FlyingOutTLV

HR Boston is the only Hyatt hotel in the downtown area (which is quite nice). No lounge, but that's true for all the other Hyatt hotels in the Boston area. The HR Boston Harbor is right next to the airport, so, probably not the best choice for a 3-night stay. The HR Cambridge is convenient if you want to visit Cambridge and Harvard university.

The HR Boston is a decent hotel. If you want to make your stay a bit more special you can go for a suite. The hotel only charge 60$/night more for an Executive Suite (530 sqf) over the base-level room.

rambutan

HR Boston is also the best choice if you want to use public transit during your stay. Nearest MBTA station, Downtown Crossing, is a short walk from hotel entrance. It's also within walking distance to the theater district, Boston Common, and various historic sites.

LeonardvonGrabe

Thank you very much for your help - i also like the surrounding of the HR Cambridge but it seems to be not the perfect setting for a visit in Boston

Edit:

unfortunately i have been too late :-( Rates on my dates start at 548 $ for the HR Boston Downtown - 240 HR Boston Harbor and 190 HR Boston Cambridge - which one would you then prefer as Boston First Timer - 548 $ is a little bit too much...

rambutan

uh-oh, sorry to hear about the $rate pop. In that case I think it depends on which side of the city you prefer to stay on, and whether you plan to drive or use public transit. The airport hotel - Hyatt Harborside - has water taxi service which can take you to the city. You get the water taxi at the dock connected to the hotel... kinda cool. It's been a while and I forget where they drop you off on the city side, but I recall it was very easy to connect to MBTA stations. I've stayed at the Harborside in the past and it was nice. On the other hand, if you will spend more time in Cambridge or west of the downtown area, the Hyatt in Cambridge would be more convenient.

I've stayed at both. They're both OK hotels.

steveholt

HR in Cambridge should also have a shuttle to one or more subway stations. HR Boston feels more like a city hotel - it's pretty much right in downtown - whereas HR Cambridge is more of a walk to anything interesting (albeit the walk you make will bring you to more interesting places than HR Boston)

bartexas

Great hotel. Was updated a year and a half ago. Convenient to several T lines. Concierge staff were knowledgeable and helpful. Keurigs with assortment of coffees and teas are a nice touch, as are the in-room fridge, which we find essential when visiting Boston for our North End snacks. They seem to be following a trend in hotels with very little storage space. There are no drawers, even beside the bed. There are shelves in the closet. However, it feels odd to put socks and lingerie on a shelf. As reviews on other sites have mentioned, having to change elevators in the 3rd floor lobby to get from the street to your rooms is a bit of a hassle, but getting elevators was never too much of an issue.

We stayed here last weekend, which was a busy time in Boston because of David Ortiz's final regular season home game. We typically stay closer to Fenway, but since it was my 40th birthday, we decided to use Hyatt points.

At check-in we stood in the Diamond/Platinum line, and were the next people assisted. They didn't have any Platinum upgrades, but I was thrilled that they gave us a room on the top floor with a view of both the Charles River bridge and the Massachusetts State House. As a lowly platinum on award night, this exceeded my expectations.

Then, the desk agent offered us an amenity for my birthday. Wow! This was going well. He asked what type of wine we preferred and whether we wanted a dessert or cheese, and when we wanted it. We asked for 3:00 the next day to enjoy while we we getting ready to head to Fenway.

The next morning, we realized our refrigerator wasn't working. My partner spoke to the desk on his way to the North End to stock up on Italian meats, cheeses and breads. This was about 8:30. More than two hours later, he returned and no one had come to address it. It took two more calls before they came to address it.

We returned to the hotel about 2:45, eagerly awaiting our amenity. At 3:20, it hadn't come, so I called room service. I was put on hold three times before I could explain, and they finally told us it would be right up. At 3:55, as we were walking out the door, it finally showed up.

I know we weren't entitled to this, but, in some ways, it was more disappointing to have it offered and not delivered than not to have it offered at all.

On the way down, we were on the elevator with two people headed to the front desk to complain, one whose room wasn't made up by housekeeping, and another with a list.

Housekeeping met all requests for extra green tea, etc. However, on the second night we pulled out the extra blanket, and left early the next morning to eat and hit the MFA before the ball game. I was surprised when we returned that the extra blanket was sloppily folded on the couch and the container from the closet was still in the floor. We did tip each day.

Again, we liked the hotel, and we always love Boston, so it certainly didn't ruin our trip.

When I received the post stay survey, I answered it honestly and included the above details. Two days later, I'd had no response, which surprised me since I typically receive a personal reply from the GM of any Hyatt I stay at within one day. So, I went to the Hyatt website and submitted that I hadn't been contacted. At that point, I received an email from the director of housekeeping who understandably addressed only the housekeeping issues and not the room service. He said to contact him directly prior to our next stay.

