One place that I constantly find myself for work is Boston. (I used to go to London regularly, but not so much anymore.)
While there, I make a habit of trying to stay in Hyatt Hotels if possible (assuming it’s within my company’s travel policy). Even if it’s a bit more inconvenient, it’s an easy way to rack up elite nights and get some more Hyatt points.
I don’t really care about suite upgrades when traveling for business (it’s just me). I don’t really care how far from office it is (I like to walk). Finally, while free Globalist breakfast is nice (allowing me to spend a bit more on dinner), it’s not nearly as important as when I travel with my family.
Thus, for this trip in late March, I chose to stay at the Hyatt Regency Boston.
I had stayed there before for one night in August of 2020. Additionally, a good friend of my dad and I stayed there for months during 2020 and really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it then, and I was looking forward to this stay to see how it had changed over the past few years.
If given the chance, this will be my go-to hotel when traveling up to Boston for work. I do wonder if there are better hotels for families though (such as the Hyatt Place Boston Seaport; I haven’t stayed there yet). However, I haven’t found a Hyatt in the area that I enjoy staying in more than the Hyatt Regency Boston.
Booking & Price
I booked this stay about 2-3 weeks in advance of my trip.
Given that work was paying for this stay, I didn’t think about whether I was getting value out of points. However, the Hyatt Regency Boston is a category 5 hotel. Any Hyatt around downtown is going to be a Category 5 hotel or higher. Also, given sky high rates in the summer in Boston (it’s criminal how expensive some hotels can be with awful service), points stays are often excellent value in Boston in general.
Note that there is a $30 destination fee per day at this hotel. This is waived for Globalists and anyone making a points stays. You can find inclusions here.
Similar to most destination fees, you don’t really get anything of value for this daily fee. I did use the $10 dinner credit one night while I was working on a presentation, but that really just saves my company a bit of money. You’re supposed to get a magnet when checking out, but I didn’t receive one when getting a paper copy of my portfolio while checking out.
I didn’t receive anything telling me what the destination fee entailed when I checked in. I have thoughts around destination fees (they’re lame), but it is what it is.
Note that, upon checkout, points were calculated correctly for both my room rate and the one time I had dinner. I didn’t need to follow up to get that corrected in any manner.
Location
The Hyatt Regency Boston is located in the Theater District of Boston, about a block southwest of Boston Commons. While a bit removed from the North End, it’s a great central location within Boston itself.
The actual address is 1 Ave de Lafayette, Boston, MA 02111.
Head to the Google Maps location, and you’ll see the entrance. Garage parking is available from the hotel if you are driving (should be free for Globalists on points bookings).
I really liked the location. Note that to get to the North End / up to the north side of Boston Commons, you will have to walk up a hill, so keep that in mind if mobility issues are an issue for you.
The hotel is located in Lafayette City Center. It’s a nice building.
Check-in & Lobby at the Hyatt Regency Boston
I walked to the Hyatt Regency Boston from the office, which was north of Boston Commons (about 10 minutes, possibly?). I entered in off the street. Street access and valet parking are on the bottom floor, while check-in is on the 2nd floor.
In the lobby, they had set up for the NCAA tournament (I know, this review is overdue). They had a giant bracket on the wall, a putting green, and a shot-a-rama basketball game set up.
Additionally, there was always fruit water to help yourself to.
Check-in was quick. I was informed that I had been upgraded from a King Bedroom to a King Bedroom Corner room (no suites were available).
At that point, I turned left towards the elevator. You pass a little market where you can purchase drinks and snacks for consumption in your room. You can purchase these item at the check-in counters.
I then made my way up to the 15th floor to drop my luggage off in my room before grabbing a bite to eat and working on my presentation.
King Bedroom Corner Room
Upon exiting the elevator, you enter the 4-level atrium. To give a bit of context, because of the shape of the building, there is an atrium every 4 floors. Take a look at the pictures to understand what I’m referring to, because I have no idea how else to explain it. Basically, every 4 levels has a new atrium that mirrors this.
I took an immediate left and made my way to my room. It’s a strange set-up, but, again, they renovated to the building shape.
For this stay, I was specifically in room 1537.
Upon entering, the bathroom is to the left with a full length mirror to your right.
To the left of the mirror was the closet. Inside were a safe, iron and ironing board, several hangers, robe and slippers, and extra bedding (like a second blanket).
Continuing on into the room, directly ahead is the minibar counter. Directly to the right was a great place to hang stuff. On top of the counter was an ice bin, a lamp, and some glasses.
Inside the counter was a fridge with bottles of water (free for World of Hyatt members). There was also a Keurig with coffee, decaf coffee, and tea.
While it looks awkward to have used in its current state, there is a mechanism within the counter so that the Keurig easily pulls out.
Running along the back wall was a couch with a coffee table. The cushions were a bit hard, as the couch was designed to be used for a long time, which I appreciate.
In the back of the room was the bed with lights on each side. The bed was a standard Hyatt Regency bed. It’s a bit firmer than I am used to, but it gets the job done. Across from the couch is the TV. The TV can be positioned so that you can watch TV from the couch or the bed (although the TV was kind of far from the bed).
There were plenty of outlets throughout the room. Most connect to the lamps. However, by the bed, there was an outlet on each side of the bed.
