Boston, Massachusetts--BOS / Hilton airport

October 2013, Weekday, 1-night, King room #809

View from hall by elevator
facing the front

Check-in and status perks

I received a basic king guestroom with access to the executive lounge. 

Guestroom

This guestroom is located on the 8th floor near the end of hall. It faces the back side of the building.

The bed comfort and bedding was superb! The guestroom walls were soundproof, although the door was not. I did not hear any noise from the airport, or from guests next door or overhead. I did, however, hear occasional noise from guests in the hall.

This guestroom was not very spacious, although it met my needs for one night. The furnishings shown in the photos looked new: flatscreen TV on an armoire, desk and chair, chaise type lounge, king size bed, nightstands, full length mirror, and lamps.

The coffee maker, which is barely visible on the desk, included good quality coffee. A large safe, which I forgot to photograph, was located in the left cupboard under the coffee and ice bucket location.

The chaise lounge and desk chair were both comfortable for short periods. I was not in my room much, so I do not know if my opinion would have changed after a longer period of time.

The bathroom was a basic room with a tub/shower combination. The flat surface at the end of the tub served as a convenient ledge for bathing needs, like shampoo and such.

Food & Beverage

I had the Arugula Wrap to-go from the bar. The flavor and portion size was excellent. I thought the bill was deceiving though. A 15% tip was automatically added to my order, and the slip said that gratuity was not included. I was glad that I had looked my receipt over before adding another tip, because the bartender did not tell me it was included either. I usually tip 10% to 15% on to-go orders when I pick them up, although I have tipped more than this, too. It depends on how much needs to be prepared, and/or whether I made any special requests. In this case, I would have barely tipped the bartender 10%, so he made out like a bandit for doing nothing. I felt like he almost grunted about needing to greet me and take my order.

Executive lounge

I did not visit the lounge in the evening, so I do not know what was served. I went to the lounge before the evening social, and I got some bottled water to take back to my room.

Breakfast items in the lounge in the morning included only cold/continental food items. There were not any hot food items; not even oatmeal. Cold items included Dannon yogurt, hard boiled eggs, bagels, breads, cut and whole fruits, milks, juices, coffee, and tea. I am sure that cold cereal was also available, although I do not have this written in my notes, so I am not 100% certain.

Fitness center
The fitness center contained several cardio machines with theater, hand weights, and weight machines. The locker room had several amenities, including a hairdryer.

Misc.

This Hilton is located inside the airport. The overnight parking charge is quite high: $30 for self-parking, and $40 for valet parking. I returned my rental car before my stay, and the hotel shuttle picked me up in the rental car area. I would have walked to the hotel, if there had been sidewalks the entire way. 

In the morning, I walked from the hotel to the Delta terminal (terminal A), via the skywalk on floor two. I had not done this before, and the signage was pretty clear. I did not have any trouble figuring out where I needed to go. Several flight attendants who were on the elevator with me, must not have thought the directions were very clear, because they asked me if I was going to the terminal, if I had done it before, and if I knew the way. It took me less than 15 minutes to walk from my guestroom, and get my luggage checked. There was not anyone in the Sky Priority Lane when I arrived, so I did not need to wait.

Somerville, Massachusetts / Holiday Inn Boston Bunker Hill Area

October 2013, Weekday, 1-night, King Jr. Suite #825

Check-in and status perks

I had not had lunch when I arrived at this Holiday Inn, so after I parked, I asked the front desk agent for a lunch recommendation within walking distance. The agent recommended Tavern at the End of the World, which is about a block or two away on the same side of the street. When I returned to check-in, I received an upgrade to a suite, and I received a coupon good for bonus points or breakfast.

Guestroom 

This hotel has nine floors, and guestroom 825 is located on the 8th floor at the end of the hall. It has a connecting room door. Those of you who follow my blog regularly, know that I try to stay away from connecting room doors because of the noise. The spacious guestroom looked comfortable, and I was only staying for one night, so I settled in and hoped for the best.

Later in the evening, I did, unfortunately, hear the guest in the next guestroom through the door. I placed the extra blanket from the closet in front of the door, which helped block the noise somewhat.

The guestroom comfort and cleanliness was excellent. I even thought the bed was super comfy, which is not a consistent Holiday Inn feature. The traffic and outside noise was somewhat audible through the large window, although this noise did not bother me much. This guestroom is located in the northeast corner of the building, so it is close to the intersection.

The chic furnishings in the guestroom looked new, and I have included several pictures.

Some of the features included a very large work desk and chair, large flatscreen TV, a love seat, ottoman, sofa sleeper, suitcase bench, tables, and nightstands. The small table next to the love seat could be slid under the seat. This table did not slide under the sofa when I tried to use it with that seat.


The guestroom was well lit, and there were plenty of electrical outlets. Two complimentary bottles of water were included with the ice bucket.


The hanging closet near the entrance door contained two bathrobes, a folding luggage rack, extra bedding, an iron, and ironing board.



