Sheraton Boston [Master Thread]
#151
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: New York
Programs: Bonvoy LifetimeTitanium, UA Plat 2MM, LHW LeadersClub, IHGPlat, HiltonDiamnd, ASMVPG100K, WyndDiamnd
Posts: 1,226
Excellent Platinum Recognition. Had a very nice stay there. Got a nice corner "suite." It is really a junior suite or even a very nice corner deluxe room and not a real suite, but still nice size with sofa.
The lounge was closed so invited to have breakfast in the restaurant with a full buffet, including an omelette station. Nice choice of typical American breakfast items. Also got the points.
Offered soft drinks and appetizers at the bar (one appetizer per person) for evening cocktails. Nice size portions. I would go for the Roasted Tomato and Basil Flatbread, which is really a fairly large and very good pizza. We did not order it unfortunately (still had good Spicy Wings and Crispy Calamari, which were both good), but admired what some other people were eating. They offered us some (as it was large) and it was good.
Asked for a late checkout and was offered 4:00 p.m. without hesitation. Turned out we did not need it, but it was nice to have.
All in all, a great choice.
The lounge was closed so invited to have breakfast in the restaurant with a full buffet, including an omelette station. Nice choice of typical American breakfast items. Also got the points.
Offered soft drinks and appetizers at the bar (one appetizer per person) for evening cocktails. Nice size portions. I would go for the Roasted Tomato and Basil Flatbread, which is really a fairly large and very good pizza. We did not order it unfortunately (still had good Spicy Wings and Crispy Calamari, which were both good), but admired what some other people were eating. They offered us some (as it was large) and it was good.
Asked for a late checkout and was offered 4:00 p.m. without hesitation. Turned out we did not need it, but it was nice to have.
All in all, a great choice.
Last edited by Nevsky; Dec 22, 2012 at 11:28 am
#152
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,846
Planning on staying here in June with my son for 3 nights. Friday/Saturday/Sunday Nights. I am SPG Gold ( via AMEX Platinum ) and do not have much experience. What should I expect as a Gold Benefit and Upgrade? I booked the Birth Year Deal. $279 for the first night and around $60 each for nights 2 and 3. Price wise seems like a good rate. Tripadvisor has many comments about the old rooms, small bathrooms, and just bad rooms. I noticed they have 2 towers and one has been updated. I was booked into a traditional double about 240 sq ft? General Manager answers many queries on Tripadvisor ( think I should email her in advance of my concerns? ). So any suggestions would be nice? Thanks and Safe Travels
#153
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: DFW
Programs: AA PLT; SPG PLT
Posts: 326
Planning on staying here in June with my son for 3 nights. Friday/Saturday/Sunday Nights. I am SPG Gold ( via AMEX Platinum ) and do not have much experience. What should I expect as a Gold Benefit and Upgrade? I booked the Birth Year Deal. $279 for the first night and around $60 each for nights 2 and 3. Price wise seems like a good rate. Tripadvisor has many comments about the old rooms, small bathrooms, and just bad rooms. I noticed they have 2 towers and one has been updated. I was booked into a traditional double about 240 sq ft? General Manager answers many queries on Tripadvisor ( think I should email her in advance of my concerns? ). So any suggestions would be nice? Thanks and Safe Travels
#154
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Planning on staying here in June with my son for 3 nights. Friday/Saturday/Sunday Nights. I am SPG Gold ( via AMEX Platinum ) and do not have much experience. What should I expect as a Gold Benefit and Upgrade? I booked the Birth Year Deal. $279 for the first night and around $60 each for nights 2 and 3. Price wise seems like a good rate. Tripadvisor has many comments about the old rooms, small bathrooms, and just bad rooms. I noticed they have 2 towers and one has been updated. I was booked into a traditional double about 240 sq ft? General Manager answers many queries on Tripadvisor ( think I should email her in advance of my concerns? ). So any suggestions would be nice? Thanks and Safe Travels
Cheers,
#155
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,846
I stayed back before I was Plat and got excellent treatment as a Gold here. Booked a basic traditional room and was upgraded to a corner high-floor room that was somewhere between a "deluxe" and junior suite. It wasn't classified as a suite but was far larger than a regular room. I'm not sure which tower it was, but it seemed like a new-ish finish out.
