to the attention of the "powers that be" at the property.
Aug 20, 2006, 11:23 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Originally Posted by BoyAreMyArmsTired
I did chat with the manager at the property. Would it be worthwhile to mention it to someone else (or should that be sufficient)?
Aug 21, 2006, 2:03 pm
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: new york, ny, usa
Posts: 13,536
Originally Posted by stimpy
I don't think that is sufficient based on all the bad reports from this hote. A short call to Starwood Corporate Customer Relations would help. Please! I have a stay there soon and I'm hoping I won't have the bad experiences that others have reported.
Aug 21, 2006, 5:20 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: LAX
Programs: AA 2 MM Plt, *wood Plt
Posts: 652
We stayed at the Westin Boston last week. My only complaints are lack of food places open nearby late at night (we got in at 10 PM) and the horribly slow signal on the street as you just leave the hotel. I almost missed my train the next morning, as we waited more than 3 minutes for the signal to change.
(And yes, I did cut it short, but I had a pre-reserved ticket and the station is only a mile from the hotel. The rain didn't help the situation, either.)
(And yes, I did cut it short, but I had a pre-reserved ticket and the station is only a mile from the hotel. The rain didn't help the situation, either.)
Sep 5, 2006, 11:08 am
#25
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 22
Stay report
Just stayed there 1 night the past weekend. The hotel is very nice, especially things are still kinda new, got room upgrade with a nice view of Boston and partial waterview. Staff are friendly, except the conceige is just okay. Plenty of parking spaces on the street which are very close to the hotel, so we didn't have to pay the $30 parking fee (don't know if that would be the same case for weekdays.) The pool and gym is 24 hrs, however, I didn't have a chance to use it.
I'm pretty satisfy with my stay at the hotel, even though it's not in the best location. And I do see a train station is near by too. I would consider staying here again when I go to Boston.
I'm pretty satisfy with my stay at the hotel, even though it's not in the best location. And I do see a train station is near by too. I would consider staying here again when I go to Boston.
Sep 7, 2006, 10:45 am
#26
Moderator: American AAdvantage & Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: PHX
Programs: American ExPlat; Marriott/SPG Lifetime Plat; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 8,116
Stay Report: Still not quite ready for prime-time
I was at this hotel for two nights over the past (Labor Day) weekend. The hotel typifies the new Westin “Modern Luxury” style. It’s nice, classy, relatively modern but with a clear emphasis on comfort. In my opinion, the lobby and common areas are striking and elegant. Of course, design is completely a matter of personal taste.
I didn’t find the location of this hotel to be a real problem. While it’s true that there is nothing in the immediate area (that I saw) in terms of restaurants or shopping, it’s a straight, easy shot into the center of Boston, which is no more than a couple miles away. It would be a short, easy cab ride. (I didn’t look into the subway, as I had a rental car.) It’s very convenient to the airport, just outside the Ted Williams Tunnel.
Rooms are very typical new Westin. Standard sized bathrooms. I noticed the Heavenly Shower has been reduced to a single shower head, at least in the two rooms I had. Bed, linens, towels were all the recent Westin fare – nice and very comfortable. Large, plasma screen TV’s are a nice touch. They sit on a mid-height dresser, rather than in an armoire, which open up the feel of the room.
As a Platinum SPG member, I was upgraded to a corner, two-room suite, which was, essentially a standard room, opening up to an adjoining room with a loveseat-sized sofa, coffee table, plasma TV, desk and a lot of open space. Perhaps the room was designed so that a roll-a-way bed could be easily added; without it, it’s a lot of dead space and could use another sofa or a couple of chairs. The suite was on the fifth floor with a view of a convention center parking lot, and not much more.
Check-in went as a Platinum member always hopes – I was immediately recognized as a Platinum member from the reservation, was told that I had been upgraded to one of their suites, asked if I preferred the points for my Platinum amenity, and I was on my way.
We ordered room service the first night. At nearly 10 PM, I was told it would take about 40 minutes. Order was there in about 15. On the tray was a little card I’ve not seen before and found interesting. It said, essentially, “You have received expedited service, compliments of your elite status.” I thought that was a nice touch, and sure hope that becomes a brand-wide standard.
The minor irritants that indicated that the staff isn’t quite ready for prime time:
In summary, I liked the hotel and the rooms. I don’t mind the location. The people seemed helpful, but ill-equipped for their jobs. It seemed that the hotel opened before having the opportunity to train people in how to appropriately treat the guests of a 4-star property. I know very well how difficult it is to hire good, qualified people and I’m not the type of person to get all worked up about these kinds of issues, so I just rolled with them, not expressing particular frustration to anyone. I trust all this will smooth out over time. I would stay here again.
A follow-up note: I checked my SPG account today, as, frankly, I expected posting problems, given the staff issues I experienced. I was pleased to see that, not only had all my points and my stay credit posted properly, but I was also awarded 500 “service promise” points, likely in recognition of my room key problems. It was a nice, unexpected touch.
I didn’t find the location of this hotel to be a real problem. While it’s true that there is nothing in the immediate area (that I saw) in terms of restaurants or shopping, it’s a straight, easy shot into the center of Boston, which is no more than a couple miles away. It would be a short, easy cab ride. (I didn’t look into the subway, as I had a rental car.) It’s very convenient to the airport, just outside the Ted Williams Tunnel.
