I used to go to Boston about once a month for business, although the past 3 years only have visited about once a year. I’ve stayed at various hotels of the same class/type as the Westin Copley. Based on the positive reviews of this hotel, I decided to try this hotel for a night (a Saturday night). Paid $230 for a regular room. Either my experience was an anomaly, or, most of the people who wrote strong positive reviews of this place have never stayed in a real hotel with great service (Nemocolin Woodlands, south of Pittsburgh, the Royal York in Toronto, Mohonk Mountain House in the Catskills, NY, or Wilderness Lodge at Disney come to mind). My trip this time was for pleasure; my son and I were going to the Star Wars exhibit at the MOS, and the location of the hotel was great for this (easy to get on the ‘T’).
First complaint, the valet gave my Porsche a scruff/curb rash. I know you might think that I’m a fool letting a valet park a Porsche. When we pulled up, there was a $90k Mercedes coupe in front of me, and other nice cars also waiting to be valet parked, so I didn’t feel too uncomfortable letting the valet park my car. In any case, whether it’s a $90k Mercedes, a $60k Porsche, a $50k lexus, or the more common $20k minivan or $15k ford Taurus rental – I believe the guest has some right to expect that their vehicle will be handled with care. If they can’t (or don’t want to) handle a particular vehicle, then explain to the driver/owner that they should drive their car to a designated spot, under direction/guidance with the valet – as is done in some other places I’ve been to. Heck, I tipped the valet $40 when I dropped of my car hoping he’d take care of it. I did point it out the scruff to the valet that brought my car to me the next day when we were leaving.
I always prefer to park my own car. At Nemocolin last year, there was a bevy of Ferrari's there during our visit, and so I felt comfortable enough to let that valet park my (lowly) Porsche. The valet stalled my car several times, had trouble finding the handbrake, etc. So, I park my own car when I can. The Westin does NOT offer a self-park option. Just keep in mind that there is NO self-park option at the Westin, if you are brining a nice car. I believe the Fairmont is the same - no self-park, and I don't think their parking is even on the premises.
The location of the Westin is excellent – right off I-90, on the edge of Copley Square. The overhang for the drop-off/on is handy for inclement weather. The ‘T’ (subway transit) is a short 100 meter walk from the hotel. The hotel is linked by tunnel to the prudential center and shops. Check-in was uneventful. We got a room with a very nice, wide (180-degrees?) view. Room was smallish, but clean, nicely appointed. The bed (we had a king-size bed) was wonderful – I wish I had one like it at home. Water ($4.50 for a small bottle) and drinks ($7-8 per small bottle) in the room fridge was a bit high, even for this location, in my opinion. I see that some reviews have noted that their room temp was hard to control; we did not have this issue.
On the day we checked out, we were surprised to discover that our room keys no longer let us in the lobby bathrooms. On our last day, we took a cab to the MOS but left my car parked at the hotel. When we returned to the hotel (about 4 pm), we tried to use the lobby bathrooms – but our keys no longer worked. I’ve never seen a hotel that made you use a key to use the lobby bathroom. I know we checked out that morning, but my car was still parked there, and it would have been a nice courtesy to let me use the dang lobby bathroom!
We also tried the lobby bar. It was about 30% full, and upon entering we asked the host if we could just sit and have a few drinks. He said sure and sit anywhere we’d like. The waitresses never came over. I finally got up and walked to the bar to get a drink. Perhaps this bar deliberately makes you wait (a few bars really do), but I couldn’t tell if it was deliberate or just bad service. Nearly every lobby bar I’ve been to, the waitresses are on you the second/minute you sit down. It was a Sunday, end of ‘vacation week’ in Massachussets, maybe the staff was a bit burned out from a busy week.
The breakfast buffet was ordinary and not something to write home about, the home fries was the best part. It was overpriced for what they served. $19.50 for an adult, and $9 for kids. It didn’t even feature any smoked salmon or other fish, ham slices, quiches, nor an omellete station. Service was prompt but not particularly friendly. The breakfast buffets in New York City in a comparable hotel, also typically between $15-20 for an adult, would have featured all the missing items I listed.
This property is primarily a business/adult hotel (i.e. impersonal) and there is nothing appealing about the place for people with famililies. I kinda felt that they’d rather not see any kids at all (the Bellagio in Vegas is the same, but they tell you that upfront). By contrast, places such as the Royal York in Toronto (good enough for Queen Elizabeth), Mohonk Mountain Resort, or other fancy places typically make everyone (including families with young kids) feel welcome.
Unless I have a conference at the Westin Copley, I won’t stay there again. There are too many other choices in this area. If you really need a Westin in the Boston area, try the Westin Waltham, which I've found excellent over several stays. It's not downtown ofcourse, but it's an easy drive.
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