I recently stayed at the Club Quarters for a one-night business trip. After hearing several co-workers comment unfavorably about Club Quarters hotels in general, I was pleasantly surprised with the Boston property. No, it's not the Ritz, but for $125/night, it's nicer than some hotels that cost twice that.

Club Quarters caters to the business traveler; in fact, you're supposed to be an employee of a member company to stay there. However, I think anyone can book Club Quarters through online travel sites, particularly on weekends.

Because it caters to the business traveler, it's a little different than a full-service hotel:
-Limited staff. They have automated check-in and check-out machines, although neither was working when I needed them. Instead, I went to the lone staff member at the tiniest registration desk I've ever seen, who checked me in quickly.
-Elevators are card-key operated... to get the elevator to run (unless you're going to the lobby) you have to insert your room key card.
-Room decor is best described as masculine, perhaps because many (but not all!) business travelers are men. The duvet cover was a brown plaid; a book about baseball was on the desk.
-Need an iron or ironing board? Extra blanket? More coffee for the in-room coffee maker? Go down the hall to the supply closet and you'll find it stocked with items like that. Help yourself.
-Limited, basic toiletries. Forget the citrus-scented soap, lotion, etc. Here you only get shampoo, soap and mouthwash -- and one glass and not too many towels (2 bath and 1 hand towel).
-No table or super-comfy armchair. There is an upholstered chair, but the one arm has a wooden desk/writing surface attached to it.
-No luggage rack or even a chest of drawers... suitcase goes on the floor and clothes in the closet!
-Free wireless internet access (but I found it to be slow) and (surprise) free printing!
-Cordless phone in the room, plus a regular phone. They also give you the direct dial number to your room when you check in... callers don't have to go through the hotel switchboard.

My room was pretty basic: queen bed, chair, desk, desk chair, above-mentioned armchair, flat screen TV and nightstand. The bathroom was off to the side and had a walk-in shower (looked like the ones at my gym, except for the handheld shower head). No fridge or microwave. Most of the rooms on my floor were set up so 2 could be combined: a short hallway led from the main hallway to 2 hotel rooms; a door separating the main hallway from the short hallway could be closed off so the two rooms could be combined. The room itself was small, but there was plenty of space to move around. The bed was comfortable, although the pillows were rather limp.

Another nice perk was free filtered water... there is a machine on each floor that dispenses the water, and they provide empty water bottles for you to fill.

My only complaint was the noise: even though I was on the 11th floor, I could hear the street noise a lot. It didn't help that my room faced the back alley, so I kept hearing trash trucks, etc. during the night. Also, the other guest room doors seemed to slam shut a lot and/or had loud locks that clicked shut.

The location is convenient to the financial/business district, and only 2 blocks from the State Street subway stop, which offers direct access to the airport. Unfortunately, that area closes up at the end of the day, and it's a little deserted... I ended up getting dinner from the adjacent Elephant and Castle restaurant/bar, not because I wanted to, but because it was the only place in the immediate area that was open at 8:30. (E&C will deliver to guests' rooms, similar to room service at a traditional hotel)

Of course, if cost is no option for your company... what the heck, go for the $300+/night hotels. But if your company's on a cost-cutting kick or you're traveling for personal reasons, Club Quarters is a solid choice.


Recommended: Yes