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Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor: Is The Hotel Even Trying?

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Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor: Is The Hotel Even Trying?


Over the weekend, I spent a night at the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor, after flying Lufthansa’s A380 first class from Munich. I won’t be writing a full review of my stay, because I wasn’t there for long. I arrived at the hotel at night, I went to sleep within an hour, and I left the hotel shortly after 3AM the next morning.

However, even based on my short stay, I can’t help but reflect on the sad state of some “full service” hotels in the United States. I wanted to touch on a couple of the things that most stood out to me.

Hotel room not ready at 7:30PM

No, this didn’t happen to me, but while checking in at 7:30PM, I overheard the guy next to me losing his patience. Why? He was informed that even though it was 7:30PM, his room wasn’t ready yet. “Sorry, we have a housekeeping shortage, but we’ll give you a discount.”

The guy responded with “and you also have a shuttle shortage, and I had to wait a long time.” He continued with “this is a Hyatt Regency, this is supposed to be nice.”

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Obviously I can’t generalize whether this is a consistent issue, though I don’t think I’ve ever personally witnessed someone be told that their room wasn’t ready at 7:30PM.

The whole “labor shortage” excuse worked for some amount of time after the start of the pandemic. But at this point it’s not a labor shortage, it’s a major wage shortage. If this is still a problem, it’s time to pay your housekeepers more.

Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor lobby

The property is very poorly maintained

The Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor is a perfectly pleasant hotel with nice views and it even seems like it was relatively recently renovated. However, I couldn’t help but notice the complete lack of care and ongoing maintenance the property seems to receive.

Just to give an example, below is what the door area in my room looked like. This wasn’t just an isolated situation, as my mom’s room had similar damage.

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Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor room
Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor room
Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor room

The elevators looked more like freight elevators than what you’d expect in what’s supposed to be a decent hotel.

Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor elevator
Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor elevator

And even the door in the restaurant leading outside looked like it just needed a bit of love.

Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor door

I didn’t use any of the hotel’s facilities, but the lack of any maintenance in the few areas I visited disappointed me. Ordinarily you’d think the general manager and department heads would be focused on ongoing maintenance, so I have to assume there’s some directive from the owners to not spend a dime that’s not essential?

High prices, low value…

Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve seen a huge increase in the cost of many hotel stays, particularly in the United States. I think what’s so frustrating for consumers is that you pay significantly more than before, and receive significantly less.

For example, the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor is really sort of an airport hotel (it has a shuttle), but the rate for my night in a base room was $370 including taxes and fees (I used a Category 1-4 free night award, for what it’s worth). Paying $370 for an airport hotel is simply wild, and then you end up at a property where some people can’t even check-in at 7:30PM, and the hotel just seems to have given up on basic maintenance.

I just don’t stay at many hotels in the United States anymore, and I find that properties internationally continue to do a much better job with this kind of stuff.

Bottom line

I can’t say my quick stay at the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor was great. In many ways the hotel impresses — the views are awesome, the staff are friendly, and the restaurant looked decent. But it was disappointing to see the areas in which corners seem to be cut when it comes to housekeeping and maintenance.

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Is this just the reality of many “full service” hotels in the United States nowadays, or did I get unlucky?



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Boston, MA

Boston City Hall, once named 4th ugliest building in the world, is now a historical landmark

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Boston City Hall, once named 4th ugliest building in the world, is now a historical landmark


BOSTON – Boston City Hall, known for its brutalist architecture, is now an official historical landmark despite once being named the fourth-ugliest building in the world.

Boston City Hall made historic landmark

Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Landmarks Commission announced the decision in a press release on Friday. They said the structure has civic and cultural significance. 

“This milestone serves as an affirmation of our commitment to preserving this space as a vital symbol of our democracy and a center for civic engagement. Our administration is proud to help the building evolve into a space that is accessible to the community while maintaining its historic character,” Wu said in a statement.

“Boston City Hall is more than a building—it’s a catalyst for civic engagement and a home for those who serve our great city,” City Councilor Sharon Durkan said in a statement. 

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The building completed a conservation management plan in 2021, which allowed it to address needed updates while preserving its historic architecture.

“City Hall was constructed with architectural barriers that would not be present if it were built today, so accessibility upgrades will remain a key priority moving forward,” said Disability Commissioner Kristen McCosh.  

“Only through growth and thoughtful adaptation can the ‘People’s Building’ be fully accessible and inclusive for all, now and into the future,” Eamon Shelton, Commissioner of Property Management.

