Bearing in mind that you shouldn’t generally expect much from hotels in the United States, the Westin Boston Seaport District offers a decent overall service. Nothing to write home about, but given the prices charged in the city, you’ll feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
You will find a summary of the articles on these vacations in Boston, New York and New Orleans at the bottom of the page.
Booking
I booked a standard room several months before my stay at a rate of 282 euros per night. Expensive, but considering the prices of hotels in the city center, it’s practically a bargain. What’s more, this hotel had the advantage of being located near Olivier’s place, close to the Silver Line that connects the airport and the city center, and, moreover, it had a certain nostalgic flavor for me.
There was a time when I went there every year for a professional conference where I even won an award… at that time it was called Westin Waterfront and the neighborhood was not at all what it has become today.
So it is a conference center, so expect to find lots of people and a certain amount of hustle and bustle. It is what is known as a high-capacity venue that sacrifices charm for capacity.
Location
The hotel is located in the Seaport District, about ten minutes’ walk from the Silver Line stop that connects the city center to the airport. Both are therefore easily and quickly accessible and, moreover, it is a very fashionable and lively new neighborhood.
Arrival at the hotel and check-in
While I was still on the flight to Boston, I received an alert on my phone: my room had been assigned to me, the contactless key was loaded in my phone, so there was no need to go through reception and I could go to my room directly.
I also noticed that I had been upgraded to a room on a higher floor. In any case, the hotel has few suites, as is often the case in conference centers where the aim is to accommodate as many people as possible.
The fact that I am assigned my room in this way is nothing new, but it is the first time in my memory that I have been exempted from an identity check at reception.
After a long ride on the Silver Line stuck in traffic before reaching its dedicated lane and a bit of walking, I arrive in front of the imposing building.
I warned you, charm is not the order of the day.
So I cross the huge lobby to go straight to my room.
It’s Friday night, the conferences are over and a more sparse crowd of tourists has taken over the place.
The room
It is totally in the style of a business hotel room in the United States: functional and charmless.
A large bed with comfortable bedding.
A television and a large desk (which is a nice touch).
An armchair to relax in.
The bathroom is in the same vein: timeless, charmless, functional.
It has a bathtub that also serves as a shower.
As for the view, I’ll let you be the judge…
A fairly comfortable, good-sized room, without any charm but with no fault of taste other than having none: I have exactly what I expected.
Facilities
The hotel has a gym and a swimming pool.
The gym is quite large and well equipped, as is always the case in hotels in the USA.
But, of course, we are in a hotel in the USA. It is very popular and people go to the gym very early. I, who am used to finding empty gyms at 6 a.m., found myself in the middle of rush hour.
But at least all the necessary equipment is available.
Next to it is the swimming pool.
Without much charm, it has the advantage of being large and will appeal to those who use it for sports.
In short, it reflects the hotel.
Bars and restaurants
The hotel has several restaurants and bars, and I will only try one of the bars, a kind of American bar that also serves as a restaurant.
Charmless and old-fashioned, almost dusty.
As I recall, the service was slow, poor and the staff unmotivated. But that was 15 years ago.
Well, nothing has changed. An interminable wait to be seated when there is no one else there, waiters who pass customers back and forth like a game of ping pong to find out where to seat them, slow service….
In short, the staff are friendly but not very competent. I remember one evening, at the time, when tempers were flared with conference participants, and I think that at the end of the day, when the rooms empty and the audience disperses in the bar, they must be completely overwhelmed.
Staff and service
I had no contact with the staff apart from the lethargic waiters in the bar.
Check-out
I will check out on the mobile app and leave the hotel without going through reception.
Bottom line
A hotel in the image of the American business hotel industry: bland and functional, but at least I managed to get away with less than 300 dollars a night, which is a real satisfaction.
Was I willing to pay 500 dollars for a better manager and a service that I’m not sure would have been better? No.
I got what I expected with a fairly good value for money for Boston and the USA.
The articles on these vacations in Boston, New York and New Orleans
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