For an off-the-beaten path of Boston, but close enough to enjoy the city and surrounding sites, the Peabody Boston Marriott is in a perfect location. Not far from the House of Seven Gables, or the witches of Salem, or the beautiful seaside of northeastern Massachusetts, the hotel offers a nice spot to rest between touring.

I was given a room on the first floor to accommodate problems I've been having with walking. The room itself was quite large (as was the bath), with a ground level view of the indoor pool. Had the weather been nicer, I'd have had a lovely outdoor spot to sit, but it was raining.

The best thing — by far — was the bed. I don't know the brand, but (for me) it was one of the most comfortable beds I've slept on, rivaling the beds used by Holland America in its cabins and suite: like sleeping on a cloud.

The layout is a little odd though. The bed and flat panel TV are parallel to one another. Fortunately, you can angle the TV (which is bolted to the dresser) so it's facing you while you lay in bed. It's hard to figure why the bed wasn't placed against the wall facing the dresser... that would have added some feng shui, but I admit I'm an interior decor snob.

The room had a good size desk and an upholstered swivel/rock desk chair, but you need a cable to hook up to their free internet connection. If you want wi-fi, it's extra.

There's also an upholstered "living room" chair, a small refrigerator, a one-cup coffee maker, a hair dryer (bolted to the wall) and, if you land in room 134, an air-conditioner/heater that might drive you crazy: it's attached to the exterior wall, and has nothing to do with the thermometer that's on the inner wall near the bed. There's only one speed (high), and getting the setting so it's not too hot and not too cold takes a lot of getting up and down to adjust the dials.

The on-site restaurant is convenient, and comfortably appointed. I ordered the grilled salmon and it was fishier (older) than I'd have liked.

Room service was on the slow side, but I noted there was a wedding at the hotel, so it might be the staff were simply overwhelmed.

Staff were friendly, the public spaces are kept quite nice and clear, there's a snack bar next to the check in desk with bags of chips and such, a gym, business center, and pretty much everything else you'd want from a 3-4 star hotel.

Were I to need to be in the area again, I wouldn't hesitate to stay here, but I'd probably wander out to one of the nearby restaurants for dinner.

I stayed 3 nights at this hotel in August 2012. The Marriott Peabody provided: 1) Great food 2) Great service 3) Super comfie bed 4) Fun bar area It's very close to Salem which makes for a fun night out in a quaint New England town.

Business Trip Sep 9-12, 2012
Room: nice room and great bed. I slept very well. Single Serving Coffee Maker in room with little creamer cups instead of powder creamer.
Concierge Lounge: small but nice and very good breakfast offered. I didn't go for the evening appetizers or dessert so can't say what they had.
Restaurant/Bar: large but surprisingly cozy. Food very good - while I was there it was a busy place - maybe because there isn't anything within walking distance of the hotel.
Hospitality: Everyone was very friendly - they even had a greeter there each day who asked if there was anything she could do to assist.
Drawback: Coffee set up just outside of the restaurant makes it appear that it is complimentary but there were no cups. You have to pay for the coffee at the hostess stand in order to get a cup. Seems like a small thing to offer complimentary coffee in the morning at least. A colleague came to pick me up one morning and I was surprised to find out that there was a charge for the coffee - no big deal. I bought her a cup.
The cost for the room was very very reasonable.

After a long day, the staff was very nice and checked me in right away. There were plenty of front desk staff, so nobody was waiting. The room was clean and comfortable. I actually ate at the lobby restaurant, Sophia's, twice. It was quiet and I had the same server both times and she was a sweetheart. Overall a very nice place.
One thing to beware of for travelers, if you are going into Boston in the morning, the GPS will tell you 20 minutes but prepare for closer to 75 minutes.