The bathroom contained a tub/shower combination, pedestal sink, bath amenities, and a hairdryer mounted on the wall.

A large vanity was located outside of the bathing area. A microwave, small fridge, and coffeepot with supplies were located across from the vanity.


















Food & Beverage
I had clam chowder and fish tacos from the restaurant in the evening, and I thought the nearby restaurant where I'd had lunch served better food. The clam chowder was "okay," and the fish tacos did not taste very fresh. I did not have breakfast at the hotel because I turned in my Platinum perk for extra points.

Fitness center
The fitness center contained four cardio machines, two flatscreen TVs, hand weights, a weight machine, water cooler, towels, sani-wipes, and a scale.

Business center
There were a couple of computers and a printer located around the corner from the front desk; however, I was not able to print a document when I tried to do so.

Misc.
I arrived at this hotel from the west, and the hotel name sign is not visible from that direction, because it is blocked by the trees out front. I was glad that I recognized the Holiday Inn coloring on the building, and turned right onto Inner Belt Road at the traffic light. If the traffic light had been red when I approached, I would have seen the hotel sign as soon as I stopped; however, I happened to get it green. Even though the hotel address is on Washington Street, the entrance is from Inner Belt Road. This hotel has a spacious parking lot, and parking is complimentary.

I tend to agree with most of the reviews I read about this property. The good comments I read, said that the hotel is comfy and clean. The bad comments I read, stated that the hotel has thin walls, and that the business center was inadequate. 

Foxborough, Massachusetts / Residence Inn

October 2013, Weekday, 1-night, King 1-bedroom #324

Status perks and check-in

I received the standard Platinum member bonus points. My guestroom upgrade experience at Residence Inn properties has been similar to Marriott Courtyard: I have sometimes received an upgrade after asking, and have rarely received an automatic room upgrade.

There was quite a commotion going on at this Residence Inn when I first arrived. I observed several police cars and a fire engine in front of the building, as well as many guests and employees standing in the parking lot. This hotel is located in a nice neighborhood, so I wondered what was going on. I got out of my car to talk with one of the employees. It sounded like a guest had set off the smoke alarm in one of the guest rooms. A short time later, everyone had cleared out, and I entered the hotel to check-in. I did not smell or observe anything out of the ordinary inside the hotel.

Guestroom 324

This guestroom is located on the back side of the building on the top floor. It was clean and comfortable. The guestroom had been recently remodeled, and the furnishings looked new. 

The kitchen area contained all of the Residence Inn amenities: full size fridge, electric range, dishwasher, microwave, coffeepot with supplies, dishes in the cupboards, microwave popcorn, and a table with two chairs. I have stayed in many Residence Inns with only a stovetop and no oven, although this guestroom had both.

The living room area contained an entry table, nice large work desk and chair, sofa, coffee table, and flatscreen TV on an armoire.

The bedroom contained a king size bed, nightstands with lamps, a telephone, and an alarm clock, and another flatscreen TV on an armoire.

The bathroom contained a tub/shower combination with a shower curtain on a curved rod.

The vanity was located outside of the bathing area, across from a closet. The vanity presented a problem for me. It was quite tall, and the sink is set back against the wall. I am 5' 3" tall, and I had to stand on my toes to brush my teeth!

I thought this guestroom was great when I arrived; however, my opinion changed after spending the night. The wireless Internet speed was incredibly slow, and the guestroom was not well soundproofed. Even though this is a one-bedroom suite, with a door on the bedroom, I could hear guests in the hall, and I was awakened by noisy guests that night. I could also smell smoke in my guestroom, even though this is a non-smoking hotel.

Food & Beverage

Minimal food was served at the evening social the night of my stay. The social calendar listed "nachos" on the menu, and that was definitely accurate. Refried beans were also included, as well as tossed salad, two unbranded sodas, and juice.

Breakfast the next morning included scrambled eggs, hash browns, Canadian bacon, cold cereals, oatmeal, breads and bagels, waffle maker, milk, juices, coffee, and tea.

Fitness center

The fitness center contained four cardio machines without cardio theater, hand weights, flatscreen TV, water cooler, towels, and sani-wipes.

Misc. and overall

This hotel is located in a business park area near an apartment community. There is a Marriott Courtyard just down the road. I chose the Residence Inn instead of the Courtyard because the cost was less. Afterward, I wished I had searched more diligently for a better rate at the Courtyard. 

I usually do my homework pretty well, and I did not do that this time. Some extra research before my stay would have alerted me about the things I did not like: hallway noise, evening social menu, and smoke smell in the guestroom. Several guest reviews on TripAdvisor, which I had not read before my stay, complain of smoke smell in the guestroom, and about noisy guests in the hall. The fact that these same complaints came from more than one guest, make me think that what I experienced was not unusual. I read a reply from the hotel manager to one of the reviewers about the smoke smell. She asked the guest to contact her since this hotel is 100% non-smoking. This kind of thing needs to be handled at the time of occurrence by hotel staff, IMO. The front desk agent asked me if everything was okay when I checked out, so I told her about the noisy guests, and the smoke smell. She did not say anything, except, "I am sorry." Also, if the hotel is 100% non-smoking, why isn't housekeeping trained to report this? I do not think it should be up to guests to make sure that a hotel lives up to its standards.

