I’m most inclined to agree with you here. Except that few would characterize most W hotels as 5*. And no one should characterize the W Boston as a 5* hotel.
W, Edition, and JW all exist in the luxury segment of hotels based on their average daily rates as a brand. But none are usually considered 5* hotels. The W Boston is considered a 4* hotel even on TripAdvisor.
At $120, perhaps. But there are plenty of much better hotels in Boston.
Not really. And very few at that rate. The FS, MO, RC, LIbery, Boston Harbor, XV Beacon, and maybe the IC are pretty much the only 5* luxury hotels in Boston by most accountings. And you’ll never see them priced below $200. I’ve never seen them priced below $300 for the last several years.
I’d actually say the W is on par with the hard product of the Liberty, and I’d definitely give the W the edge in air con and management/service recovery.
Other 4* options include the Fairmont, Langham, Loews, the Westins and Marriott Copley, the Taj, the Envoy, and boutique hotels like the Lenox, the Eliot, and the Commonwealth. Sorry, but I’d put the W up with most of those in terms of service any day. And in terms of parking valets at 4 am and bellmen at 11 pm—which none of those have either! Not does the XV Beacon or most of the other 5* boutique hotels.
At $120, I’d put the W up against most hotels in Boston for most people. Most people won’t expect a bellman at 11 pm nor a parking valet at 4 am. If someone wants that, then someone should pay to stay where that is expected—for a lot higher room rate.
Again, perspective. It’s Boston. Not NYC. Again, entitlement. It’s $120, a steal for a 4* hotel in Boston. And yet complaints about a lack of 5* services.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: the biggest and loudest complaints always seem to come from those who pay the least and yet expect the most.