Like I said, we enjoyed our trip, but the lack of response or even appearance of concern from the Hyatt Regency Boston management, has really soured the entire experience for me. I didn't want to waste time on my trip addressing issues that were already past, but now I'm kicking myself. We have another reservation there next August, but I am seriously considering cancelling.

Any other guests who have had experiences here, particularly customer service related, good or bad? I'm trying to decide if it's typical there or an anomaly due to a very busy weekend.

dw

Hyatt circulated a press release today regarding the continued expansion of the Hyatt Centric flag and noted that a Hyatt Centric is coming to Boston in 2018. I wonder if this property will in fact be rebranded next year? I note that this is one of those Hyatt Regencies that doesn't actually have a RC, and that i haven't yet heard news of a new Hyatt property being constructed or renovated/rebranded in Boston.

I would think this large impersonal property wouldn't necessarily fit into what Hyatt conceptualized Centric as, but then again, they just rebranded the Arlington, VA property as a Centric, so who knows what they are thinking these days.

Crazyhotelguy

I would almost assume that the Airport property would better fit the Centric brand. But time will tell..

cruisingmickey

Has anyone been here since the Globalist parking benefit was implemented? Globalist upgrade experiences? Is the diamond/globalist breakfast a buffet? Any feedback? Thank you!

philemer

Any comments on the glob. breakfast? Menu or buffet? Looking at a mid-Oct. stay.

tigerwong

I've stayed here a few times in the past couple months and have ordered off the menu twice and taken the buffet once as a globalist without any issue. Twice I didn't even see a charge, one time the breakfast charge was removed without question. My last 2 stays, I was upgraded to a suite at check-in without needing to use a TSU. Can't speak to parking since I didn't have a car and all were paid stays so I didn't bother to ask.

cruisingmickey

I was here memorial day weekend. Suite was only available the first night and not the second so no globalist upgrade. I did have to ask about the globalist upgrade since no upgrade was offered. We were also given a connecting even though I clearly put in my reservation no connecting.

We had kids with us so we didn't want to change rooms so stayed in a double. Breakfast was comped (2 adults, 2 kids). The room was booked on points so the valet parking was waived. Self parking isn't waived since that can't charged to the room. Hope this helps!

The globalist water is 2 bottles per room per day. I know everyone hates on the water, but that is one of the perks I really enjoy. It was a long day before we arrived so the bottle of water was perfect.

gravii

Had a four night stay here - great location, but hotel itself is only just okay.

Rooms starting to look a bit dated, my room had peeling paint on the ceiling of the shower. Was told that housekeeping should be putting the 2x waters in my room daily, but always had to go pick it up from the front desk. Breakfast benefit doesn't include gratuity, making this the only property in the USA I've seen which charges this to the guest. Pool was closed for the duration of my stay.

dw

Have to agree. I've typically stayed at this property once or twice a year for more than a decade, and had a stay this weekend that was borderline unacceptable for a Hyatt. Housekeeping has always been weak here (ever since they outsourced it) but I found the room unacceptably serviced (dirty glasses in bathroom, toiletries which had clearly been used, and strong mildew odor which they tried to mask with spray which only made it worse). Further, the room was missing several items (shower curtain liner, lamp on console and the bench by the entrance) which seemed puzzling... I felt like I had been assigned a room which should have been taken out of service. I arrived at 10 pm and was only staying one night, otherwise I would have changed rooms.

jxwo

I rarely complain and I'm easy to please - a domestic Hyatt is a domestic Hyatt after all - but this past week the front desk staff at the HR Boston was completely unprofessional and borderline rude. I found myself at the front desk four times over four days (1. checking in, 2. needed a new room when mine smelled of heavy cigarette smoke throughout the second day, 3. needed new keys when mine didn't work the last day, 4. checking out). The lobby was never busy, but each time we had a different front desk agent and each time they were curt, cold, dismissive, with barely a greeting, if any at all. Halfway through checking out, the front desk agent joined in on the conversation between the agent and guest next to us (the guest was angling for a suite upgrade); he printed out the final bill, jabbed it in my direction, no eye contact, no thank you, no goodbye, that was it.

Rest of the stay was average at best: barely / no upgrade (7th floor no city view, then 11th floor city view), room felt dated but comfortable, housekeeping had no problem barging in with the do not disturb sign on ("oh sorry"), changing elevators to get to your room got annoying.

Six years diamond / globalist - just requalified this year; I don't think there are any Hyatts I avoid - this will be the first.