Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Harbor on Tudor Wharf — Hotel in Boston

To be honest, my boyfriend and I really tried to like this hotel. It was one of the more expensive hotels but being that it was a 3 star hotel and with the prime location, we decided to go with the Residence Inn instead of the Omni Hotel. Upon arrival, there were only two receptionists. One was exclusively answering phone calls instead of addressing the line of people in front of her, and the other was helping check people in/out. My guess was, there were at least 8 other people in front of us. It was very apparent that they needed an extra person. When we were finally checked in by Dottie (she's a sweetheart), we got to our room, only to find that it wasn't thoroughly cleaned. There were random red marks on the floor, inside our toilet, and on the toilet seat (photo not shown) - TMI but it looked like bodily fluids. There was also shaven hair on the bathroom counter and all along the sides of the cabinet drawers where it dropped. We immediately called the front desk and the supervisor (Fran) came up to see us. He was very nice and sent someone to clean up for us. He even brought us new towels. After he left, I still found hair and even a red mark on a cabinet right under the sink. The unfortunate part was that I needed to grab a new roll of toilet paper and didn't want to touch the cabinet at all. Somehow, there was also the same hair in the shower. The employee also left us new towels but upon grabbing a towel that he brought after my shower (shortly after he left), there was a wad of hair in it. Some towels also had stains on them. There was also a random stain on the couch seat cushion. I already felt bad for having made a complaint about the cleanliness and the employee was literally on his hands and knees cleaning the bathroom floor, but the entire room not being clean was just ridiculous. I did NOT feel comfortable in this room AT ALL. There was also a rip on the linen on the bed and the bedside light also didn't work. I checked to see if it was plugged in, it was. It just didn't work. The fridge was also a little dirty (crumbs left behind by a prior guest). I was at a loss. I didn't take advantage of all the amenities, but I did use my laptop to do some work in the lobby and had a difficult time getting on the hotel wifi. Instead of extending our stay, we decided to stay in another hotel nearby the following night. We genuinely felt like we were staying at a Motel 6 here.

On the plus side, the breakfast was fantastic. I wish there was a third Belgium waffle machine so the line isn't 6 people long at all times. The kitchen staff was wonderful to interact with as well. Just beware that it's quite a large hotel with only two elevators so you may be waiting for a while for one. To be fair to the kitchen staff, they can't be the only ones holding up the entire hotel. People pay for the whole experience when staying in a hotel, and that does NOT mean a negative experience. We were planning on returning to Boston with a group of friends in September for a Red Sox game but I cannot in good faith recommend this hotel. We really tried to like it.

For hotel admin reference: We stayed on Friday 7/11...

UPDATE 13.MAY.2025: Checking out today after 6 nights, and the upshot is this: the front desk team, the team managing the breakfast buffet, the general maintenance staff are all really friendly and eager to help. That front desk team member I first mentioned? Well, either we were just tired after our red eye or that person was just in a bad moment. All good for the rest of our stay! VERY comfortable bed! If only there was a way to block the light from that exposed bathroom sink! Nice shower with good water pressure and settings after a day of walking everyday. The hotel location is super; very pleasant harbour walks and within very easy walking distance to downtown Boston, transit, etc. The one criticism remains the hotel's housekeeping team and quality, as noted in my original comments below. Two additional services (every second day service provided, which is actually very practical) during our stay simply validated this because really clean was not the end result. Having worked in the industry, including managing a housekeeping department, I'm aware of time constraints and the limitations placed on housekeeping teams, but excusing oversight of basic "first impression clean" isn't OK. On one of those days, there seemed to be evidence of some disorganization and/or a breakdown in communication about which rooms were to be "cleaned" that day. Overall though, YES...yes, I would certainly recommend staying here and, hoping the hotel management team will not hold this review against me, we hope to be back too. 😀

MAY.08.2025: This is a tough review to share because I try to be positive with initial impressions at hotels. Our reception by Marvin was super! Very welcoming and genuinely friendly, Marvin was accommodating with our unexpected early arrival. Interactions with other front desk staff in the couple of days since have been pleasant, though there's a member of the team who may want to smile, we think. Our room: very nice space, comfortable bed, functional kitchen...BUT, it really wasn't cleaned well. There were dirty dishes in the dishwasher, left by the previous guests; the tiled area of the floors felt gritty (which we took care of with a wet towel wipe), and my wife and I both dust wiped surface areas around the room. We chose to do this rather than create an issue via the front desk or housekeeping. The hotel was recently renovated, and it shows in that the room hasn't taken on that grungy feel that creeps in over time, especially in the shower area. A comment for the interior designer that the decision to have the "bathroom" sink outside the bathroom, and as more a part of the bedroom, is ridiculous! It creates a situation where using the bathroom during the night inevitably disturbs the other person when one isn't traveling alone (see pic attached). The breakfast buffet is good and the team working it are very friendly. Good workout room and nice small pool too. Still have a few nights here so I may...

Lisa at the front desk was AMAZING. We arrived into Logan airport for a wedding very early, around 7am. Knowing it was still 9 hours until check-in, we thought, "Why not call and ask? They'll likely say no, but at least maybe they can hold our bags while we wander the city." Normally we'd be all about exploring, but my husband wasn't feeling well. Lisa was warm and did not just shut me down. Rather, she was friendly and said that they would be happy to put our room at the beginning of cleaning when that started, and that we MIGHT be able to get in around 10:30am! In the meantime, she did offer to keep our bags, and even invited us to come over and get some breakfast and coffee. Since we had nothing to do, and were already spending more than our normal budget on this trip, we were so pleased and happy to accept. On our arrival, when another employee acted like we were rude and ridiculous to even THINK about arriving so early, Lisa recognized our last name, and was so warm, friendly, inviting, and welcoming. After a very early trip, leaving our children home with family for the first time, and my husband battling not feeling well, she was a balm to our spirits. We were able to sit and relax, drink coffee, and eventually chat with other wedding guests already checked in as they came down for breakfast. At 10:45 Lisa called me over and had our room ready!

We certainly did not expect anywhere near that early of check-in, but it was a huge gift. Even more, though, Lisa's spirit of hospitality and welcome were so appreciated, and certainly warmed my feelings toward this hotel brand. What an asset she is to her company! Our experience was great, and only part of that had to do with a much-appreciated and extremely early check-in happening.

The hotel was clean, well-appointed, and had a great location, walk-able to many areas, and overall felt safe and welcoming; a great base for our visit to Boston. The complimentary breakfast (rare in upscale, inner-city hotels) was more than adequate. While this hotel is set up for long-term stays and we didn't really get to take full advantage of the in-room kitchen, etc. during our short stay, I would certainly consider it again for a longer visit. Price is high for the level of hotel, but that reflects more on Boston and the city being really expensive than on it being overpriced.

This visit will definitely be going on my list of GREAT customer service...