This W Boston Hotel Review is from a friend who recently stayed there, using my Starpoints. A few days ago my friend mentioned she was hoping to surprise her boyfriend with a special trip to Boston for his birthday. Last-minute hotel rates for the better hotels were expensive, so I opted to use 16,000 Starpoints for a free night at the W Boston, which is a Category 5 hotel. At lower season times, a free night is 12,000 points, but in the few searches I've done, there are no Cash & Points rates offered at the W Boston.
My friend and her boyfriend arrived at the W Boston, and first impressions were good. They loved the convenient location, right by Boston Common and the Public Garden, and walking distance to Back Bay dining and shopping. They were welcomed and checked in efficiently at reception:
And enjoyed the lobby, with the adjacent bar, although they did think the lobby was a bit cramped and on the small side. As you'd expect, there's a huge variety of cocktails on offer, and prices are average.
Their Wonderful Room was on the 15th floor and quiet (which I'd specifically requested, since weekend evenings are busy and lower floor rooms sometimes are noisy from all the DJ music at Descent). Wonderful Rooms vary quite a bit in size, anywhere from 280-370 square feet, and have either a King bed (which my friend had) or two doubles. They loved how comfortable the bed and linens were, and found everything to be immaculate and in great condition.
The bathroom is perhaps best suited for couples, given the glass wall (complete with Thoreau quote) separating it from the bedroom:
The walk-in shower is oversized, nice for tall guests, although my friend noted it took awhile for the water temperature to adjust.
And the Bliss Spa bath products are a nice perk:
I was hoping that any card or message would be for my friend and her boyfriend, since I'd given the hotel their names and mentioned it was my friend's boyfriend's birthday, but instead the welcome message was addressed to me. It came with a yummy looking P2 C2 treat of Belgian chocolate with peanut butter, caramel and salted potato crunch:
The nice thing when booking for others is that they inherit your SPG status. I'm SPG Gold, so my friend and her boyfriend received complimentary Internet, although they could have opted instead for 250 bonus Starpoints or a complimentary beverage. See Starwood Preferred Guest New Elite Amenities and Benefits Per my friend, the in-room Internet was very fast. In-room technology in terms of the flat screen TV and iPod dock was great, although my friend found the lighting not intuitive and a bit too dark (common for W Hotels). They also wished there had been an in-room tea/coffee machine, which again is a common gripe with higher end hotels, which generally want you to order room service.
My friend and her boyfriend also enjoyed with fitness center, which in addition to plenty of workout equipment and weights offers complimentary apples and bottled water.
The Verdict: Overall, my friend and her boyfriend had a great stay and were pleased with the W Boston's location, room, amenities and service. They found the mini bar prices too high, but that's common for most upscale hotels these days. The key things they would like to see improved are the shower temperature control, better lighting, faster valet service, and prompt refills of complimentary coffee in the lobby. Since the hotel price for their night would have been about $500, it worked out to about 3 cents per SPG point–not great, but not horrible either, especially given the pricey Boston hotel alternatives for their night.
If you've stayed at the W Boston, what was your experience?
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