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Taj Boston: Traveler Reviews

4.5 of 5
15 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 (Formerly Ritz-Carlton Boston) (Back Bay)
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Taj Boston
Ranked #44 of 76 hotels in Boston
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623 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    258
    197
    82
    61
    25
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Families
125
 
Couples
203
 
Solo
56
 
Business
144
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    4 of 5 stars
  • Service
    4 of 5 stars
  • Value
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    4 of 5 stars
Date Rating
Southampton, England
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
10 hotel reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
30 helpful votes 30 helpful votes
“Brilliant location, great facilities, but noisy”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 4, 2012

Arrived at the Taj having booked it two days before. This hotel is so easy to find having taken the T from the airport (No problems even with two suitcases and only $2.50 each). Check in was extremely efficient and we were very quickly in our perfectly adequate room. This was a room overlooking Newbury rather than the Park. The hotel is the best I have stayed at in 4 visits to Boston, right on the Park, near the Common and on the corner of Arlington and Newbury.

One downside with the room was the lack of tea and coffee making facilities which I thought would be a given in such a class of hotel. This was a particular issue when, having been woken up at 7 o clock in the morning by the builders at the end of Newbury, ventured out for a tea and coffee. I would have to say that if you picked anywhere in the centre of Boston as far away from a coffee shop as you could, you would be at the Taj. My wife complained that her tea was cold when I got back to the room, but fortunately, this was drowned out by the builders who start at 7 am every morning except Sundays.

Overall a great hotel. Staff are excellent and friendly and with a few enhancements, this could easily be one of the best hotels in Boston

Room Tip: Take the T from the airport. It is so easy to do and not a problem even with two large suitcases. It...
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  • Stayed November 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
New York
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
12 hotel reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
“Good Service, Good Bar, Great Stay”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 1, 2012

The Taj is really a great choice. There's only so much I can say. It's kind of like Anna Karenina "good hotels are all alike." Well, that's true in a limited way. Like other hotels to which "luxury" might be added as a prefix, the Taj has opulent rooms, an attentive staff, impressive flower arrangments (okay, that doesn't really matter, but I'm try to create a sense of tableau)...in short, there's nothing to disappoint here. But those kinds of things don't really make it stand out. What does is 1) it is in a perfect location (and a great view) 2)the bar is really just enchanting in that dark-wood kind of way. If you're almost ready for bed but just not quite, it's certainly an asset. In short, if you're looking for a good hotel, this fits the bill. If you're looking for something that also happens to be ideally located, this is it. It's the perfect set-up for a little oasis in a little city with big buzz.

  • Stayed November 2012, traveled on business
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Dunmow
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
“Location great”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 1, 2012

Stayed at the Taj for a long weekend mid November. Arrived at hotel around 1pm to be told room not ready until 3pm, they took our phone number and said they would call if ready any earlier, it wasn't. Room comfortable but bathroom really small. We were given a room on side of hotel, Newbury Street, we were woken every day but Sunday by workmen at 7am digging foundations on site opposite. We were woken at 4.30am one morning by Reception with our early morning call we hadn't booked !!. Good points lovely breakfast and lunch served by excellent staff in the "cafe" restaurant. The hotel is in a good spot opposite beautiful gardens. The concierge service again was excellent extremely informative, made a reservation for us at a great Steak house "Grill 55" short walking distance away. Shopping on Newbury Street great for shopaholics.

Only other bad point not to do with hotel beware taxis overcharging from airport, don't know if its the British accent and staying at a good hotel but we were charged more than double from airport to hotel as we were on return journey

Room Tip: Request room overlooking park
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  • Stayed November 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
TajBostonManagement, Manager at Taj Boston, responded to this review
December 6, 2012
Dear Amanda,

Thank you so much for leaving your review and for your lovely compliments - I do hope you had a nice visit to Boston! It is great to hear you enjoyed your meals in the Cafe and our central location.

I do apologize we were not able to provide an earlier check-in. Our check-in time each day is 3pm, and we do our very best to have our guestrooms ready for those guests who would like to check in early. I would also like to apologize for the other inconveniences you faced during your stay. I have sent your feedback to the rest of our management team who will handle accordingly.

Thank you for staying at the Taj on your recent visit to Boston!

Kind Regards,

Taj Boston Management
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
New Hampshire
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Location, location but”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed November 30, 2012

The staff was fabulous and went the extra mile for guests. Thank you. Their lobby was not up to a TAJ standard whatsoever. The hotel and rooms were clean and beds linens were fine but could have been much better. The towels and robes were like cardboard so I was very disappointed. The shower plumber was let's just say no adequate. Boston has some really fabulous hotels and I would chose another next time.

Room Tip: This is a great hotel for the location. If you want luxury and a little pampering, I would look else...
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  • Stayed November 2012, traveled with friends
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
TajBostonManagement, Manager at Taj Boston, responded to this review
December 6, 2012
Dear 3cents,

Thank you for leaving your review here on TripAdvisor. We take all feedback very seriously, and appreciate you leaving your comments regarding your guestroom. I would like to sincerely apologize for your dissatisfaction with your stay, and have passed your feedback along to the rest of our management team.

Thank you for staying at the Taj, we hope you had a lovely visit to Boston.

Kind Regards,

Taj Boston Management.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Needham, Massachusetts
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
5 hotel reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Top-Notch Venue for a Night in the City”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 24, 2012

We stayed at the Taj as part a night in the city (Boston). We surveyed a lot of options from large chains as well as the boutique hotels, and for the price we thought the Taj was actually cheaper than many of the options. Given its perfect proximity to the Commons and Public Gardens as well as the Boston Summerfest we were also attending we thought it would work well.

The Taj was definitely superior in virtually every way. We knew the rooms would be small, and it was, but they were still very well decorated and the bathroom was stylish and well supplied. We ordered breakfast to the room and it was brought very professionally by the hotel staff. And the breakfast was exceptional. Not usual hotel fare at all. French toast with candied orange strips, very well done.

The staff was very good in terms of watching our bags after we checked out .... and -- I can't emphasize enough -- the proximity in the middle of things was excellent. It didn't feel like we were on the edge of the city. We were in the middle of it!

Competitively, our reservation with the Taj was a great value. I would go there again for all it offers.

  • Stayed July 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Ask Nirmal K about Taj Boston
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Additional Information about Taj Boston

Also Known As:
Taj Boston Hotel Boston
Taj Boston Hotel
Taj Hotel Boston
Boston Taj Hotel
Address: 15 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 (Formerly Ritz-Carlton Boston)
Phone Number:
Region: United States > Massachusetts > Boston > Back Bay
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Business Center Fitness Center Pets Allowed Restaurant Room Service Shuttle Bus service Suites Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
#22 Romantic Hotels in Boston
#29 Luxury Hotels in Boston
#41 Business Hotels in Boston
#43 Family Hotels in Boston
Price Range: $$$
Hotel Class:4.5 star (4.5*)
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
Taj Boston, the Crown Jewel of Boston Hotels, occupies the city's most prestigious address at Arlington and Newbury Streets. Renowned for its classic style and award-winning service, this 1927 landmark hotel overlooks the picturesque Public Garden with swan boat rides and the Boston Common's ice-skating at Frog Pond. Surrounded by art galleries, boutiques and restaurants, the hotel is ideally located near the Theatre District, historic sites, shopping at Copley Place and the Hynes Convention Center. ... more   less 
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