Stayed from Dec 27-Jan1, chose bec. of reviews on this site. As with another poster, first impression was Oh Dear (very 50s/60s lobby & dreary but new gray paint on corridor walls) but our room was clean, security guy very evident esp. late at night, and wonderfully helpful cheerful staff changed that impression quickly. It's actually an old motor court type building, with cars corralled in the central courtyard -- ours slept there for $14/night. Beat that elsewhere in the city!

The first floor is nonsmoking (what we wanted) & these rooms are partially over this car court, so the floor was cold when we got in--but things warmed up when we turned on the heat. Do bring slippers or flip flops. The heat is air, not baseboard, and it blows in noisily unless you turn the blower very low, and the heat up--separate controls. The trick about the noise is turning the blower low. The TV was dismal ---small screen, & several channels very staticky esp the Weather Channel the one we really wanted! However, we had not come to Boston to sit in the hotel & watch TV! So it didn't really bother us. We paid $99/night the week between Christmas & New Years, so we have no complaints. The things we really wanted were cleanliness, safety & near to the T & we got those. We have stayed at 4 & 5 star hotels that were not as clean & had less pleasant staff. The rooms are huge by city hotel standards. Lots of room for families to spread out or for you to place your purchases if you are on a shopping expedition. The price allowed us to place more of our budget in enjoyments such as the ballet.

Our room appeared to have been redone recently---new dark green patterned carpet & new looking fabric on chairs, also Craftsman style headboards. There is a coffee maker & the little packets are replenished daily. Corian sink top was generously sized for placing toiletries & not getting them soaked. Sink is separated by pocket door from shower/toilet, and shower section has shelves above toilet for towels/clothes. However, the fan & lights are together which means the rather noisy bathrooom fan went on whenever you used anything---that I did find irritating.

On New Years Eve we did hear some guests going up & down the hall, but they weren't that bad & it only lasted a few minutes----and what else do we expect on New Years Eve? We did not ever hear our neighbors in rooms to either side at all.

There was a sign saying the in house restaurant is closed for renovations. The desk clerk also mentioned that some of the rooms in the smoking section, on the second floor, are being redone. The guest who had checked in just before us came right back to say his room smelled smoky, and they sent someone there to spray it with something that looked like a can of Lysol. This was a nosmoking room---I want to know why, oh why, do smokers smoke in nonsmoking rooms. There are people who request those rooms because they have asthma and the lingering smoke will trigger an attack of their disease---they aren't being snooty about your smoke; they just don't want to wind up in the hospital during their trip! Maybe all hotels should take Marriott's step & ban all smoking period.

There is internet connection in the lobby; we saw people using it. Our trip was pleasure only & we did not bring the laptop so I can't address the connections.

There is a T stop at Symphony, half block west, and another one block east at Prudential. Towards Pru less than a block a cafe, Thornton's, with really excellent breakfasts & lunches. The Prudential center is across the street & down the block. In the Pru center, there is a St Francis Chapel on the ground floor & we were able to go to Mass on Sunday morning. There is an Au Bon Pain right across from the chapel so you can go there for a bite after church if desired.

We wanted to watch the Pats/Giants game with others & had a teen with us, so she could not be in a pub or sports bar after 8 pm. We learned there is an Uno restaurant right up Huntington Ave past & across from Symphony Hall. It has loads of TVs & being a restaurant the underage can be there well into the night. It's on the same side of street as the Midtown.

We would go back to this hotel in a minute---while it is very simple in decor, the very affordable price & the excellent location, cleanliness & lovely staff made it the right choice for us. It is right between the museums we wanted to visit & the downtown things, and also has easy access to the Mass Pike to get in & out of town when we visited relatives in the burbs.