Note, for this room, the thermostat was by the window to the left of the coffee station. The minimum temperature it would go down to was 66 degrees Fahrenheit. I like a cold room, and it got cool for me.
King Bedroom Corner Bathroom
The bathroom was directly to the left as you entered into the room.
This was a pretty simple bathroom. Everything was clean. The shower was to the left, the toilet was directly ahead, and the sink was to the right.
Water pressure was good in the shower.
Bath products were in individual mini-bottles from Pharmacopia, as is the Hyatt Regency brand standard. Housekeeping replenished them daily as needed.
The sink was a pretty standard hotel sink. You got a little bar of soap, some Scope mouthwash, and lotion.
It’s not luxurious, but, as a conference hotel, it gets the job done.
Hyatt Regency Boston Gym
Given that this hotel is primarily intended to be a conference hotel, the gym is massive (as it would allow tons of people at the conference to go workout).
First off, let me describe how to get there. The gym is located on the 6th floor, where you’ll follow the signs.
You’ll keep going…
and going…
and going…
and going…
It truly is a long way from the elevator, up and down several flights of stairs before you finally get there.
I really appreciate that the signage is good, and that they incorporated a lot of the Boston Marathon themes as you make your way to the gym.
In terms of the actual gym itself, the amount of equipment was quite extensive. There was a ton of cardio equipment, including two Peloton bikes.
I will note that the Peloton bike that I rode was improperly calibrated. I do not know if I will ever beat the output that I got on my ride on this trip.
There was also a decent amount of strength machines and dumbbells.
Finally, there was a workout rack thing (I don’t know how to explain it). I unfortunately could not get a picture of it, as it was always being used when I was working out or went to take additional pictures. There are no barbells.
In terms of water and towels, at the time I visited, there was a water jug machine with disposable cups and towels.
Behind the strength machines in the photo above, you can see frosted glass. This is where the indoor pool is located. Unfortunately, it’s been empty for a few years (I think they drained it in 2020).
I would love to see them refill it. I know they are expensive to maintain, but, in a new era of how conferences work (there are less of them), I do wonder if having a pool would help fill a few rooms on the edges, particularly with families in the summer who would love to have a pool available after a day of exploring Boston. I don’t know of any other hotel in downtown Boston that has an indoor (or even an outdoor) pool. Seems like a real differentiator.
Dining at the Hyatt Regency Boston
All dining outlets are by the lobby. They are generally repurposed (or given additional names) based upon what they are being used for. You can find the link to more information on the dining outlets here.
The main restaurant is Avenue One Restaurant and Lounge. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Additionally, right next to it (really a part of the restaurant) is the bar. This bar serves coffee and pastries in the morning (Avenue One Express) and turns into a proper bar in the evening (Lobby Bar).
I ate dinner and breakfast here. I’ll review both meals.
I ate dinner here on the first night on my two night stay, as I had a huge presentation the second day that I needed to prep for, and I didn’t want to prep at the office. Additionally, I had had an early flight and was just generally tired.
A waiter brought me water. I also ordered a sparkling water, which was provided at no charge. To eat, I had a turkey BLT and fries. It came with a pickle. The bread was toasted well. The fries were crispy. It was a basic dinner, but it got the job done. If you want a more localized experience, you’ll want to eat away from the hotel. However, this dinner worked for a business traveler like myself.
Note that if you look at the menu, this sandwich is no longer on there. While there are staples, I find that this hotel does a good job rotating items on the menu about every 3-4 months.
I ate breakfast here both mornings. There is a menu that you can order off of, but I went with the buffet both days. I did this because I am a basic breakfast eater, and I wanted to try the fresh omelettes and pancakes.
On the actual hot section itself, there was a hot portion, consisting of your staples like bacon, sausage, eggs, and pancakes. It was kind of weird that they had pancakes on the buffet, given that they were making pancakes at the omelette station.
They also had a more continental-style side of the buffet, with cold cuts, fruit, pastries, yogurt, and cereal.
The highlight of breakfast was the live omelette & fresh pancakes station. While I don’t have pictures, I got an omelette on the first day and pancakes on the second day. The omelette was fine, but that’s more on me – I always think omelettes will be better than they actually are (they just aren’t my thing!). The pancakes were great. I got both blueberries and chocolate chips in mine. A great treat for a Globalist.
When it came to breakfast, as per the terms & conditions, Globalists get coffee, juice, and either the buffet or something off the menu. I obviously went with the buffet.
Service at the Hyatt Regency Boston
It’s a conference hotel – service is going to be mechanized to get as many people through as efficiently as possible. However, given that there wasn’t a conference going on, they could provide a bit more individualized service.
I found service to be quite good for a US-based conference hotel. Reception thanked me for being a Globalist. Dinner and breakfast service was quick & efficient, but courteous. Housekeeping turned over my room, and I didn’t notice anything out of place. It was perfect for a conference hotel.
Conclusion
I quite enjoyed my two night stay at the Hyatt Regency Boston. Having stayed at a few different hotels in the city, this has become my go-to for business trips or a quick overnight if I need to be in town for something (such as before a flight I could not miss or to see a show in the theater district).
I think it could work for families, but if they opened up the pool, it would be even better.
What do you make of the Hyatt Regency Boston?
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Feature image courtesy of Hyatt Regency Boston