Hyatt Harborside and its Noise Problem
Written: Nov 27 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap thru Priceline, extremely nice view, professional service, airport location
Cons: Very noisy doors, rooms not soundproof to other rooms, expensive restaurants.
The Bottom Line: Stay at the Hilton Logan Airport instead if you want a good night's rest.
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| slippahs's Full Review: Hyatt Harborside at Boston's Logan International A... |
Got a chance to stay at the Hyatt Harboside hotel on November 25th before an early morning flight the next day. Stunning views, nice rooms and a good value, especially through Priceline for $40 made this hotel a very nice deal at first glance, but after a one night stay, very loud doors slamming and very thin walls (in between rooms) made my stay especially unpleasant.
Check-in
Staying with a Priceline booking for about $40, I checked in after noon local Boston time through 1-800-CHECKIN (available to GP members, the Hyatt FF club) and found the process to be very quick and convenient. After a few minutes, I was given an even room number which meant I was on the airport side of the hotel (odd room numbers have the breathtaking view of downtown Boston). After arriving at the hotel by using the Massport Water Shuttle (I had heard from other sources that the Hyatt shuttle can take a long time), I proceeded towards the front desk to have my credit card swiped. Found the front desk help professional but not very friendly. Didn’t really receive a smile, but for a $40 stay, I didn’t really mind.
Location
The Hyatt is located on the airport grounds near the cargo section; however, unlike the Hilton, it is not connected by climate controlled walkways to the airport. It is about a 5 minute drive to the airport.
The Hotel Lobby
The hotel lobby was very nice and plush. There was a mural on the ceiling near the check-in counter that immediately caught my attention. However, I realize now that there was no real valet staff. There was one person on duty who served as both the bell-hop and valet, I believe. There is a lounge area directly in front of the check-in counter that offered a stunning view of Boston. I had the opportunity to stop there and snap some pictures since it was too cold to go outside. After, I went to wait for one of the three glass elevators which offered a great view of the city and airport after the third floor. Very fast as well – didn’t wait more than 30 seconds for an elevator to come and pick me up.
The Room
Entering the room, I was impressed to find all the Hyatt amenities you would expect. The king bed seemed extremely plush and there was a sofa, a working table with a regular chair (no rolling chair here like the Hilton), a TV with the regular hotel Guide program and all the necessary bathroom amenities. Two things I noticed however were the slight wear of the tub (there were some rusted spots) and the many gum in the trash can. It seems Hyatt never cleaned out the cans for quite some time and didn’t bothered to get the old gum out of there either. However, I couldn’t complain for the price I paid. Since my room number was even, I got a view of the airport, which I didn’t mind since I love watching planes. There were three different shades on the window which I found interesting, but useful. Made my way over to the work desk where I found an Ethernet connection (I believe it was the standard 9.95 charge but I did not find a price list anywhere. I assumed such a price, however, since the high speed access was contracted by a company other than Hyatt), a phone and the Hyatt Harborside welcome book. Local calls were over a dollar for a connection fee, which along with the high price for Ethernet connection also prevented me from accessing my e-mail. A bottle of water for $4 was also available. I did not notice a mini-bar in the room, but noticed that there was an iron, ironing board, hangers, hair dryer, and an extra pillow. There was no in-room safe.
Restaurants
After a few hours, I made my way down to the Harborside Grill to see if I could grab a bite to eat. Little did I know, however, that the prices were going to be very exorbitant. Decided I would take my chances and took the Water Shuttle to Terminal C at Logan Airport and ate at the Landing instead for somewhat reasonable prices. The restaurant, however, did offer another great view of Boston and the harbor. The lounge area I referred to earlier, the Midships Lounge, also was available and I saw many meeting for drinks, etc. Again, the prices were pretty steep, and I avoided it as much as I could.
The Night
Here’s my biggest problem with the Hyatt Harborside Hotel. As I returned from a night in Boston to catch some sleep before my 4 a.m. wake-up time (which I set thru the front desk since there was no automatic wake-up time), I found that my door slammed incredibly and left a resonating sound. I then began to worry that such a sound might be heard from other doors as well, and I was correct. Throughout the night, people going in and out of their rooms could be heard slamming their doors. I wanted to fall asleep at 10 p.m., but found that was not possible. In addition, I could hear a foreign lady yelling into a phone in her language in the room next door. I immediately called front desk to report this problem and it was soon taken care of; however, the slamming doors continued till about midnight. I must say that I did not have this problem with the Hilton Logan Airport hotel, and with an early wake-up such as this, a poor night’s sleep was not welcomed. The wake-up call did come, but it came a few minutes late. Later I found that it was the front desk clerk (there was only one working at 4:30 a.m.) who placed those calls.
Sound-proof to outside?
The hotel is soundproof to the airplanes right outside the hotel. Despite its close proximity to the hotel, I could not hear a single plane landing or taking off.
Check-out and Hotel Shuttle
Check-out was very quick and painless. I got my portfolio printed and headed right towards the shuttle. The shuttle arrived in a few minutes and boarded it for the airport. The shuttle driver was especially helpful with my bags.
Customer Service
Like I’ve mentioned before, the employees were professional but never did anything with a smile. I did end up needing toothpaste and the people at the front were very willing to give it to me at no charge. There was also a convenience store located next to the check-in counter which is open 24 hours a day as well as the vending machines located on each floor. I did find the staff helpful when requesting the noise be kept down in the room next door, but other than that, kept my communication with the hotel staff minimal.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is, given the poor sound-proofing they’ve done in-between the rooms, I would much rather choose the Hilton rather than this Hyatt. The restaurants were expensive, the staff professional and the view spectacular. Thus, for the price I paid for this hotel, I can’t complain, but I would never book this hotel on a full price booking.
Here is information about this hotel off the website, which may be found here: http://harborside.hyatt.com/property/index.jhtml
At the edge of Boston Harbor, on the grounds of Logan International Airport, overlooking the city's famous skyline and the waterfront. Adjacent to Logan International Airport and to the downtown Water Taxi, the hotel is just 7 minutes from Rowes Wharf (downtown Boston) via Water Taxi, and minutes to the financial and entertainment districts and historic areas.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
slippahs
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Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
Here in sunny Honolulu, Hawai'i, I type for the good of all :-)
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