I had heard great things about the InterContinental Boston, so was excited to experience it upon our return. I managed to snag a AAA rate of about $220, which was quite good compared to what comparable hotels were charging ($300+).
The InterContinental is just across the harbor from the airport, so is only about a 10-15 minute cab ride.
Hotel exterior (the InterContinental is in the middle)
Hotel entrance
As we entered the hotel I was immediately struck by how massive the lobby was. Reception was immediately upon entering to the right, and I was helped after a wait of only a few minutes. The associate was friendly, thanked me for being a Royal Ambassador, and advised me I had been upgraded to an executive suite. I asked about the possibility of access to the club lounge, and she said it would be $50 for the one night stay. That seemed a bit on the high side for a US lounge, but in the interest of reviewing the lounge I decided to “upgrade.”
Lobby
Lobby
I was assigned room 750, which was at the far end of the hallway. I don’t think I made it to the elevator a single time without getting lost, since there were so many turns that it was confusing. Or maybe I’m just that dumb…
Hallway
The suite itself was beautiful, with a large living room featuring a couch and chair facing a flat screen TV, as well as a large desk with several outlets.
Living room
Living room
Desk
The welcome amenity was a plate of fruit and a bottle of Fiji water.
Welcome amenity
As a Royal Ambassador all the beverages in the minibar were free, and I was happy to see it was stocked with my two favorite drinks — Diet Coke and Fiji water. 😉
Minibar
Past the living room was the door to the bedroom, which overlooked the harbor. The bed was quite comfortable, and there was also a daybed by the window.
Bedroom
The bedroom was adjacent to the bathroom, with “panel” doors that opened to let some light into the bathroom.
Bedroom
View from bedroom
The bathroom was spacious with a separate tub and shower, and was stocked with Gilchrist & Soames toiletries.
Sink
Tub
Shower
Toiletries
Toilet
The most underwhelming aspect of the hotel for me was the club lounge. The door to the lounge is open and there’s no one to verify “credentials,” so there were several large groups in there. A single attendant staffed the lounge, and she couldn’t keep up with the pace of restocking the food and clearing plates.
Lounge entrance
The physical space itself was quite nice with comfortable seating and plenty of room to spread out.
Club lounge
Club lounge
Now, it goes without saying that the spread was better than most Sheratons, Marriotts, etc., in the US, though I find that to consistently be the case at InterContinental hotels stateside. That being said, I didn’t think the spread was as good as other InterContinentals, like the one in San Francisco, which is one of my favorites.
In the evening they had what essentially amounted to “pigs in a blanket” and cut up slices of Dominos pizza.
Evening spread
They also had fresh fruit but not veggies, which seemed odd for an evening spread.
Evening spread
Evening drink selection
The breakfast spread was fairly good, with fresh fruit, cereal, all kinds of pastries and bread, salmon, and an egg dish.
Breakfast spread
Breakfast spread
Breakfast spread
One of the highlights of the hotel had to be the gym, which was large and had very nice equipment overlooking the city.
Gym
There’s also an indoor lap pool, though I didn’t use it.
Pool
On the whole I was pleased with the InterContinental. Nothing really disappointed me, and at the same time nothing blew me away, though I guess when you do 100 hotel stays per year that’s bound to happen with most of them.
The one thing I learned is that I wouldn’t pay for club access in the future, as I don’t think it’s worth the price. But other than that I’d recommend this hotel.
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