I booked a stay at the Intercontinental Boston for a Saturday night the first weekend in May. Upon arrival, I was pleased to hear that I could check in early, especially since I had arrived in Boston very early on a red-eye from the West Coast. The check-in process was smooth, quick, and uneventful. I quickly went up to my room which was spacious and very comfortable. The view wasn't spectacular (a construction site), but I wasn't bothered since: 1) I booked the room at a VERY good price; 2) it was the weekend, so there was no construction going on; and 3) I didn't come to Boston to stare out of my hotel window.

Overall, I found the staff to be patient and attentive. They were more than happy to accommodate any requests/questions. I did not have a chance to enjoy any of the restaurants located within the hotel, but if I can book a room at the Intercontinental Boston for the price I obtained the first time I will definitely be there again...soon!

We stayed at the InterContinental last weekend. Boston seems to be a very pricey city for hotels, and we booked this largely due to the excellent corporate rate given to my company.

For the price we paid (about 40% of the regular rack rate), this was an excellent value. However, If we had paid full rack rate, I would not have been as pleased.

We had arrived from Logan via the Silver Line bus which was easy, quick and cheap ($2 pp and took about 25 minutes). We then walked the 3 blocks to the hotel from South Station. The hotel is situated on the east side of Boston, on Atlantic Avenue - which has been reclaimed after the big dig. All the buildings in the area seem new and the area seemed very safe. The location is about a 10 minute walk from Quincy Market and another 10 minutes to the North End Area. For Boston Common, Beacon Hill and Back Bay, I would take the subway or cab.

The lobby was tastefully decorated, with a display of Anthony Quinn's Sculpture and artwork both inside and oustide the hotel. We were warmly received by a competent checkin and were quickly in our rooms.

We stayed in a 2 double bed room. The room was large and warmly decorated. Soundproofing in the room were to a high standard. We were on the 6th floor, directly across from the Fire Station but I did not hear much noise from the street or from other rooms. The views on the other side of the hotel are supposed to be spectacular but with a higher price. The bedroom and bathroom were spotless. The bathroom had a large sparkling bathtub and a separate glass enclosed shower.

The bedroom had a large Flat panel TV with the usual hotel paytv channels but a larger than usual number of regular TV channels. There was a minibar at the usual hotel prices ($7 for a Heineken, $12 for a half bottle of wine, but $5 for a mini Pringles pack!). It was also the annoying sort of minibar that immediately charges your bill if you accidentally move anything in there. Of course, a call to the front desk removed the charges. There was a digital alarm clock, 3 telephones (bathroom, desk and portable by the beds).

There was plenty of closet space though the safe was quite narrow - about 4-5" deep. There was also a firmer pillow option in the closet. Dry Cleaning and Shoe Shining services were available. A Dry Cleaned suit, with pickup at 9am and returned by 6pm was $18, 50% more to get by 2pm. I believe the room service was 24 hours since there is a 24 hour french restaurant in the hotel, though we did not use.

The surprising thing to me was the bed. It was fine, but not particularly impressive - similar to what i'd expect in a Holiday Inn. Pillows were very soft for my taste, and I used the firmer pillow in the closet. I would expect a better bed from a $400+/night hotel.

We arrived in the evening with some friends, so decided to have a few drinks in the main bar. It was quite pleasant with typical hotel bar prices (Mai Tai $12, beer $6-$7, Wine from $8-$14). The bar was busy with conventioneers but the service seemed pretty good for such a busy bar. As mentioned, there was also a 24 hour french bistro next door to the bar and also a very modern Sushi/Tequila bar with mood lighting separate from the main bar.

One night we bought a bottle of wine from outside the hotel and called room service for a corkscrew, they were polite but informed us that it is illegal in Massachusetts to purchase alcohol from outside and consume in the rooms so they could not provide. We also called for takeout one night, using the suggestion of the concierge, though the food wasn't that great, the service was pretty good, with the delivery man being escorted by a staffmember to our room door.

During our visit, we asked the concierge a few questions & directions about Boston and they were very friendly and helpful. Overall, the service in the hotel was excellent.

We had a very positive experience. However, If I had paid the usual rack rate, I would have marked this hotel Neutral/Average.

Room was large, with a modern design, spacious layout, great lighting, and flat-panel TV. The bathroom had a tub and a separate shower. There was no view, our window faced another building, we could hear delivery trucks in the morning, and loud bangs of the doors by the service people. On the first night there was no turn-down service (it was Sunday), on the second day room service did not leave enough toiletries (they said they ran out of them). The biggest disadvantage was the lack of in-room tea/coffee maker. Front-desk informed us that they are available to rent for 30$ per stay, and the reason for their absence was that the hotel was trying to position itself as a luxury brand on par with Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons.

A note about the gym - it is pretty spacious and has good equipment. There is also a small pool. Location is good with a short walking distance to South Water station, and 15 min walk to Tremont Street. A number of coffee shops, including Peet's and Starbucks are in the adjacent business district, and there is a good seafood restaurant across the bridge from the hotel.

We booked via Hotwire ($150/night) for a long weekend which was great value given what that the hotel requested when contacted directly.

The rooms are a good size, clean and have a large and well equipped bathrooms. The service is generally good and the hotel has a spa area with pool and gym. The whole design is very "corporate" and lacks any warmth but the hotel does make for a good base from which to explore.

The location is not quite city centre but Boston is small and it is only a short cab ride anywhere or the T station is a 3 minute walk from the hotel.

The only complaint would be the awful bar area. The decoration is more TGI Fridays than that of a 5 star hotel and the ambience is almost non-existant. We only had one drink here and that was enough for the whole trip.