Boston: which hotel? 2007 onward [Master Thread]
Apr 16, 2007, 4:40 am
#47
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 103
If you get upgrade to club room at sheraton boston, it should be better than westin. They have a nice club lounge which provides nice food spread 3 times a day. Sheraton commander is also nice, it has a boutique feeling while sheraton boston feels like more corporated. I didn't stay at waterfront, so I don't know about this property.
Apr 16, 2007, 12:59 pm
#48
Join Date: May 2004
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I've never seen any evidence of college students staying at the Sheraton. I think that's pretty unlikely these days.
Boston is lacking in restaurants? REALLY???? (That's insane).
I don't eat sushi, but those who do will likely notice a lot more of it in Boston with the arrival Daisuke Matsuzaka to the Red Sox. There will also be a lot more Japanese tourists, some of them probably staying at these hotels. Dice-K is a phenomenon.
Boston is lacking in restaurants? REALLY???? (That's insane).
I don't eat sushi, but those who do will likely notice a lot more of it in Boston with the arrival Daisuke Matsuzaka to the Red Sox. There will also be a lot more Japanese tourists, some of them probably staying at these hotels. Dice-K is a phenomenon.
Apr 16, 2007, 1:05 pm
#49
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Apr 16, 2007, 1:17 pm
#50
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Best,
O/H
Apr 16, 2007, 2:41 pm
#52
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Apr 17, 2007, 9:06 pm
#53
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: AA PLT, USAir Gold
Posts: 559
I've never seen any evidence of college students staying at the Sheraton. I think that's pretty unlikely these days.
Boston is lacking in restaurants? REALLY???? (That's insane).
I don't eat sushi, but those who do will likely notice a lot more of it in Boston with the arrival Daisuke Matsuzaka to the Red Sox. There will also be a lot more Japanese tourists, some of them probably staying at these hotels. Dice-K is a phenomenon.
Boston is lacking in restaurants? REALLY???? (That's insane).
I don't eat sushi, but those who do will likely notice a lot more of it in Boston with the arrival Daisuke Matsuzaka to the Red Sox. There will also be a lot more Japanese tourists, some of them probably staying at these hotels. Dice-K is a phenomenon.
There is a GREAT new sushi place just about a block from the Westin called Douzo. The owner of Fugakyu opened it about 9 months ago. They have a nice menu with other Japanese food also.
By the way, Bar 10 at the Westin is one of my favorite local spots for a drink and a bite to eat. The arugula pizza is amazing. They have a meditteranean appetizer that is fantastic as well. And the martinis will knock you on your a$$!!
Apr 26, 2007, 7:33 pm
#54
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: Starwood, Airtran, United
Posts: 3
Boston MA - Master Thread
^ We stayed at the Four Points in Revere, north of Boston, for a week at spring break.
First, the indoor pool was closed after the first night. The kids (11, 13, and 16) used the pool the first night, for about 5 minutes; then they came back up to the room, exclaiming that the pool was too cold and crowded with 5 year olds. Whether they would have used the pool (if it were open during the rest of our stay) is probably 50/50.
We stayed on points for our room--we requested and received an "upgraded" room--this meant top floor (the SPG floor), king bed. The room was large--it had a nice king bed, two "club" chairs, a standard TV inside the armoir, a decent sized desk, a "closet" area. The bathroom was HUGE--and the sink was separate from the toilet/shower/tub! Nothing fancy, but the room was nice! The view was a shopping center.
Our kids had an adjoining room--the smaller 2 double bed room. They had one club chair, an armoire with a TV, and their closet was in the bedroom instead of separate from the bedroom. Their bathroom was smaller, with the sink in the same room with the toilet/shower/tub. If this were the room my husband and I had gotten, I would have felt disappointed, but it worked great for the kids.
Our friends, who had booked on expedia and had paid extra for an upgraded room (and who are spg also) got the 2 double bed room across the hall from us. It was nice to have them so nearby (the front desk took care to keep us close together) but it was NOT the upgraded room that we got for points.
The hotel itself was really nice...not in the luxury sense, but in the great hotel for the price sense. The front desk was helpful...the lobby area was clean and well kept.
There were several groups staying at the hotel while we were there--ranging from middle school groups to a college rugby team! We never ran into these kids, and we never heard a sound from them-- during the day or at night!