Boston City Hall, designed by Kallmann, McKinnell, and Knowles, was completed in 1968 and is renowned as an example of Brutalist architecture. It is a striking contrast to other Boston neighborhoods, such as Beacon Hill and Back Bay, which are home to Boston’s iconic brownstones and brick buildings.   

Boston City Hall controversies

Boston City Hall has not been without public scrutiny in recent years. In 2023, it was voted the fourth ugliest building in the world by Buildworld.co, It was also voted the second ugliest building in the United States, falling second to the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C.  

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Criticism of the building makes rounds on social media sites like X and Reddit every year with people criticizing the style and imposing nature of the building. 

City Hall Plaza was recently renovated in 2022 to include more greenery and become an inviting area for celebrations. In 2023, a video taken at the playground at City Hall Plaza went viral after a cop was seen going down a children’s slide at a high speed.

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Chik-Fil-A opening new Boston location. Here's a look at every one in New England

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Chik-Fil-A opening new Boston location. Here's a look at every one in New England


Chik-Fil-A is planning to open a new location at Boston Logan International Airport’s Terminal A later this year.

The Boston Globe said the opening date hasn’t been announced yet, but the Massachusetts Port Authority confirmed it will be sometime this summer.

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The news was first announced by Only In Boston in a social media post Tuesday.

Chik-Fil-A opened its first Boston location in 2022 in Copley Square. It now has nearly 20 locations in Massachusetts, 16 in Connecticut, four in New Hampshire, two in Rhode Island, two in Maine, and none in Vermont.





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Boston, MA

Bruins Notes: Boston Gets Redemption In Tight Battle With Senators

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Bruins Notes: Boston Gets Redemption In Tight Battle With Senators


The Boston Bruins needed to respond after being blown out by the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.

The Black and Gold did just that by showing what type of team they can be, thanks to a Morgan Geeekie goal, the airtight goaltending of Joonas Korpisalo, and outstanding penalty killing, shutting out Ottawa at TD Garden.

“I thought it was a really solid game from our group defensively,” Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco told reporters after the game, per team-provided video. “… Korpi made some big saves for us, some timely saves for us, which you need. Good for him, he played an outstanding game.

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“I thought overall our compete was excellent, and that was the thing we were really focusing on. We knew this was going to be a competitive, hard-fought game, and I really thought our guys did a good job by responding tonight.”

The Bruins held a lead over the Senators in Saturday’s disappointing shootout loss in Ottawa. Josh Norris tied the game with just 12 seconds remaining in regulation. This time, Boston didn’t collapse with an extra attacker on the ice.

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“It’s gratifying,” Sacco said. “Our guys really dug in there at the end. We had better execution as far as what we wanted to do tonight and their opportunities.”

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David Pastrnak had a great dish coming out from behind the Ottawa net to feed Geekie, who was driving toward the crease and beat Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg with the tip.

“What happened is exactly what I was trying to do,” Pastrnak told reporters about the feed to Geekie, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I knew he was going to move to the far post low and those are high chances to in the skates. If you have chemistry with the player, he’s probably going from that high slot to the backdoor there, the chances of going in are high.”

Pastrnak scored an empty-net goal to secure the win, extending his scoring streak to six games with six goals and seven assists. He not only helped the team offensively but also recognized how well the Bruins played across all three periods.

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“I think we were focused,” he said. “We were dialed in for the whole game and focused on the details, and you could see it in the game. We were focused on the details, taking care of our house. Korpi was outstanding for us, made important saves and we limited their chances. That’s what we haven’t done in the last couple of games. … The focus and determination were there today.”

In a season that finds the Bruins teetering in and out of a playoff spot, points are at a premium when Boston plays division rivals. The win over the Senators not only resulted in a four-point swing, but the Bruins also catapulted to third in the Atlantic Division behind the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panther — for now.

Here are more notes from Thursday’s Bruins-Senators game:

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— Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves for his ninth win and third shutout of the season against his former club.

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“You just got to play the game and take care of the fundamentals,” Korpisalo said, per team-provided video. “You have to see the puck and just enjoy the moment. Those are the times that you enjoy, and you’re supposed to thrive.”

— After allowing three power-play goals to the Devils on Wednesday, the Bruins were a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill against the Senators.

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— The Bruins improved to 5-0-1 in the second game of back-to-backs this season, 15-7-3 at home and 9-2-1 when Geekie scores a goal.

— The Bruins get back to work on Saturday afternoon when they host the Colorado Avalanche. Puck drop from TD Garden is scheduled at 1 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action on NESN, following an hour of pregame coverage.

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