My wife and I booked this hotel through SniqueAway.com for an overnight getaway from the kids. The room was excellent and the bed super comfy. It's in a great location for pretty much anything you're looking to do in the city, a short walk from shopping, dining, and the theater district. We've recently stayed at both the Revere and the liberty on similar overnight trips and were far more impressed with the Back Bay. The price was better, and the room far nicer.

A lovely hotel in a great location near the fancy shopping of Newbury St and the Boston Common. This hotel is part of an Irish chain (Doyle group) that is not well represented in the U.S. It features a few touches of Irish amenity that are a nice departure from the usual US luxe-lines: the furnishings, the lovely sitting room off the lobby with portrait of jaded 20s high-rollers, cream instead of half-and-half with your coffee. No one with a brogue, no Irish breakfast or afternoon tea, but you do get free, fast internet and a refrigerator that is empty for your use. Overall, I enjoyed my stay and the room. The rest of the review can be taken with the proverbial grain of salt, suitable for assessing any review which reflects a single bad moment, as described below.

My terrible sadness came with the lack of a coffee maker. Herewith my tale. Yes, I wanted a coffee maker. But the coffee makers only come with the deluxe rooms. They would see if they could get me one. There are no extra coffeemakers available. They would have to pull one from a deluxe room. They would charge me $30 a day for that since they would be depriving a member of the gentry of this privilege (one wonders if they would inform the gentry and give them the $30 discount?). I declined the opportunity. The same sense of a two-class system came when I requested body lotion -- I received 2 deliveries -- the standard tiny container from the cleaning staff, and a fancy version sent up later. I suspect, darkly, that the gentry also receives fancy shampoos and conditioner, and perhaps even soap that will not irritate their fine blue Irish skin here in this ancient Ireland of wealthy landlords and oppressed peasantry.

Note that my seething class resentment is a bit tempered by the fact that I got the room at steerage-rate on a discount site -- something that also may have affected the staff's attitude. But, still -- a coffeemaker!

Stayed here on a Virgin package on my first trip to Boston. Well placed to get around. Excellent service from all staff and extremely knowledgable. Good size room and cleaned to a high standard. Vibrant Bar serving good food and cocktails. A perfect place to watch sports. Will stay there on my next visit to Boston!

I recently stayed at the Back Bay hotel on a work trip for 3 nights and it was excellent. Great value for money as well (the rate per night was less than what some Premier Inns/Travelodges would be in the UK!). Most of all, the customer service and friendliness of staff was what made my stay - especially at breakfast and also the concierges. For down time it was in a great location near shops and restaurants. I would definitely stay at this hotel again for business or pleasure!