Rooms are very typical new Westin. Standard sized bathrooms. I noticed the Heavenly Shower has been reduced to a single shower head, at least in the two rooms I had. Bed, linens, towels were all the recent Westin fare – nice and very comfortable. Large, plasma screen TV’s are a nice touch. They sit on a mid-height dresser, rather than in an armoire, which open up the feel of the room.
As a Platinum SPG member, I was upgraded to a corner, two-room suite, which was, essentially a standard room, opening up to an adjoining room with a loveseat-sized sofa, coffee table, plasma TV, desk and a lot of open space. Perhaps the room was designed so that a roll-a-way bed could be easily added; without it, it’s a lot of dead space and could use another sofa or a couple of chairs. The suite was on the fifth floor with a view of a convention center parking lot, and not much more.
Check-in went as a Platinum member always hopes – I was immediately recognized as a Platinum member from the reservation, was told that I had been upgraded to one of their suites, asked if I preferred the points for my Platinum amenity, and I was on my way.
We ordered room service the first night. At nearly 10 PM, I was told it would take about 40 minutes. Order was there in about 15. On the tray was a little card I’ve not seen before and found interesting. It said, essentially, “You have received expedited service, compliments of your elite status.” I thought that was a nice touch, and sure hope that becomes a brand-wide standard.
The minor irritants that indicated that the staff isn’t quite ready for prime time:
In summary, I liked the hotel and the rooms. I don’t mind the location. The people seemed helpful, but ill-equipped for their jobs. It seemed that the hotel opened before having the opportunity to train people in how to appropriately treat the guests of a 4-star property. I know very well how difficult it is to hire good, qualified people and I’m not the type of person to get all worked up about these kinds of issues, so I just rolled with them, not expressing particular frustration to anyone. I trust all this will smooth out over time. I would stay here again.
A follow-up note: I checked my SPG account today, as, frankly, I expected posting problems, given the staff issues I experienced. I was pleased to see that, not only had all my points and my stay credit posted properly, but I was also awarded 500 “service promise” points, likely in recognition of my room key problems. It was a nice, unexpected touch.
Sep 7, 2006, 10:01 pm
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: new york, ny, usa
Posts: 13,536
very good, thorough report. thank you.
hopefully you reported your issues with hotel management so that they can be addressed. if you keep the problems to yourself, they will only be addressed when someone finally mentions them to management...which will be who knows when??
hopefully you reported your issues with hotel management so that they can be addressed. if you keep the problems to yourself, they will only be addressed when someone finally mentions them to management...which will be who knows when??
Sep 8, 2006, 8:35 am
#29
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: new york, ny, usa
Posts: 13,536
Originally Posted by stimpy
Does this hotel have toothpaste and deoderant, etc for guests nowadays? Or do I need to stop at a store to get the basic supplies?
Sep 14, 2006, 5:51 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
A big thank you to all who tried this hotel earlier and complained about the problems. I just completed a very nice, but not perfect, 4 night stay. The hotel was completely packed as I was attending a convention with over 5000 other people. So I didn't expect much of an upgrade. At check in they asked me if I had asked for a Workout room. I said no, but I wouldn't mind trying one out.
It was a normal Westin room, but it had a huge high-end latest model Lifestyle treadmill. This thing dominated the room. A Feng Shui master would have choked if he walked into this room. There was also a large rubber ball for doing ab work, a medicine ball, a yoga mat (but no room to use it), and yoga/Pilates DVD (but no DVD player to watch it with), one of those stretchy ropes, and some Chlorox wipes for you sweaty people. I really appreciated being able to do my morning run in the privacy of my own room, but I'm happy I was on my own for this stay. The room was definitely too small for two people given the workout equipment. I was in room 705.
The room was very clean and I got my bill shoved under the door this morning. The daily maid service and turn down were fine and the laundry was fine too. The rest of the hotel seems to be running quite well for the most part. However one night I tried to order room service and they said it would take over an hour. So instead I went down to the bar and got a bowl of chowder in less than 5 minutes.
Most of the concierge staff were great, but there was one guy who was completely clueless about where to watch a football game or even who was playing. Inexcuseable for a concierge in a sports-crazy town like Boston.
Oh, I forgot the best thing. HD TV!!! There is a huge flat LG LCD TV in my room and I got to watch football in HD for the first time in a hotel room.
It was a normal Westin room, but it had a huge high-end latest model Lifestyle treadmill. This thing dominated the room. A Feng Shui master would have choked if he walked into this room. There was also a large rubber ball for doing ab work, a medicine ball, a yoga mat (but no room to use it), and yoga/Pilates DVD (but no DVD player to watch it with), one of those stretchy ropes, and some Chlorox wipes for you sweaty people. I really appreciated being able to do my morning run in the privacy of my own room, but I'm happy I was on my own for this stay. The room was definitely too small for two people given the workout equipment. I was in room 705.
The room was very clean and I got my bill shoved under the door this morning. The daily maid service and turn down were fine and the laundry was fine too. The rest of the hotel seems to be running quite well for the most part. However one night I tried to order room service and they said it would take over an hour. So instead I went down to the bar and got a bowl of chowder in less than 5 minutes.
Most of the concierge staff were great, but there was one guy who was completely clueless about where to watch a football game or even who was playing. Inexcuseable for a concierge in a sports-crazy town like Boston.
Oh, I forgot the best thing. HD TV!!! There is a huge flat LG LCD TV in my room and I got to watch football in HD for the first time in a hotel room.