We didn't rent a car (except for a one-day excursion to Cape Cod). The hotel shuttle was happy to take us to the closest T-station--it left every 15 minutes during the work week, and every 30 minutes on the weekends. We bought a one-week T-pass ($15), which gave us unlimited bus, subway, and ferry access-very convenient! The drivers were great--they gave us terrific advice on sites to see, places to eat, ways to get around, etc. (We especially enjoyed Billy and Juan!) On days they weren't busy, they were happy to drop us off and pick us up at local eateries, including the Kelly's Roast Beef in Saucus.
We had room service three times in the week--one breakfast and two lunches. Each time, the food was great, and the service was excellent. In addition, we ate at the Japanese steakhouse one evening for dinner. The food was great, and the prices were what you would expect from a Japanese steakhouse.
The area around the hotel is...well, not the nicest area. Not so much dangerous, but just not a lot there. There was a shopping center adjacent to the hotel--it had a CVS, a Burlington Coat Factory (important, since the weather was "raw" during spring break), a Friendly's, and a laundromat (the shuttle took us and dropped us off when we had to do our midweek laundry). Within walking distance are a few restaurants, including a BBQ place (with a strange Asian influence--we midwesterners weren't prepared for that!), an Italian bakery, a McDonald's, and two Dunkin Donuts (apparently a Boston thing). There's a great appliance/furniture store with retro reproduction items nearby!
This hotel is not at all centrally located to Boston--it will probably take 30-45 minutes between the shuttle and the train, and I can't imagine how long in a car, to get from here to downtown. However, for the price (whether in dollars or points), it was a great place to stage from for a fun week in Boston.
I hope this info helps some of you who are planning a trip to Boston!
First, the indoor pool was closed after the first night. The kids (11, 13, and 16) used the pool the first night, for about 5 minutes; then they came back up to the room, exclaiming that the pool was too cold and crowded with 5 year olds. Whether they would have used the pool (if it were open during the rest of our stay) is probably 50/50.
We stayed on points for our room--we requested and received an "upgraded" room--this meant top floor (the SPG floor), king bed. The room was large--it had a nice king bed, two "club" chairs, a standard TV inside the armoir, a decent sized desk, a "closet" area. The bathroom was HUGE--and the sink was separate from the toilet/shower/tub! Nothing fancy, but the room was nice! The view was a shopping center.
Our kids had an adjoining room--the smaller 2 double bed room. They had one club chair, an armoire with a TV, and their closet was in the bedroom instead of separate from the bedroom. Their bathroom was smaller, with the sink in the same room with the toilet/shower/tub. If this were the room my husband and I had gotten, I would have felt disappointed, but it worked great for the kids.
Our friends, who had booked on expedia and had paid extra for an upgraded room (and who are spg also) got the 2 double bed room across the hall from us. It was nice to have them so nearby (the front desk took care to keep us close together) but it was NOT the upgraded room that we got for points.
The hotel itself was really nice...not in the luxury sense, but in the great hotel for the price sense. The front desk was helpful...the lobby area was clean and well kept.
There were several groups staying at the hotel while we were there--ranging from middle school groups to a college rugby team! We never ran into these kids, and we never heard a sound from them-- during the day or at night!
We didn't rent a car (except for a one-day excursion to Cape Cod). The hotel shuttle was happy to take us to the closest T-station--it left every 15 minutes during the work week, and every 30 minutes on the weekends. We bought a one-week T-pass ($15), which gave us unlimited bus, subway, and ferry access-very convenient! The drivers were great--they gave us terrific advice on sites to see, places to eat, ways to get around, etc. (We especially enjoyed Billy and Juan!) On days they weren't busy, they were happy to drop us off and pick us up at local eateries, including the Kelly's Roast Beef in Saucus.
We had room service three times in the week--one breakfast and two lunches. Each time, the food was great, and the service was excellent. In addition, we ate at the Japanese steakhouse one evening for dinner. The food was great, and the prices were what you would expect from a Japanese steakhouse.
The area around the hotel is...well, not the nicest area. Not so much dangerous, but just not a lot there. There was a shopping center adjacent to the hotel--it had a CVS, a Burlington Coat Factory (important, since the weather was "raw" during spring break), a Friendly's, and a laundromat (the shuttle took us and dropped us off when we had to do our midweek laundry). Within walking distance are a few restaurants, including a BBQ place (with a strange Asian influence--we midwesterners weren't prepared for that!), an Italian bakery, a McDonald's, and two Dunkin Donuts (apparently a Boston thing). There's a great appliance/furniture store with retro reproduction items nearby!
This hotel is not at all centrally located to Boston--it will probably take 30-45 minutes between the shuttle and the train, and I can't imagine how long in a car, to get from here to downtown. However, for the price (whether in dollars or points), it was a great place to stage from for a fun week in Boston.
