The Langham, Boston

I've stayed at Langham properties in Xintiandi, Hong Kong, and NYC multiple times, and each occasion had been an exceptional experience. So, I had high expectations on the service level, but I was left underwhelmed. We booked this property last minute via AMEX, securing an Executive Club room (758) for 3 nights. Because of the nature of our last minute booking, we were advised via email in advance that while there were 4 of us (2 adults and 10 and 13 yo), only myself and my wife would get free access to the lounge. The email was tacky, but no worries as we had the AMEX perks of experience credit and breakfast. Yet, upon check-in on Sunday night, we were advised again of the policy on the lounge. The front desk attendant seemed to go out of her way to detail the policy and reinforced that the lounge had just been renovated, so they would charge us if our kids stepped foot in its 'hallowed' halls. Again, we weren't children and didn't require the reminder. Other issues with the hotel: - Long waits for tables. When we arrived on Sunday night, we decided to eat dinner at Fed. When we looked inside, it was half empty, yet we were told by the hostess that we would have to wait for 20+ minutes for a table. I'm not sure who was planning to come to Fed at 830p on a Sunday night, particularly when it was 5 degrees outside. Further, when we went for breakfast at Grana at 930a on Monday, we had to wait for 30+ minutes for a table. I can tell you that the food quality at both locales was merely ok and certainly not worth the price tag. - Laundry delay. We sent 1 article of clothing for cleaning on Monday morning, yet we had to call 3x on Tuesday afternoon before it was delivered to our room. - Water temp. Shower water temp never really got very hot. - Soap and shampoo dispensers. The nozzles on both were broken and we had to keep shoving them back in. Some pros - Room is quite well laid out for 400 sq feet with a decent sofa bed, and there's ample room to move around. - Gym has ample cardio equipment and a separate weight room area. Its multi level as there's also nice Echelon mirrors downstairs, adjacent to the pool. The indoor pool is spotless and quite comfortable. - Lounge. Its nice space with a modest breakfast buffet every morning. They do provide ample snacks and drinks throughout the day. There are also several games for folks to play which was beneficial given how cold it was outside. The above issues may seem quite minor, but for a 5 star hotel, its the little things that matter. In fairness, the manager tried to rectify the situation on the last day by sending us a nice cart of fruit and cupcakes (although the cupcakes were very dry). And, she permitted our kids to access the lounge. Nonetheless, I visit Boston for work about 8x a year, and its unlikely that I will consider the Langham in the future, and it certainly soured me on other Langham properties.

Located in the old Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, we've only been to the pub on the first floor in the past. Finally had a chance to stay overnight and were treated to sumptuous rooms w/ great bedding, reasonable showers with plenty of hot water. Nespresso machines in each room is nice. But there's also a tea kettle for a proper cuppa. Our first room had been recently cleaned with a rug shampoo and we asked to change because there was a lingering odor (not yet dry) and were immediately and so very politely accommodated. We had a park view from one of the top floors and could see out the very large slanted windows .. the miserable weather outside. But inside it was warm and toasty with 2 TVs and a comfortable couch. Free shoe shine - wasn't wearing my dress shoes this trip. Umbrella in the closet came in very handle for our walk to dinner. Breakfast in Grana was a treat - a restaurant we hadn't been able to get to as it only serves until 2 pm. The staff were efficient and polite and the food was very tasty. There was a mobile coffee maker in the lobby in the morning, but we had no need for that this trip. It's a busy place with many guests moving thru and even more during school vacation week. But the staff were very much up to the crush of extra visitors.

I stayed here for a night in February and had an amazing experience. I booked through American Express(Amex) so I was given a $125 experience credit to use at the restaurants in the hotel as well as a $84 breakfast credit. I also received a nice room upgrade and a bowl of fruit that was sent to my room shortly after I checked in. The hotel is decorated beautifully. Everyone I came across was extremely nice. The location of the hotel is also great for exploring Fanuiel Hall and the Seaport District.

No Compassion for a Sick Traveler - I was scheduled to visit this hotel and came down with the flu. American Express reached out to the hotel on my behalf, asking if they would provide a credit for future stay or refund since I was physically unable to travel, and the hotel refused. I’ve never seen such poor customer service at a 5 star property - especially during a period when the hotel was not even fully committed - and will not be patronizing any Langham properties in the future.

Everything was excellent! Food, restaurant, room, service. Beautiful hotel, too, with top notch products.