Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor

I was in Boston for a work event a few weeks ago and stayed at the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor. Hotels were extremely expensive the night I needed to be there and this was the most affordable option. I had not stayed at this hotel for several years and while it’s close to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) the hotel is in serious need of some updates. I prefer the Hyatt Regency Boston (review here), but in a pinch this hotel works fine.

Anthony’s Take: The hotel is quite dated and the service was pretty meh. The hotel is extremely close to the airport (so much so that Uber kept thinking I was at the airport), but not walkable. I like that it’s on the water and had a nice morning stroll to a nearby Starbucks. I’d return if other options were sold out or too expensive, but I would not seek out this hotel.

Booking

I booked a 1 King Bed room on a “Member Rate.” It was $276 including fees and before taxes for the night. The hotel falls under Category 4 with award rates for standard rooms ranging from 12,000 to 18,000 World of Hyatt® points.

Transportation to/from the Hotel

I took an Uber Comfort from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) for around $18. It took around 3 minutes for the one-mile ride. The return trip the next day cost $34 and took more than 18 minutes due to traffic.

Location

As mentioned, the hotel is one mile from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). That said, it’s not really near much else. You can walk to some restaurants, but choices are limited without a car or Uber. The waterfront is a nice place to stroll and I enjoyed my morning walk there. The ferry terminal is also just outside the door.

Check-In

I arrived at the hotel around 1:00 PM and was checked in. I was upgraded to a 1 King Bed High Floor room. No suites or rooms with views were available. The agent checking me in proactively offered me a late checkout (which I did not need and declined) and told me that the room I got was the best available. He did not explain the $25 (including tax) Destination Fee, but this was waived for me as a Globalist. My keys were printed and I was in my room a few minutes later.

The Destination Fee includes a whole lot of nothing, in my opinion. This cash grab will get you:

• Premium Wi-Fi
• Long distance calls
• A cup of New England clam chowder per day
• Drip coffee in the morning
• Two bottles of water daily
• $10 Food credit for dinner in Harborside Grill
• 24 hour airport shuttle
• 10% off laundry and dry cleaning
• 10% off area attractions, including Old Town Trolley, Boston Tea Party Museum, and Ghouls and Gravestones (see Concierge for details)
• Decorative Magnet
• Chocolates upon departure
• Assorted Board Games
• Access to seasonal Harborside Grill patio events
• Discounted water taxi tickets (seasonal; see Concierge for details)

I liked the rotunda area near reception.

There is very limited seating in the lobby.

The restaurant and bar are straight ahead.

The elevators are to the left of reception.

The elevator lobby and hallways on my floor were worn and dirty.

1 King Bed High Floor (1119)

There are 270 rooms including 7 suites at the hotel.

The room opened with a closet on the left.

The closet held a safe, iron, ironing board, luggage rack, blanket, and extra pillow.

The bathroom was on the right side. It had a vanity with a single sink, toilet, and glassed-in shower. The toilet was pretty tightly positioned between the vanity and shower. The shower offered a decent amount of space. Water pressure and temperature were both fine.

Bottled Pharmacopia brand toiletries were on the counter. There was no bar soap.

More Pharmacopia toiletries were mounted to the shower wall.

The bedroom was straight ahead. It held a king-sized bed, two nightstands, two chairs with a table, a dresser, and a TV.

The sitting area was near the window. I used this as makeshift office space.

The TV was on top of a dresser. I was surprised that there was no real desk. I guess the bench tucked underneath could be used to sit there.

An empty refrigerator for guest use was found below.

Bottled water, a coffeemaker, coffee, cups, and condiments were next to the TV. The water was not free.

The view was also kind of meh.

Public Areas & Amenities

The hotel has a fitness center, a restaurant (pictured above), an ATM, soda machines, a computer and printer for guest use, as well as multiple conference spaces and ballrooms.

The computer and printer were in the lobby.

An ATM was nearby.

The fitness center was also on the lobby level.

It was small, but adequate.

Water and towels were provided.

A soda machine was near my room.

Overall Impression:

This hotel needs renovations. It’s location has potential, but the rooms and common areas are woefully dated. Staff seemed rather indifferent. That said, for the right price and a single night I would return if it was the best choice (out of necessity more than personal preference).