I hope this info helps some of you who are planning a trip to Boston!
Apr 26, 2007, 8:26 pm
#55
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
Posts: 4,401
A remarkably thorough and well rounded first post! Welcome to Flyertalk!!
I'm pleased that you found this a suitable hotel for your needs in the Boston area. I'm also pleased that you noted a few things in your review:
- that the hotel is not in an upscale, or otherwise "happening" location
- that the hotel, for all practical purposes, is not close to the action of Boston
I find it not a little annoying that this hotel calls itself Boston Logan Airport Four Points given the substantial trek from the airport to this place.
That said, for a mid tier hotel in a crappy environment, this little place is kinda like the "little train that could." (Am I dating myself to use that reference?) I've stayed there a few times over the years -- usually when I had a 5:40am flight out of BOS and I'd drive down the night before -- and, I have to admit it was nicer than I had anticipated. I was expecting a very marginal hotel and it was actually okay.
As long as one has the reasonable expectations of this hotel (we're talking a Four Points in Revere, okay?), I would agree that all expectations are met by this hotel. No glitz, no glam, but reasonably comfortable and a competent staff make it work.
Perhaps folks would be interested to know that this hotel started its life as a four story Howard Johnson's that was then significantly expanded into what is now the Four Points. My guess is that the core property itself must be at least 50 years old or more. And, I believe the expansion was towards the back of the property as well as the addition of the top two or three floors in their entirety.
I'm pleased that you found this a suitable hotel for your needs in the Boston area. I'm also pleased that you noted a few things in your review:
- that the hotel is not in an upscale, or otherwise "happening" location
- that the hotel, for all practical purposes, is not close to the action of Boston
I find it not a little annoying that this hotel calls itself Boston Logan Airport Four Points given the substantial trek from the airport to this place.
That said, for a mid tier hotel in a crappy environment, this little place is kinda like the "little train that could." (Am I dating myself to use that reference?) I've stayed there a few times over the years -- usually when I had a 5:40am flight out of BOS and I'd drive down the night before -- and, I have to admit it was nicer than I had anticipated. I was expecting a very marginal hotel and it was actually okay.
As long as one has the reasonable expectations of this hotel (we're talking a Four Points in Revere, okay?), I would agree that all expectations are met by this hotel. No glitz, no glam, but reasonably comfortable and a competent staff make it work.
Perhaps folks would be interested to know that this hotel started its life as a four story Howard Johnson's that was then significantly expanded into what is now the Four Points. My guess is that the core property itself must be at least 50 years old or more. And, I believe the expansion was towards the back of the property as well as the addition of the top two or three floors in their entirety.
Apr 26, 2007, 8:28 pm
#56
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
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p.s.
Dunkin Donuts is absolutely, positively a Boston thing! There are DD's on just about every corner, every gas station, many grocery stores, college campuses, malls, and someone told me recently a church. Egads.
Dunkin Donuts is absolutely, positively a Boston thing! There are DD's on just about every corner, every gas station, many grocery stores, college campuses, malls, and someone told me recently a church. Egads.
Apr 27, 2007, 11:02 am
#57
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: new york, ny, usa
Posts: 13,536
very good trip report. thank you.
and, yes, dunkin donuts is a huge boston thing. and, for that, i am happy. love their coffee.....
and, jake jarmel would love your extensive use of exclamation points. NOT.
http://www.siyumhaseinfeld.com/chars/dates/jake.html
and, yes, dunkin donuts is a huge boston thing. and, for that, i am happy. love their coffee.....
and, jake jarmel would love your extensive use of exclamation points. NOT.
http://www.siyumhaseinfeld.com/chars/dates/jake.html
Last edited by fly co to see the yanks; Apr 27, 2007 at 11:56 am
Apr 27, 2007, 12:38 pm
#59
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With all the talk of everything "upscale" at SPG/Starwood, it's good to get this prespective from regular midwest folks on a family vacation. I'm glad Starwood is (doing a good job) serving that segment too.
I do think of Four Points as the underdog or "little engine that could" within Starwood.
I do think of Four Points as the underdog or "little engine that could" within Starwood.
Apr 27, 2007, 12:41 pm
#60
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We had room service three times in the week--one breakfast and two lunches. Each time, the food was great, and the service was excellent. In addition, we ate at the Japanese steakhouse one evening for dinner. The food was great, and the prices were what you would expect from a Japanese steakhouse.