naumank

Good to know. Now I will burn the 1-4 certs.

SHLTP

Servers kindly gave me avocado again for breakfast, a very generous portion. Still not my favorite hotel - still 3 stars and worth $150 USD, not the $350-400 the standard rooms were going for before I realized I could use a certificate

777 global mile hound

Maybe its just me but I find the pricing out of control in the US more than any other country
I have visited over the past year or 2.
However you do frequently get declining service and lower food and beverage quality
in the US as well
I get twice the quality for my money frequently abroad.Excluding London or Paris etc where its always been historically high
400 dollars a night is 12,000.00 dollars a month and more when you include taxes.

I'm not sure I could afford to live paying rent of 12k a month and then there is the tired hard product to enjoy
Well maybe if they chip in for an omelette as a Glober.Its understood no sides and only tea and coffee.
Just hope they can afford to do that.
Good for Airbnb business!

MarkOK

I had a great 4 night stay here last week. I used an upgrade cert to get a 'university suite' which was very large and comfortable with great river views. Sure there is no (outdoor) balcony, but at least it's a real suite and it's rather large.
The service was top notch
-- They reached out prior to a visit, I told them I'd arrive late and they immediately confirmed that they will make note of that with a phone number to call or text should anything change. Checked in at 1AM, they confirmed if I wanted a late checkout (I did), programmed the card for it. And they still gave me the 'night credit' despite the after midnight checkin, which is nice because some Hyatts won't without pestering.
-- They called midday the next day to ensure everything was good and if there was anything I needed.
-- Dental kit was there. Not sure why, but my profile has it noted I want a dental kit, and this is one of those 30% properties that seem to do this proactively. I really don't care about it, but do end up using it and it's nice to know 'who' in the system pays that much extra attention!
-- 2 bottles of water was given at check in, 2 bottles were in the room, and 2 bottles were delivered by the housekeeping staff every day, who came at about the same time mid-to-late morning.
-- Had $24 vouchers for breakfast every day (for both me and they kid), and an additional $12 voucher per day. That covers any standard breakfast at the restaurant and a couple more coffees at the grab and go place. They did make me sign the breakfast check, but I confirmed with a waitress that they get a tip on it even if I leave the check tip line blank, and she said they do. Breakfast was good too (eggs prepared the way requested, hot items hot, cold items cold). Whenever I get a well-made breakfast like this I think back to how Park Hyatt NYC struggled so bad at this!
-- Excellent interactions with every staff member. Front desk and valet staff always with a 'welcome back', 'have a great day', etc. Restaurant and cafe staff were excellent.
-- No funny business on the check. Destination fee was waived, etc.
-- The room was fresh and clean, everything worked. AC fan was able to set to "high" all night.

They were in the process of installing the big-bottles of shampoo (etc) in the bathrooms last week, btw.

The only bad thing about this hotel, IMO, is the deadzone of the area and the uncomfortable walk to the green-line (which I knew about from a previous stay). Too many lanes of fast moving traffic to walk next to and cross. And the nearby rail crossing to get to the red line and central Cambridge is closed for a construction project near it. Didn't know that until I walked from that direction to the hotel and then had a long walk to get around the tracks to the hotel. Always love when a city allows pedestrians to be expected to detour ~ a mile for the convenience of a private construction company. Green line was also closed between a couple stops downtown for the construction of a parking garage, which combined made me feel like Boston just hates pedestrians and transit users!
Anyways, It is definitely a car-centric hotel location for only being a couple miles from central Boston (as the crow flies).

As for rates, like all central boston hotels, they are insanely high in the summer. This hotel was able to at least give me the government rate (I was there for work), which can be hard to find in Boston.

SHLTP

So I'm back here again for a 3 night trip. This time they upgraded me to an executive suite - this is much nicer than the regular rooms w a balcony I had last time. It's not luxurious but it is nice. I believe this is about 200 square feet smaller than a university suite (the standard one) but this one is pretty well appointed. It seems newly renovated unlike my last room which seemed more akin to a comfort suite room on the side of the road.

I'd would stay in this room again. So if I have to come here regularly, I'll book a suite or use a TSU. The gym remains fantastic and hopefully they will give me avocado again for breakfast tomorrow
​​​

777 global mile hound

Did they modernize the gym? It used to be limited and dated with some bikes by the pool that smelled of chlorine

SHLTP

The gym is great - very modern with heavy dumbbells and great equipment. I take exercise seriously and this is one I can get an excellent work out in. No barbells if I recall.

Bananaguy

Does the University Suite have a locking door from the main living area? I can't stand it when suites don't have this.

MarkOK

I am not sure. There is a real door but I never checked to see if it had a lock or not.

Edgewater Folk

There is a lock on the bedroom door in the University Suite. I'm surprised this is the standard suite, because it's ~200 sq feet larger than the "premium" Executive Suite and has 7 windows in the living area looking straight out upon the Charles and the Boston skyline. Used a TSU, and it was a great move. I understand the complaints about tired decor, but it's perfectly suitable. Not luxe but well maintained and many steps above a budget hotel. The interior balconies in the atrium feel bizarrely like box seats in a theatre - merely there to "see and be seen," in this case by people whizzing by on the glass elevators.

I just wish the Glob breakfast voucher wasn't so prescriptive that it needs to be used on the American Breakfast (eggs, potatoes, choice of protein, toast). It's the most expensive item on the breakfast menu, so you'd think one should be able to redeem it for an omelette, breakfast sandwich, avocado toast, or oatmeal - all cheaper items.

Edit: My husband is less compliant than me, and he ordered the chia yogurt for breakfast. It was wiped off the bill. So one would guess any entree on the menu should work.