A couple of other things that should have tipped me off before my stay: A night at Residence Inn is not usually less than Courtyard, so I should have wondered why the cost was less, even after I noticed that the hotel had been remodeled. The evening social menu is listed on the hotel website, and I must have forgotten to check this before my stay. 

Another thing to consider, if you collect Marriott Rewards points, is that points at extended stay properties, like Residence Inn, are earned at only half the rate of a hotel, like the Courtyard. I am glad that I now have my stay documented, in case I do not remember this experience the next time I need a hotel in this area.

Dedham, Massachusettes / Holiday Inn

October 2011, Weekday, 2-nights, Penthouse Suite #842

Status perks

I was upgraded to a Penthouse Suite on the top floor.

Guestroom

I reserved an executive room when making my reservation, because this hotel looked like an older property, and executive rooms are usually nicer than regular rooms. I was excited when I learned that I had been upgraded to a penthouse suite, until I got to my room. The room was not awful; however, I expected better quality for a "Penthouse Suite."

Positives: comfortable sitting area, large corner outside patio with furniture, quiet--there were less than 10 rooms on this top floor of the tower building, two bathrobes,  good quality bathroom amenities (although I did not have any lotion), Keurig coffee maker (although I had an overabundance of decaf and tea, and only one regular coffee), popcorn and fridge beverages included (although there was no popcorn in my room, and my fridge was not restocked on stayover). There was a note in the guestroom stating that the popcorn and beverages were included, so I left a note for housekeeping--with tip money--saying that I had not received any popcorn. I also wrote that I would like some regular coffee. I received a bag of popcorn and regular coffee; however, the water I drank from the fridge had not been replaced. When I checked in, the fridge had been stocked with 2 diet Cokes, 2 regular Cokes, 2 spring waters, and there was a large bottled water on the counter.

 

Negatives: the bed was hard and uncomfortable, the carpet was stained, the Internet connection speed was lousy, the HVAC unit was an older unit on the outside wall, the shower water pressure was so low, I did not think I would ever get the shampoo rinsed out of my hair, there was quite a bit of grime around the edges of the sliding glass door, and the patio did not look very clean, so I never opened my patio door. Even though there was a sitting area in the guestroom, the room was not very big. The bathroom was tiny. The door opened toward the toilet, and almost hit it. I had to step back after entering the bathroom, and then shut the door to use the toilet. The guestroom door from the hallway did not close properly. There was a gap around the door, and I could not close the deadbolt, since it did not close correctly. I would not have stayed in this room, if the chain lock had not felt secure.

This hotel had made an attempt to provide a nice room with the nice amenities and furniture; however, the negative factors did not make up for it, in my opinion. I did not like that I had to request items from housekeeping that should have been provided. The bed was so uncomfortable, that I got back up, and spent over an hour the first night on the telephone and online searching for an acceptable nearby hotel that I could move to for my second night. I did not understand why a hotel would spend so much on other furnishings--chairs, desk, lamps, etc., and not replace the bed and/or mattress. I appreciate when the sitting area is comfortable; however, the bed is more important to me.

Food & Beverage

I did not eat in the hotel restaurant, The Nook. I dined at the Bamboo restaurant, which is located in the same building, although it is not actually part of the hotel. The food at Bamboo was very good. The restaurant was easily accessible, although there was not an interior entrance from the hotel.

Business center

The business center was a small room across from the front desk next to the Avis car rental counter. It contained two computers and one printer. I did not observe any business supplies. I was not able to print a PDF document or my boarding pass the first evening; however, I was able to print both items from the second computer the next morning. 

Fitness center

The hotel directory in my guestroom said that the fitness center did not open until 7 AM. Since the fitness center and pool were located on the first floor where there were no guestrooms, it would have been nicer, if it had been open 24-hours. I did not try the fitness center the first morning, since I did not think I had time. When I went there before 7 AM the next day, it was already open--the posted open time on the door said 6 AM. It contained two treadmills, two additional cardio machines, a weight machine, three flat screen TVs, towels, cold water, and a scale.

Misc. & overall

The hotel provided shuttle service to nearby locations. Fresh water and apples were available at the front desk most of the day, and cookies were offered in the afternoon.

A new Homewood Suites is opening in this area, where I would have stayed, except that it was not open yet at the time of my stay. There was a Hilton nearby; however, it was overbooked. They had two cancellations at the last minute--one handicap room, and one Jr. suite. Reserving a hotel room at the last minute, is not usually the best time to get a good rate, and this was no exception. I did not move to the Hilton because the rate was $40 more that what I was paying at the Holiday Inn for the handicap room, and that hotel also looked like an older building. If the bed at the Holiday Inn would have been comfortable, I would have gladly overlooked the other disappointments.