#156
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: SPG, Hyatt, CC, AA, UA, WN
Posts: 256
Fantastic Stay
Just completed a fantastic stay at the Sheraton Boston. Originally booked a deluxe room. The Hotel was sold out for the weekend and upgraded me to a junior suite, then later to a 1 bedroom suite, then at check in upgraded even further to a presidential suite with a view of Fenway and the Charles River! Simply incredible.
Staff members were all excellent from the FD to concierge to the lounge attendants. The club lounge remained open all weekend, so we had breakfast and evening appetizers there. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal (only hot item), cereals, fresh juices, coffee, sodas/water, fruits (good variety including many berries), pastries, muffins, bagels and toast. Evening apps included a spread of cheeses, veggies and dip, and 2 hot items like a mushroom quiche or pigs in a blanket, etc.
Never bothered to check out or use the pool or gym. Local area has quite a few places to eat near by including the prudential center mall/shops. Excellent location in between the universities and downtown Boston. Very easy access to all of the city with multiple T stops nearby the hotel, you can literally take any of the 4 green lines and stop at either Hynes or Prudential Center.
Excellent stay all around, will definitely stay here again in the future.
Staff members were all excellent from the FD to concierge to the lounge attendants. The club lounge remained open all weekend, so we had breakfast and evening appetizers there. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal (only hot item), cereals, fresh juices, coffee, sodas/water, fruits (good variety including many berries), pastries, muffins, bagels and toast. Evening apps included a spread of cheeses, veggies and dip, and 2 hot items like a mushroom quiche or pigs in a blanket, etc.
Never bothered to check out or use the pool or gym. Local area has quite a few places to eat near by including the prudential center mall/shops. Excellent location in between the universities and downtown Boston. Very easy access to all of the city with multiple T stops nearby the hotel, you can literally take any of the 4 green lines and stop at either Hynes or Prudential Center.
Excellent stay all around, will definitely stay here again in the future.
#157
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
Zero Plat recognition other than my 500 points and a warm bottle of water. Seemed like better rooms were for sale online, but I abhor begging for a better room. Regular room facing another building. Very small. If you want to use the club, and they put you on a floor lower than 26, kick and scream. Getting to the 29th floor club is a chore from below 26 and usually takes two elevator rides, because the top 3 floors are only served by two regular elevators and two expresses from the lobby. The elevator waiting is atrocious. Just not enough elevators to service the hotel on a busy weekend. We were on 21 which was high enough to have a fighting chance at an elevator. I don't know how the folks around 15, 16, and 17 put up with it
The club was absolutely over run in the mornings. 50, 60 people, nowhere to sit, and the staff couldn't keep up. The staff is lovely and the space the lounge is in is very nice with an awesome view. Seating is weird with several communal tables and some high tops and then arm chairs. Either way, the 30 or so seats were not close to sufficient to hold the throngs standing four deep to get a bagel. It was nicer in the evenings. Two hot appetizers, cheese and crackers, and a nice desert. Two of our three nights the lounge was not over crowded. Busy, but manageable.
Lobby was always jammed. Waits for front desk. My key card stopped working, so after a very long wait and jamming into an elevator that proceeded to stop at every floor with annoyed people who couldn't get on, I had to wait yet again to get one of the two front desk people who were working, while three or four behind them were seemingly doing nothing, to code me a new card. Another elevator wait before i could finally get in my room.
The Hilton across the street is my go to in Boston, but it was sold out. I am also struggling to get back to 50 SPG nights this year, so I gave the Sheraton a try. Never again. Don't care how many nights I need.
Edit: Oh and the bill under my door charged me $85 per night even though it was an award stay. It appeared as an "award rate.". Much typing and a supervisor got it removed at check out. No real explanation other than it was in the "wrong folio." No idea what that means.
The club was absolutely over run in the mornings. 50, 60 people, nowhere to sit, and the staff couldn't keep up. The staff is lovely and the space the lounge is in is very nice with an awesome view. Seating is weird with several communal tables and some high tops and then arm chairs. Either way, the 30 or so seats were not close to sufficient to hold the throngs standing four deep to get a bagel. It was nicer in the evenings. Two hot appetizers, cheese and crackers, and a nice desert. Two of our three nights the lounge was not over crowded. Busy, but manageable.
Lobby was always jammed. Waits for front desk. My key card stopped working, so after a very long wait and jamming into an elevator that proceeded to stop at every floor with annoyed people who couldn't get on, I had to wait yet again to get one of the two front desk people who were working, while three or four behind them were seemingly doing nothing, to code me a new card. Another elevator wait before i could finally get in my room.
