Hotwire Hotel: 3.5* Boston (Cambridge) Hyatt Regency

[djkbooks]

"Customer Favorite" Fitness, Pool, Restaurant, Business, Hi-Speed Internet, Tennis Nearby

Booked this room on 6/26/07. Total $122.94 with taxes, charges, fees.

Lowest rate at Hyatt Regency Cambridge website was $159 ($179 with taxes). Curiously, $159 rate was available with prepayment (room only) or with breakfast included (prepayment not required).

Note that there is a fee for overnight parking ($30 self-park, $32 valet). Garage is adjacent to hotel.

Over my years of experience with Hotwire, this probably should be rated a 4*.

We were given a room (spacious with two queen beds) on the 12th floor with a river view and sliding glass doors to a huge terrace (awesome for evening cocktails and morning coffee) with nice patio furniture. Our room was not on the riverside with the view to the Boston skyline, but a beautiful view. Tons of plush pillows, snow white linens (thick, large towels, too), meticulous housekeeping (spotless bathroom). Decor was fine (if a bit drab). Superb climate control (though the weather was so pleasant during our visit we turned off the air conditioning and opened the door). Service throughout the hotel was friendly and efficient. Nice bar (Zephyr) overlooking the river. (Didn't notice breakfast prices.) Excellent gift shop within (large selection of magazines, paperbacks, sundries, also snacks, beverages, souvenirs.) Pepsi (rather than Coca Cola).

There is a bus stop near the hotel entrance, but the nearest subway station is .6 mile walking (1.5 miles to Harvard Square). The hotel does offer shuttle service to various Cambridge locations, 7:00am-6:30pm weekdays 9:00am-6:30pm on the weekends. Website recommends arranging in advance with Concierge. (We drove, and did not use the shuttle service.) If you plan to visit/dine in Boston, best to use the MBTA to get as close as you can to the hotel evenings and taxi the rest of the way. No restaurants, convenience stores, Starbucks, etc., within walking distance.

For those familiar with the property, note that the Spinnaker (revolving room at the top) restaurant/lounge is no longer open, and the restaurant on the floor below that is now use only for functions.

[thereuare]

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