citizenM Boston Back Bay — Hotel in Boston

We've stayed in Boston a number of times coming from NH including places like Ritz and other hotels. I've never seen this location before prior to this but got us curious as it was at the end of Newbury Street which we love walking around for the day for all the eatery and shopping.

Location:

Perfect location. It's facing Newbury St. and the T (train) is literally across the crosswalk. If you're not familiar with Boston, it's the best way to get around the city and cheap!

Checking in:

You take the elevator to the second floor where there are workers but no formal reception. There are sign-in Kiosk you check in but they're there to help out if need be. You simply sign in and scan the hotel key at the same spot.

One thing we noticed is that the elevator for the actual rooms are separate. It was kind of confusing at first but we see why they did it this way. The elevator is beautiful inside as well and it doesn't go up really fast or make a lot of noise so if you don't care for elevators, you might be okay at this location!

The Room:

We weren't sure about the size of the room initially from the reviews we've read but the price was good (even better if we stayed Sunday evening to Monday) and we were pleasantly surprised when we walked in. At first, we thought it was a bit small but then realize how much technology and design was put into each space. The design seemed very efficient and started to wonder why other hotels don't do this to be honest. It felt like IKEA but on steroids, design-wise.

It's not a hotel for a family as all the rooms are accommodating no more than two people at a time. So in that sense, the hotel is very quiet. I took a screenshot of the noise meter app (that's very non-scientific) but the only time we heard any street noise was from a very loud motorcycle's exhaust or the emergency vehicles but was still muffled. I've never seen 2KHz+ in such a low range. -45 dB is actually quieter than our bedroom at night and we live in a very quiet neighborhood. So sound wise, it's incredibly quiet.

Speaking of quiet, the door itself is heavy duty. It's like a fireproof door that we had to really push on it to get it to open at first. I'm sure that contribute to the layer of sound insulation as well.

From the bathroom that's roomy with a shower stall across, again, the modern design with integrated LED lights that can be changed with the small iPad tablet. The tablet controls all the lights, the TV, and while the tablet had some trouble at times to get the volume correct or would mute on its own, it was very easy to control everything from it.

The Bed:

The bed is very firm. It will be for someone who sleeps on their back but surprisingly as a side sleeper, it wasn't bad at all. There are two sets of pillows that also have one that's firm that feels like a body pillow and a regular soft pillow.

The View:

The view on our 9th floor was wonderful! You can see the water and a great view of Boston. As a bonus, the window has solid electronic curtain that can be controlled by the tablet remote! It does have a light diffusion curtain behind it but when you want it dark, the blackout curtain really shuts out any light!

Breakfast:

Great breakfast and very friendly staff. Plenty of food and drinks to choose from so it's worth paying for the $20/pp (cheap, honestly) if you're staying!

The only issue we had was trying to get a hold of someone here over the phone in the morning and at lunch and didn't get someone until later in the afternoon. It seems like it goes to a central location as they asked which hotel I was inquiring about. Not a big deal but it made us worry a little at first.

Overall, we were very impressed with this hotel that we'll likely come back...

This hotel seemed a little quirky, and I wasn't sure what to think when considering booking. However, overall I enjoyed my stay and would stay again. But, a few little things could be improved considering I paid $400/night, which is not cheap.

Check in process was fine. it's really not that much different from a typical hotel check-in which usually has only 1 or 2 staff at the desk anyway (which was also the case here). I checked in on my phone and got a 'key' which didn't work, so I had to go and get a physical key from one of the staff. Checking out was similarly super easy. The lobby area is beautiful with tons of seating and many different styles of seating. Great place to get some work done.

The rooms are small, but honestly, I've been in hotel rooms that have felt smaller. They are very well laid out and comfortable. The shower was the only part that felt little cramped, and the only snag with the tiny room is that the sink kind of gets water on the floor pretty easily. But, the design of the room was really nice, and it even had a desk which was comfortable to work on. It was dead quiet. I never heard outside or hallway noise. One thing to consider is that the bathroom area is kind of just part of the room, so if you're traveling with a partner, it would be hard for someone to sleep in if the other has to get up early. The Ipad was ok. The colored lighting was a nice touch, but kind of gimmicky. I felt having to go through the ipad for a lot of things was a little tedious, but it worked fine.

This might seem small, but my main complaint was that there was no free coffee in the morning. For $400/night, I would hope that I could at least get a cup of coffee, which is standard at most hotels. Obviously this wouldn't prevent me from staying here again, but it was a little thing that was annoying when paying a premium price. Also there was no where to get ice, except at the bar. The only other strange quirk was that in order to get in/out of the hotel, you have to take 2 separate elevators. I never waited long, but would be nice when going out to just be able to go straight to the ground floor.

So, overall, I'd definitely stay here again. I was very comfortable, it was quiet, and if felt overall luxurious. A few little things - like offering free coffee, maybe putting a mat in the room to catch water from the sink, etc. would make it almost perfect. The price felt steep to me, but it was actually the lowest I found in Boston for the weekend I stayed (unbelievably). For a price like this, I've stayed in other boutique hotels (Like Ace) that have more in-room amenities, but I still feel like Citizenm would be worth a premium price over most...

The location of this hotel is by far its best feature. It is a 10 minute walk to Fenway, next to the Green Line T stop and across from Newbury Street. There are great bars and restaurants within an easy walk, and the neighborhood is quite safe.

The hotel is new and very modern. I will say the kiosk check-in didn't work for me. When I tried to tap my credit card, it asked for a pin, which I don't have on my credit card. There was someone there to help, and after he asked me four times if I was sure I didn't have a pin for the card (and I explained to him I've had the card over 10 years and this was the first merchant asking for a pin), he checked me in on his terminal and gave me my key.

The rooms are, as advertised, small. But they may be the most well designed hotel rooms I've ever seen. Every space has a purpose, and there are drawers under the bed to store things, along with an open closet area. There is a drawer on the vanity that is a mini fridge, and the blackout shade may be the best I've ever seen in a hotel. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and the app (or provided iPad) can even control the color of the lights.

I was staying alone and it was perfect for one person. It honestly might be tight for two people (and there's only one side of the bed to get in and out). It could work, but it's very close quarters.

The lobby has tons of space with tables, couches, and comfortable chairs. It's a great work space and hangout space. On Friday afternoon, there were many working on laptops and meeting at larger tables. It's an awesome space. As it was winter, the outdoor courtyard wasn't open, but it will be a wonderful place to sit in the warmer months.

The bar has typical hotel prices for a bar, and the drinks are average at best. There are much better options in the neighborhood. Or grab something from the liquor store across the street (down a block) and bring it back to the lobby. (This is what we did one night.)

The breakfast buffet was decent for the price. Pretty standard options that were plenty hot and fresh.

Overall, it was a great experience for the price I paid (about $110 per night). In the warmer months, I'm sure the price will be higher, but I probably wouldn't pay a whole lot more than...