The Hilton across the street is my go to in Boston, but it was sold out. I am also struggling to get back to 50 SPG nights this year, so I gave the Sheraton a try. Never again. Don't care how many nights I need.
Edit: Oh and the bill under my door charged me $85 per night even though it was an award stay. It appeared as an "award rate.". Much typing and a supervisor got it removed at check out. No real explanation other than it was in the "wrong folio." No idea what that means.
Last edited by lkar; Sep 3, 2013 at 6:39 am
#159
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oslo
Posts: 448
Anyone used a SNA here? There are five options: three different jr. suites, a 1BR suite and a club suite - but the difference between them sizewise is a bit unclear. Anyone with input on what's the best/worst suite option at this hotel?
#160
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Newton Centre, MA, USA
Programs: DL 2MM Gold, AA Plat Pro; Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium (via SPG), IHG Plat
Posts: 2,192
We stayed there over 4th of July as part of a convention. As a Platinum, I was offered a riverview junior suite but we choose a room with two beds which was in the south tower. My understanding is all the room with two beds are in the south tower. The club lounge is in the north tower. Of course we still got club access. If you can, you want to be in the north tower as there are 2x the number of elevators above.
Club lounge was pretty standard IIRC - continental breakfast plus hardboiled eggs and oatmeal; two appetizers in the evening; the desserts I saw were a little lacking (generic cake) but maybe I was there on the wrong nights.
I'd go back and highly recommend this hotel for location, amenities, and SPG recognition.
Club lounge was pretty standard IIRC - continental breakfast plus hardboiled eggs and oatmeal; two appetizers in the evening; the desserts I saw were a little lacking (generic cake) but maybe I was there on the wrong nights.
I'd go back and highly recommend this hotel for location, amenities, and SPG recognition.
#161
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,846
We stayed there over 4th of July as part of a convention. As a Platinum, I was offered a riverview junior suite but we choose a room with two beds which was in the south tower. My understanding is all the room with two beds are in the south tower. The club lounge is in the north tower. Of course we still got club access. If you can, you want to be in the north tower as there are 2x the number of elevators above.
Club lounge was pretty standard IIRC - continental breakfast plus hardboiled eggs and oatmeal; two appetizers in the evening; the desserts I saw were a little lacking (generic cake) but maybe I was there on the wrong nights.
I'd go back and highly recommend this hotel for location, amenities, and SPG recognition.
Club lounge was pretty standard IIRC - continental breakfast plus hardboiled eggs and oatmeal; two appetizers in the evening; the desserts I saw were a little lacking (generic cake) but maybe I was there on the wrong nights.
I'd go back and highly recommend this hotel for location, amenities, and SPG recognition.
#162
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Newton Centre, MA, USA
Programs: DL 2MM Gold, AA Plat Pro; Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium (via SPG), IHG Plat
Posts: 2,192
Interesting. Lounge is definitely in North (facing the river). They may have said there were no DELUXE double doubles in the South tower or maybe the double doubles were all just prebooked from another convention that started already. What I was hearing was being filtered through the person I was sharing the room with even though it was my SPG account. I was offsite dealing with the convention.
#163
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,846
Interesting. Lounge is definitely in North (facing the river). They may have said there were no DELUXE double doubles in the South tower or maybe the double doubles were all just prebooked from another convention that started already. What I was hearing was being filtered through the person I was sharing the room with even though it was my SPG account. I was offsite dealing with the convention.
#164
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 153
I'm currently staying here, so I will update again with my experience, but this is my third stay.
The first time I stayed, I wasn't even gold, but got upgraded to a club floor room (but the room was otherwise same size), simply because it was during the hurricane Irene and they just want to be nice (huh, no idea what hurricane has to do with it, but sure I'll take it).
The second time I stayed, I was not gold but have the amex card, and I got polite greetings acknowledging my card etc, but nothing concrete, and no club floor. This time I booked the deluxe room, but found that it's not much bigger than the regular room, so on my third stay I went back to regular room.
What I love about this hotel the most is that it's got indoor connection to Prudential Center, an upscale shopping mall that connects to Copley Palace (and even more upscale mall). This is so convenient in the winter time. Also, usually prices are expensive, but if you find it during low season, or with certain promos, it can go down significantly. I've had a double bed room (sleeps 4) for $130, in the heart of Boston. Can't beat that price.
