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I had a conference to attend this week at the Encore Boston Harbor. The hotel looks identical to the Las Vegas property of the same name from the outside and features many of the same gilded and luxe finishes on the inside. It’s in Everett, MA (right across the river from Boston) in a less-than-desirable neighborhood filled with produce warehouses, cannabis dispensaries, and strip clubs. The area along the water is nice and the manicured gardens add an elegant touch (there is a Starbucks in a Target that is close to the hotel, but takes around 20 minutes to walk due to the circuitous route the Encore offers to get there).
Anthony’s Take: It’s weird to see a hotel that looks like it was plucked right off of the Las Vegas Strip in the outskirts of Boston. The hotel has gorgeous, tech-forward rooms and suites, a casino, multiple dining options, a spa and fitness center, but no pool. Luck was not on my side in the casino, but I enjoyed my stay and found my suite to be comfortable, spacious, and well appointed.
Booking
This rate was booked through my company and part of a room block for the conference. Had I booked it without the negotiated rate, the Signature Harbor View Suite that I stayed in would have cost around $1,219 per night plus tax. Luckily, my company paid far less than that. There is no resort fee at this property unlike what you find at many city hotels and especially in Las Vegas.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
I took an Uber Comfort from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to the hotel. It cost $34 and took around 29 minutes to drive the approximately 4.8 miles with limited traffic. When I left the hotel, I went back to the airport. I took a taxi for $35 and it took less than 20 minutes.
Location
As mentioned above, the Encore Boston Harbor is located just outside of Boston. There isn’t anything easily accessible from the hotel and if you want to venture into Boston you’ll need to take a taxi or a rideshare service.
Check-in
I arrived at the hotel around 1:00 PM and found a pretty short line. My suite was not ready, so I had the bell desk hold my bag while I went to the conference.
Almost every surface in this hotel glistens. There is tons of marble, brass, crystal, and gold everywhere you look.
This display flanked the elevator bank for the guest rooms.
There are lots of flowers in the lobby, like the Wynn and Encore in Las Vegas. The main part of the display with the carousel was being renovated.
The carpets and walls in the hallways around the guest rooms were pristine. The entire guest room area smelled new and fresh.
The elevator lobby on the floor I was staying was also in great shape.
I liked the cute, vintage-looking phone.
Signature Harbor View Suite (2310)
There are 671 rooms and suites at the Encore Boston Harbor. My company booked me into this suite, which is the largest standard suite at the hotel. It felt huge at 1,350 square feet.
The floor plan above shows just how large this suite is and all that it includes.
A console table and mirror are immediately inside the front door.
To the left was a hallway that included a half bathroom as well as a door for a connecting room.
The half bath contained a sink and toilet.
Back in the main area of the suite, you’ll find a minibar on the right side. A Nespresso machine is on the counter, along with glassware and an ice bucket.
There was a refrigerator loaded with alcoholic and soft drinks for sale.
A drawer houses coffee pods, cups, and condiments.
Snacks were available for sale on the counter.
Across from the minibar was a dining area with spacious booth seating and two chairs.
Next to the dining area was a living room with a couch and armchair. The iPad next to the couch controlled everything in the suite from the shades to the lights, thermostat, and TV.
There were two complimentary bottles of water and linen spray on the table next to the couch.
A desk with a 65-inch TV mounted on the wall was across from the couch.
The door to the bedroom was next to the desk.
The bedroom has a king-sized bed with two nightstands, a dresser, TV, and armchair.
Another iPad controlled everything in the suite. I used it to turn on and off the lights, control the TV, and open the curtains.
The armchair looked out over the harbor and into Boston.
Another big TV was on the wall across from the bed.
Throughout the suite there were controls for the lights, curtains, and to request privacy or service.
The massive bathroom was through a closet on the right side.
The left side of the closet contained a dresser and mirror.
The right side of the closet had space for a suitcase, hangers, an umbrella, blankets, pillows, and slippers.
The safe was also housed here.
The bathroom had a huge double sink vanity and more amenities, toiletries, and stuff than I think I have ever seen in any other hotel. There were literally three drawers filled with complimentary items.
These included a toothbrush, body lotion, cotton swabs, necessities, and mouthwash in the first drawer.
The second drawer held lip balm, hairspray, shaving cream, a comb, a razor, and a brush.
In the bottom drawer, I found shoe polish, a buff cloth, stain remover, makeup remover, a sewing kit, a shower cap, and shirt collar inserts.
A jacuzzi bathtub was on the right side.
There were even more goodies on the side of the tub. They included a bath brush, Tub Tea, a loofah, and a bath pillow.
The shower was on the left side. It had good water pressure, but did not get very hot. I liked that it had a bench.
Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were in the shower. Soap bars were on the vanity and next to the tub.
The toilet was to the left of the shower in its own little room.
Public Areas & Amenities
The Encore Boston Harbor has a large casino, spa, fitness center, convention center, several restaurants, and several retail outlets including a convenience store that is open 24 hours. As I was here on business, I did not have time to use the spa or fitness center. I played a bit in the casino, but had no luck. The property has well-manicured gardens surrounding most of it along the waterfront. Surprisingly, there is no pool.
The fitness center looks like it has lots of equipment including Peloton bikes.
The spa offers a host of treatments and amenities.
The Drugstore is open 24 hours a day. It sells snacks and sundries.
The convention center holds multiple ball rooms.
More photos of the gardens.
There are several full-service restaurants, as well as a Shake Shack and Dunkin’ in the casino.
Overall Impression:
The service, facilities, amenities, quality, and overall experience are excellent at the Encore Boston Harbor. I’ll definitely be back again.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
