fireworksboy

Stayed here twice in the last week to take advantage of multiple promos. Service was excellent. Upgraded to two different suites which were both great upgrades. They had a "February Special" of free wired hsia - I can't remember if this was for Plats only or not. They have a new area - can't remember the name - of Microsoft computers in a lounge atmosphere off of the lobby. Front desk staff was excellent.
I'd recommend this hotel to anyone but especially Plats if they don't need stay downtown.^

studio253

I'm staying here tonight and everyone has been great. The lounge is fully stocked with snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. The staff has been very friendly and helpful. I would recommend this hotel to anyone.

sbtinme

Add my name to the growing roster of folks supporting this once dubious hotel. They've really REALLY focused on cleaning up the act here and on my visit there last week, I was stunned at the very real differences that have taken place.

Gone are the tired, cheap looking front desk clerks. Gone is the old 1982 lobby. Gone is the miserable old, dark bar and terrible 1970s restaurant. In their places are professional people, crisp uniforms, contemorary designs and all new furnishings.

Frankly, two years ago I wouldn't have thought this hotel could pull this off. After my last stay there, I'll look forward to staying there the next time I need to be on the north shore of BOS.

Also -- it sounds as if they may have monthly PLAT deals. If FEB was free WiFi, March was a free hot appetizer in the bar or the restaurant. I had a very long day and, for the first time in a year, actually had dinner in a Sheraton. The meal was EXCELLENT and it was not overpriced!

I'll also add that the club lounge is all new. It's unattended, but with a nice array of fun snacks at night (bagged oreos, Crackerjack, popcorn, etc) and an okay spread in the morning.

NICELY DONE!

pvd2mco

I miss the "tired, cheap looking front desk clerks."

sbtinme

Hee hee hee! Let me quickly add a note of clarification to that statement!

What I meant was that in years past, when one approached the front desk, the experience generally entailed a front desk staff that looked incredibly bored, underpaid, and unkempt. The standard was a polyester blue vest with very wrinkled white shirts underneath. Nametags were largely missing, but the holes where they should've been clearly showed.

In sum, there was evidence that precious little energy had been invested in front desk staff standards or training. All of that appeared to have changed very dramatically on my last visit -- stunningly so.

That's what I was attempting to communicate the first time around.

NBSPGMEMBER

Stayed here last weekend for the long Memorial day weekend to visit some family on the Northshore. My stay last summer was great, but this one wasn't. Last time I was there, I got a larger room (very clean room) on the club floor with breakfast coupons and paid the same rate. This time around I was given the worst room in the hotel and was told BS by the front desk manager. Yes, we paid a cheap price for the room, but this is a "bargain" property. It's just wrong to treat a guest differently because they paid a bargain rate (especially a SPG member), no one pays rack rate, not here anyway; I've seen this place around $100 most of the time. We got there in the middle of the afternoon, there was about 7 cars in the parking lot and we were told that it was all they had. Too bad it was a prepaid rate, we would've left. We got a small room on the main floor next to the Link@Sheraton, the restaurant and the bar... so imagine the noise. Me and Mrs. NBSPGMEMBER could hear some sort of loud bang on the wall & ceiling all night (like construction noise, loud plumbing or something!?) The room was also dirty and probably one of the most dirty room I ever stayed in at a Starwood property. Next time I'm on the Northshore, I'll be back at the Sheraton Ferncroft, yup the Ferncroft.

studio253

I gotta tell you that I'm shocked that they treated you like that. I'm there all the time and they've always been great. Did you get club lounge access? The club floor is the second floor right up the stair from where you were. I've never received breakfast coupons but there's always been some sort of cold breakfast in the club lounge, even on weekends. Recently they've been giving out appetizer coupons to Plats during renovations.

NBSPGMEMBER

We were able to get into the Club Lounge after I told them that I was a Gold member and after they peeked at my Starpoints balance... However, the lounge was never restocked and most of the time nothing was left. I must say however that the lobby, restaurant & bar is very nice and attractive, but our room, ugh!!!!!!!!!! What a letdown for this property, I was so impressed last summer.

grlittle

Has anyone stayed at the Sherton Colonial outside Boston recently? I may be staying there next week and stayed once before last year and was not impressed. Does anyone know if they have cleaned the place up any? If not I may look elsewhere.

Side Note, I am working in Boston and cannot find a room anywhere in the city so am staying a little way out just to find a room.

grlittle

Checked in last night and was pleasantly suprised by the changes made in the last year. Te room is better, but the whole using the key to operate the A/C will be hard to get used to. The room was way to hot and even with max power the room never did really cool down overnight. The lobby was very nice and the new bar/lounge and free pc use in the lobby is great.

Still very disappointed in the club lounge, it reminds me of a converted room with different furniture, not very inviting and I just don't see wanting to go there to relax.

Also, they could work on accessing the rooms from other than the lobby. My room is at the end of the "north/west" wing with parking right outsie a door, but you must go throught lobby as there is no key reader. I would prefer being able to get in without walking almost around the building, especially when trying bring in multiple bags.

El Boocho

Stayed here last week for 2 nights. Room was fine, no complaints. I had a club room on the second floor. It was actually a jr suite, which is a complete joke. When I hear Jr suite, I expect at least a big room. This was a small room. Smaller than the standard rooms at most other hotels I have stayed in. The club lounge was never staffed while I was there, but that was fine. My key got me access and they always have it stocked with sodas, water, juice and snacks. The bar has been renovated. It is quite nice now. The very old bartender is gone. I over heard the current bartended talking to someone at the bar about her and mentioning that the old lady is no longer there. I used the shuttle service to get to my office and it worked well. There is also a barber shop in the hotel. I got a decent haircut by one of the ladies. It seems like the barbershop and bar cater to a lot of locals. I received coupons for free breakfast and free appetizers.

Not a bad stay by any stretch, but nothing special either. I'd stay here again if I needed to be in Wakefield again.

sbtinme

IIRC, she had been there -- at the same property!-- for nearly 40 years. She didn't have a perky personality, but she always treated me okay.

El Boocho

No opinion on my end. I never met her. I forget the exact number, but I think the current bartender mentioned the older one was either 74 or 78. I can't remember. Def 70 something though.

The sisters in the barbershop have been there for 35 years. They were a couple of crack ups though. The one who cut my hair was the younger of the two sisters there and she had been working there since 1974. I didn't tell her that that was before I was born

NBSPGMEMBER

Geez, why are they changing the name of this place every other year. Pre-renovation and before they got rid of the golf course it was the Sheraton Colonial Hotel & Golf Club Boston North (category 2), after the revamp it was the Sheraton Colonial Wakefield Hotel and it went up to (category 3), now it's back to (category 2) and just noticed they changed the name again; Sheraton Colonial Boston North Hotel & Conference Center. How often can a hotel change their name, in 3 years... IDENTITY CRISIS!

sbtinme

Here's my answer:

The hotel sold off (or split from) the adjacent golf club and therefore needed to drop that from their official name.

Thereafter, the owners realized that virtually no one -- INCLUDING BOSTONIANS -- had a clue where Wakefield was!!! Seriously, no one does.

So, they made this final change, which is the name it should've had last time around. This one should stick, one hopes, for a while.