We just did 3 nights at The Newbury and then 3 nights at The Langham.

Newbury:
1. I agree the decor is a bit bland. It could certainly use a pop of color. The room we had was a studio suite that faced commonwealth. Very spacious room and the view of the street w/ the tree's all lit up at night was fantastic.
1a. I took at look at a Classic Fireplace Suite in thoughts of upgrading but it wasn't worth it. If the fireplace in the living room was 2 sided so it faced the bedroom as well I might have done it. Plus the view wasn't anything near what we had in current room.
2. Room service was great (tip: do the caviar).
3. Contessa at dinner time is SLAMMED which leads to okay service. The waiter was very nice but was so busy it was difficult for him to come check in on us. I would wager to guess the majority of diners are locals. Dinner was pretty tasty but I felt breakfast was the go to.
4. The library is nice with complementary coffee and pastries in the morning. They also have sparking water all day as well.

The Langham:
1. We got an executive room (this is our 2nd time here and same room category). We had been upgraded upon check-in to a room on the 2nd floor with very high ceilings/windows. We loved the room but unfortunately it was right above the entrance so with any wind you hear the flags clanging off the metal rods. I went down the next morning and we were immediately moved to the 8th floor (which was nice b/c we had club access and this was on the same floor as the club).
2. Club: Great amenities (Tattinger Champagne, Jonah crab claws, egg/omelete station in the mornings). While no view like the Chicago club has, I feel their wine/liquor/and snack selections bypass Chicago by quite a decent margin.
3. We love the service at Langham hotels and in Boston it doesn't disappoint.
4. They now have a house car now Thursday - Sunday (a brand new Escalade).

Boston food: Eat at Toro and the Little Whale. Both are superb.