Sallycat

The Champions at the Copley Marriott is slotted to become a Yard House. Yard House is seeking a license for the space. No ETA on when it would open, once license is approved.

Out of my Element

Wow. I was at the Grand Opening party there. Long time ago.

rylan

Interesting. I wonder if Marriott is abandoning the Champions them food/bev outlets in their hotels, as it seems there are multiple locations that haven't reopened.

WillTravel4Food

I haven't seen anything stating this to be the case. My take on it has been the primary clientele is business travelers who don't want to leave the hotel for dinner, and business traveling lounge lizards. Until that segment of the travel market restarts, the numbers won't be there to sustain operations.

rylan

Whats interesting is that the Copley location, being easily accessible and located on the walkway between two malls, often had customers stopping for food and drinks that were not staying at the hotel... and they also typically drew a large sports viewing crowd.

WillTravel4Food

True. And I imagine the Champions in Cambridge draws locals for some events. But its location is not ideal. It's in a business district. While Kendall Square is much more popular these days than when I started working there in 1986, it still has it's dark corners where they roll up the sidewalks on the weekends. The Champions is located in one of those spots.

DJ_Iceman

Just wrapping up a wonderful 3-night stay at the Marriott Long Wharf. The hotel is virtually back to pre-pandemic normalcy, with the M Club Lounge slated to open back up next week. Daily housekeeping (without needing to request it), restaurant open for breakfast and dinner, gym and pool open, etc. I also got my SNA confirmed five days in advance for a true suite, have found the valet parking guys to be speedy as ever, and have had a couple of good meals at the bar (they got a new chef so most of the menu items are new). I've concluded this is the most consistently great full-service property in town.

JohnneeO

I am looking to book four nights at a reasonably priced hotel outside of Boston for a family vacation, where we will commute to Boston and other area destinations.

I have narrowed the choice down to four possibilities, based on prices on the dates we are planning to travel:

Fairfield Inn & Suites Boston Logan Airport/Chelsea
Fairfield Inn & Suites Boston Waltham
Fairfield Inn Boston Woburn/Burlington
Courtyard Boston Woburn/Boston North

My initial impression is that FFI Logan/Chelsea is a good choice for proximity to Boston, while FFI Woburn/Burlington seems to be the best value, based on the price.

Has anyone stayed at any of these properties recently? Can you offer observations on the current condition of any of these hotels, the general experience of staying there, and/or the amenities and service?

I would appreciate any feedback. TIA.

WillTravel4Food

It's been ages since I last stayed in any of these places and can't provide any property specific recommendations. I will recommend looking at the T and/or commuter rail options near each property. The cost of commuting back and forth will surely factor into the overall cost. The ease of getting to the train station will be helpful in reducing transit times.

rylan

The Logan/Chelsea location is on rt 1A north of the airport a few miles. Technically its closest to the city, although I wouldn't exactly call it super convenient due to traffic in the area and having to go through the tunnel to get to the city. I think they charge for parking too.

The hotels in Woburn are both by the 95/93 interchange. Depending on season and time of day when you'd be planning to drive to the city, the traffic can be brutal on 93... pretty much from 7-9am and 3-6pm. Since those two are about the same location I'd say go with less expensive one. Slight advantage to the fairfield since its also walking distance to Dave & Busters and a few restaurants.

Fieldfield Inn Waltham is basically in an office park area. Nothing immediately close, although some restaurants and stuff across the highway or up the road 5 min. Its near rt 90 which goes to the city, about 20-30 min drive depending on traffic, which again can be bad in the morning.

Really depends how much you're planning to go in the city vs drive to other places. If you want to go to beach areas or places by the shore like Gloucester then Woburn and Chelsea are closer.

WillTravel4Food

After looking closer at this, I'd recommend the Fairfield Inn Boston Woburn/Burlington. It's across the street from the Mishawum commuter rail station. Not the most glamorous location, but that's easily forgotten when the price is 1/3 what you'd pay for anything comparable downtown. And as rylan said, it'll be much more convenient for excursions to the North Shore.

esquiar

Just stayed at Renaissance Seaport for wedding. Property is in great location. Rooms have a light, vaguely nautical feel that clashes with the dark, modern club vibe of the recently redone lobby.

Lounge is closed even though restaurant and Starbucks are open. Hotel refusing to provide breakfast in restaurant as replacement; only 750 points . Basically just a Courtyard with a higher price point. Going to be booking away from full-service Bonvoy properties going forward unless I can positively confirm they’re offering decent breakfast.

Out of my Element

The Chelsea option is a good one for Boston without a car as it is just a 2-3 minute walk from the Silver Line (bus) into Boston. It is also about a 10 minute walk from my favorite grocery store in the region.

There are a couple good restaurants in the neighborhood, but it's mostly dominated by a mall, other hotels, a big Government building, and the highway. But if the price is right it's a short ride to the city at a much lower price than the commuter rail from Woburn with much more frequency

Dn10

Is the St Regis building under construction at the Seaport just condos or also a hotel?

Out of my Element

The plan was just Residences

https://robbreport.com/shelter/new-c...es-1234611234/