Benjh

I’m there now on a 2 night stay with my wife and 2 kids, got a 2-double bed standard room. Used two 1-4 certificate.

Sorry for the upcoming rant: skip this paragraph if you want.
I’m only a discoverist (was once high-tier with SPG, years and years ago). I started texting the hotel the day before check-in to politely enquire about a suite upgrade. It’s tough to sleep with the kids in a bed in the same room barely 1 foot away from you. I purposefully mentioned I was only a discoverist and knew suites weren’t usually granted as a complementary upgrade, but was hoping for a favor. I was told via text they couldn’t assign me one early but would do their best at the front desk when I arrive.
Once there, I mentioned this to the front desk staff and was told right away they were “fully booked” and couldn’t upgrade me past a river-view room (which was already assigned to me in the app). That was fine with me, but I quickly noticed the hotel was empty and quiet. Once in the room I checked on the Hyatt app and every single category of suite and rooms were available. I told this via text, and was promptly called back (which is appreciated) by the same agent I had been texting with. The agent apologized and… told me a glitch in the IT system prevented them from seeing suite availability when I arrived. She offered a paid upgrade to a suite for half price - (150$ a night instead of 300) which I declined.
Here’s my point: I’m sick and tired of hotels lying so easily to their customers. And then covering their lies with more lies. We all know there was no glitch. We all know the front desk staff lied to avoid denying me the upgrade because of my status. This is idiotic. I would have been completely fine being denied simply because this is a privilege reserved for guests with better status, I kept saying I was hoping for a favor I knew I didn’t qualified for - but being lied to, twice, makes it unacceptable. I don’t lie in my job and could be fired if I was caught lying, why is it so easy for hospitality staff to do so?
Anyway, the hotel is dead empty, tonight at 8pm there were 4 guests at the bar despite college playoff/bowls being on TV. I’ve maybe seen another 5 guests in the lobby/hallways in the 8 hours ive been here. So the sold out lie is just absurd. At the end of the phone conversation the agent told me « but I see you’re here on points so your nights are free and you won’t be charged » - and that baffled me to. What’s the point of saying this? I earned those certificates by being a loyal guest. /End Rant

All this being said: the lobby is beautiful, obviously recently renovated. The breakfast room overlooking the Charles looks great. Nice sports hotel bar and plenty of sitting. Starbucks-like café available to. I’m a sucker for these giants lobby with glass elevators. Standard room is fine, renovated but weirdly shaped.

For us the location was fine. As mentioned it’s car centric, almost undoable on foot unless you’re a MIT Alum or parent. But you’re 10 minutes driving away from the commons, Fenway or Harvard. You can go jogging along the Charles. Unless you’re absolutely looking for a « leave your car behind and do everything on foot » thing, you’ll be fine. It’s not « suburb far ».

One tip: There is free overnight street parking right behind the parking garage, 1 minute walk. Don’t pay $45 for overnight parking, it’s insane.

Other than the issues I’ve had, Staff is very friendly, the doormen/valet especially.

Too bad for their lying, I could like this hotel.

edited to add: I thought I saw an automatic night light under the bed when I was first in the room but didn’t think much of it. Later when in the lobby I remembered and asked the front desk how I could turn it off ( can’t stand these things). Was told there was nothing like this - since I wasn’t sure I let it go.
now it’s 10pm and of course there is an automatic light under the bed. So the staff doesn’t know their own rooms. I’ll have to remember to travel with my black tape in the future.

777 global mile hound

Even as a Lifetime Globalist I’ve gotten rooms or suites that were disappointing and other
occasions where I thought I was not worthy of something that spectacular 🤩
And long ago before I achieved LT top tier status in select programs I did get lucky sometime In my decades of experience without

the one must is never speak with an agent or you may likely be doomed to
failure as frequently they dont have the empowerment except to upsell
Unfortunately even after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars with Hyatt I too still occasionally get the hard sell at check in
or before arrival to pay for the upgrade occasionally.In some cases it ended the relationship with a property if I feel I was being hustled

The key to my own high success rate with getting upgraded is when it matters
is to always speak with either the front office manager or the rooms executive if the hotel has one
I don’t call the GM the housekeeper,front desk random agent or someone by text or email as they may be a reservations agent trying to spin a rosy pie in the sky outlook etc just to make or keep a booking
But no matter what you do your mileage may vary as they say and when you aren’t willing to cough up the
bucks at the end of the day you are at the mercy of their kindness and generosity or lack of it.

I was at a Marriott property this past year and some Silver elite status guest was asking for a suite
upgrade for the family@ check in with complimentary breakfast
Yes some believe in Santa 🧑‍🎄 it’s a personal choice and sure it never hurts to ask
Ive never been silver however I can imagine it’s likely close as you get to not having any status.
And while the guest received nothing the desk agent kept attempting to flatter her calling her an esteemed valuable preferred VIP Bonvoy guest 🙃

SHLTP

It doesn't hurt to ask, I guess, but one shouldn't be upset when turned down. Customers are so pushy that hotels default must be none are available

This hotel has treated me well. Once they said there as no suite even though app showed there was - they actually suggested I call concierge to figure out what was happening. After 20 minutes of goodwill trying, they found the suite on app had been out of service for some reason. I didn't get a suite.

A week later they upgraded me to a specialty suites. I don't think this hotel plays games. I like it and I'm not sure why a regular guest would even think a suite upgrade would be in the offing

Aventine

I've also had times where FD tells me that's all they can do as a Globalist. I booked it so I had to live with whatever it was. I'm a subscriber to "want a suite, book a suite" because there's just too many people who will do just that.

stvr

I think you would enjoy being a Globalist. You can confirm suites with certificates.