The swimming pool is too shallow to do serious laps, and there are people making out in the corner usually, but the gym has the modern equipments and the sauna was a nice addition.
Everything else about the hotel is pretty standard. Clean rooms, small rooms and bathrooms but okay, standard Shine amenities. Parking is atrocious. I forget how much exactly but they charge a ridiculous amount for valet parking, and there's not much else you can do otherwise. This is downtown Boston after all.
The first time I stayed, I wasn't even gold, but got upgraded to a club floor room (but the room was otherwise same size), simply because it was during the hurricane Irene and they just want to be nice (huh, no idea what hurricane has to do with it, but sure I'll take it).
The second time I stayed, I was not gold but have the amex card, and I got polite greetings acknowledging my card etc, but nothing concrete, and no club floor. This time I booked the deluxe room, but found that it's not much bigger than the regular room, so on my third stay I went back to regular room.
What I love about this hotel the most is that it's got indoor connection to Prudential Center, an upscale shopping mall that connects to Copley Palace (and even more upscale mall). This is so convenient in the winter time. Also, usually prices are expensive, but if you find it during low season, or with certain promos, it can go down significantly. I've had a double bed room (sleeps 4) for $130, in the heart of Boston. Can't beat that price.
The swimming pool is too shallow to do serious laps, and there are people making out in the corner usually, but the gym has the modern equipments and the sauna was a nice addition.
Everything else about the hotel is pretty standard. Clean rooms, small rooms and bathrooms but okay, standard Shine amenities. Parking is atrocious. I forget how much exactly but they charge a ridiculous amount for valet parking, and there's not much else you can do otherwise. This is downtown Boston after all.
#165
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
I'm currently staying here, so I will update again with my experience, but this is my third stay.
The first time I stayed, I wasn't even gold, but got upgraded to a club floor room (but the room was otherwise same size), simply because it was during the hurricane Irene and they just want to be nice (huh, no idea what hurricane has to do with it, but sure I'll take it).
The second time I stayed, I was not gold but have the amex card, and I got polite greetings acknowledging my card etc, but nothing concrete, and no club floor. This time I booked the deluxe room, but found that it's not much bigger than the regular room, so on my third stay I went back to regular room.
What I love about this hotel the most is that it's got indoor connection to Prudential Center, an upscale shopping mall that connects to Copley Palace (and even more upscale mall). This is so convenient in the winter time. Also, usually prices are expensive, but if you find it during low season, or with certain promos, it can go down significantly. I've had a double bed room (sleeps 4) for $130, in the heart of Boston. Can't beat that price.
The swimming pool is too shallow to do serious laps, and there are people making out in the corner usually, but the gym has the modern equipments and the sauna was a nice addition.
Everything else about the hotel is pretty standard. Clean rooms, small rooms and bathrooms but okay, standard Shine amenities. Parking is atrocious. I forget how much exactly but they charge a ridiculous amount for valet parking, and there's not much else you can do otherwise. This is downtown Boston after all.
The first time I stayed, I wasn't even gold, but got upgraded to a club floor room (but the room was otherwise same size), simply because it was during the hurricane Irene and they just want to be nice (huh, no idea what hurricane has to do with it, but sure I'll take it).
The second time I stayed, I was not gold but have the amex card, and I got polite greetings acknowledging my card etc, but nothing concrete, and no club floor. This time I booked the deluxe room, but found that it's not much bigger than the regular room, so on my third stay I went back to regular room.
What I love about this hotel the most is that it's got indoor connection to Prudential Center, an upscale shopping mall that connects to Copley Palace (and even more upscale mall). This is so convenient in the winter time. Also, usually prices are expensive, but if you find it during low season, or with certain promos, it can go down significantly. I've had a double bed room (sleeps 4) for $130, in the heart of Boston. Can't beat that price.
The swimming pool is too shallow to do serious laps, and there are people making out in the corner usually, but the gym has the modern equipments and the sauna was a nice addition.
Everything else about the hotel is pretty standard. Clean rooms, small rooms and bathrooms but okay, standard Shine amenities. Parking is atrocious. I forget how much exactly but they charge a ridiculous amount for valet parking, and there's not much else you can do otherwise. This is downtown Boston after all.
Cheers,