Goodbye Wyndham, hello Hilton. This hotel is now the Hilton Boston Financial District. There seems to be a lot of reflagging of hotels in major cities. I stayed at this hotel two weeks ago on a Saturday night, and on balance thought it was very good. It is worthy of the AAA Four Diamond rating that it has enjoyed since it opened in 1999.

LOCATION

This really is in the heart of a small forest of office buildings. We had excellent views, in two directions, into adjacent office towers. While this is not a prime venue for tourists coming to the city, it could serve that purpose too.It is about a ten minute walk over to the Quincy Market; and the waterfront, North End and other city attractions are not very far away. A few caveats that I don't think color my perspective.

Arriving at a hotel around 6PM on a Saturday night and leaving at 8AM the next morning does give you a limited view of what is on offer.

My wife and I were upgraded to a suite for the price of a King Room, which probably has something to do with my status in their frequent sleeper program.

I like old hotels with some character.

With those disclaimers, the hotel building at 89 Broad Street was supposedly the first business skyscraper in the city, dating from around 1928. At 14 stories, it was the tallest building in the city for a little while. Other Boston hotels (such as the Parker House) proudly lay out and embellish their history. Hilton doesn't provide any further information. A little Googling, however leads to the Boston Society Site. the building was known as the Batterymarch Building, and designed by a prominent architect, Harold Field Kellogg. referring to a path used by colonial troops on their way to the Fort Hill garrison.
The facade of the building, and the lobby still have some of the art deco style of the 1920s. Thirty different shades of brick were employed in the exterior walls to create the illusion of greater height.

Getting to the hotel by car is quite a chore. If you are arriving by cab, the fact that a lot of turns are involved doesn't mean the driver is ripping you off. There are plenty of one way and narrow streets in this part of Boston. If you are driving yourself, valet parking is offered, and is pretty necessary, unless you want to drive some more and head to one of the big downtown garages. Hotel parking is is quite expensive (about $38/night), but you are in a very congested part of the city, and probably won't save a lot going elsewhere.

THE PROPERTY

The warm brick facade of the building is quite attractive. The street is somewhat claustrophobic, with another large building being rehabbed across the street. A doorman awaits, with luggage carts and a friendly welcome.

The lobby is attractive, but fairly small. It contains a narrow and relatively short marble corridor leading out to another business street, Batterymarch, at the back of the building. One can readily see that this was once an office building, from the mail chutes (sign saying they are no longer operable), the old elevators and the dark wood covered walls. The art deco wall sconces are attractive, and there are a few brass and glass accent pieces, but it is a fairly minimalist space. There is a small and inviting lounge area that serves as a waiting room.

Using the Hilton website to make reservations, I was somewhat apprehensive. They didn't show a single picture of a room on their virtual tour, only the lobby and meeting rooms. Even their restaurant was only described in black and white prose. But, not to worry. Wyndham purportedly sunk around 40 million dollars into this project by 1999, and Hilton inherited a well appointed 362 room hotel.

The hotel floor corridors (at least ours)are well lit, nicely carpeted, and look more like a luxury apartment or condominium than a hotel.

SUITE DREAMS

We wound up with a cavernous 45 foot by 25 foot suite at one end of the eleventh floor. It didn't seem like the hotel was very full that weekend, and most tourists were probably not willing to pay for a suite.

After all day classes on Saturday, and the prospect of the same on Sunday, we didn't spend much time lounging in the hotel before heading out to dinner.

With high ceilings, half an acre of curtains, grey and earth tone colors throughout, and relatively soft lighting our suite looked much like a tasteful big city furnished apartment. A very short corridor led into a big square sitting room, with a small wet bar, a sofa, a coffee table with a large TV on it and a desk/table area with an Aeron ergonomic chair. There was a safe, mini bar, and I believe a small closet. I have only had suite perhaps a dozen times in my 36 years of business traveling. Not to be an ingrate, this one seemed appropriate for holding a small business meeting, but was not terribly inviting.

At the far left of the room, another short corridor led past a second area with a closet and the bathroom, and finally into the bedroom.

The sleeping area was square, and the king size bed took up a majority of the room. Hilton has upgraded their beds (Serta Perfect Sleeper Equipment), and is competing quite well in the comfortable mattress and plush bed linens department. Across from the bed, a credenza containing another TV, and some drawers. Night stands on either side of the bed were largely occupied by lamps.

I should have taken some notes on the day, but the overall impression was tasteful, somewhat bland art work , and not very much light. Perfectly adequate for its major purpose, getting some rest.

A typical closet across from a marble counter with a sink and faucets in the middle. Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries add a touch of luxury. The WC and shower room had a separate door. The bathroom facilities were quite clean, vaguely upscale, but rather small. I suspect this had a lot to do with the physical limitations of the building. I am sure the walls that were built in 1928 were not meant to be moved.

While the extra space was a novelty, I would have been just as happy with a slightly larger hotel room. I'm not sure if they have any.Their website indicates 361 rooms, including 66 two room suites.

BREAKFAST

Sunday morning in the city, and an 8:30 to 4:30 PM class to look forward to. Some justification for a hearty breakfast. Their three meal a day restaurant and bar is called Caliterra Bar and Grille. It takes advantage of high ceilings, and is done in a tasteful but somewhat anonymous private club sort of atmosphere. Clearly, they are catering to a captive audience. Unlike some hotels in Boston, this is not going to be a destination restaurant.

Friendly and competent service. Our juice and coffee were better than average. French toast and bacon quite respectable and garnished with some nice fruit. Real maple syrup was a nice touch.

MISCELLANEOUS

The hotel claims to have 18 meeting rooms, with facilities for groups of 10 to 150. High speed internet access, teleconferencing facilities, 24 hour room service, fitness center and business center are advertised. Dual phones with dataports and voice mail are included in each room. There are more minor amenities which you can peruse on their website.

Room prices go up and down like the stock market. Hilton does offer discounts on rack rates for AAA, AARP and several other organizations. There is a 10% or so discount on prepaid rooms. If you want to be there when a lot of other people are in town, be prepared to pay more.

IN SUM

Boston is an old city with plenty of character. It has plenty of hotels that have a story to tell. This is not one of them. Despite the fact that this is a venerable nearly 80 year old building, much of its character has seaped away. This is a quality first class business hotel and nothing more.

Recommended: Yes