Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts

Don't let the grand chandelier fool you.

Don't let the park proximity, the huge lobby with a grand chandelier, or the history of this hotel fool you. The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers isn't fancy. Yes, it's just two blocks from the Boston Common and a block from the Public Garden. Yes, the lobby's candelabra chandelier is striking. And yes, the hotel was first opened in 1927 by noted hotelier E.M. Statler, and later named a "Historic Hotel of America." Despite such attributes and history, today the Park Plaza is little more than a block of convention crash pads atop a beautiful lobby and ample meeting space.

Service is minimal and often indifferent. Guest rooms are dated and uncomfortable with tiny bathrooms, stiff pillows, and well-worn furnishings. Features, like the ubiquitous 24-hour business center and gym, are fine, but average. Dining options, mostly chain restaurants, abound, but they're fairly unremarkable.

Guests we chatted with, a mix of conventioneers and flight crew members, all had kind words for the lobby and location, but not the rooms. These accommodations are some of the least expensive in the Back Bay -- an upscale business, commercial, and residential area that's home to the city's Hynes Convention Center -- and they feel it. They're far less luxe and less well maintained than those at its more expensive sister Starwood property in the area, the Westin. But even the similarly priced Colonnade Hotel, also in the area, has far more to offer, including a notable restaurant, more modern guest rooms, and a rooftop pool. Come and have a quick peak at the Park Plaza's beautiful lobby if you must, but stay elsewhere.

Lobby shoeshine stand staffed six days per week

The mediocre service at the Park Plaza leaves a lot to be desired. Early one morning, I asked the front desk what time the Au Bon Pain next door opened. He told me he thought it was already open, but wasn't sure and suggested I just walk outside two doors down to check. Given that it was quite cold out it would have been nice had he offered to double-check himself, online or via phone, especially since the cafe is on the property. I witnessed that same front desk clerk just shrug his shoulders when a customer came to check out and said his TV reception had been extremely fuzzy and the Internet hadn't worked. The Park Plaza isn't the sort of place for apologies or service that goes above and beyond. When I asked for a late checkout, I was immediately told I could have until 1 p.m., but anything after would be a $75 charge. That's the sort of thing you expect to hear at a hotel in Las Vegas, but it's an anomaly in Boston.

Getting help from the guest room proves no easier. Room phones have buttons for "housekeeping" "concierge," "guest services," etc., but some aren't labeled properly. "Guest services" just went through to a voicemail system, not to an actual person, whenever I tried it. When I called down to the concierge, I was put on hold for several minutes and eventually hung up.

• Friendly porters and doormen ably assist guests with their bags, getting cabs, etc.
• A request for extra towels took way too long -- more than a half an hour.
• No free newspaper delivery or turndown service
• Shoeshine stand manned from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sunday; shoes are $4, boots are $6; The Colonnade and Westin both offer shoeshines as well - at the Colonnade, they pick up and deliver from your room.
• At other large, midrange hotels in the area, like the Westin and the Marriott, we received a phone call in our guest room after check-in to make sure all was well; that didn't happen at the Park Plaza.

View on a Larger Map

The hotel is centrally located on the edge of the Theater District, an up-and-coming area, and the Back Bay, an upscale commercial and residential area where skyscrapers tower above centuries-old churches and expensive brownstone homes. The Back Bay is a popular area for business travelers -- the Hynes Convention Center is here -- but it also has some of the city's best shopping, from quaint Newbury Street boutiques to the massive Prudential Center mall. Major attractions, like the Public Garden, the Boston Common, and the start of the Freedom Trail, are within a few blocks; other tourist hot spots, like the North End and Faneuil Hall, are 15 to 20 minutes away via public transportation. The area is filled with midrange and upscale restaurants, many of them chains; the ground floor of the hotel's building is occupied by tenants like Au Bon Pain and Ben & Jerry's. The Stuart Street Playhouse, an art house movie theater, is a short walk from the hotel, while the nearby Theater District, just a block away, has a number of old, restored theaters that host acts ranging from comics to indie rockers. The South End, a more lively bohemian area with trendy bars and eateries, is a quick 10-minute walk away.

• The nearest stop on the T (Boston's subway system) is Arlington Station on the Green Line, a block away; Back Bay commuter rail station, where Amtrak and regional trains stop, is just five blocks away.
• Faneuil Hall, a historic tourist marketplace with more than 150 shops and cafes, is 15 minutes away via public transportation.
• Two blocks away is the 52-acre Boston Common public park and the start of the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile path that leads to 16 historic landmarks
• Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, is 1.7 miles away, about a seven-minute drive.
• Harvard Square is across the Charles River, about 25 to 30 minutes via public transportation.
• Newbury Street, lined with lovely brownstones, great shopping, and dining, is just two blocks away.
• Copley Square, the endpoint of the Boston marathon and a beautiful public square with an interesting mix of architecture, is two blocks away.
• Logan International Airport is about 15 minutes by taxi (a $25 to $30 fare).

Tiny L-shaped bahtrooms are a tight squeeze.

With tiny bathrooms, cramped layouts, worn furnishings, and uncomfortable beds, rooms are little more than convention crash pads. Guests I spoke with seemed happy with the hotel's meeting space and beautiful lobby, but not with rooms. The minuscule, L-shaped bathroom in my standard Queen Room was especially disappointing. The shower/tub combo was open on two sides with a shower rod that curved halfway around the tub; counter space was nonexistent. It felt more like it was in a teeny New York apartment than in a decent hotel. For bigger, more modern rooms in the same area and price range, try the Colonnade Hotel.

• Standard rooms are an average 300 square feet, but mine felt smaller; there was room for just one queen bed, a desk and desk chair, a small side chair (no table), and a tiny bathroom.
• Standard rooms come with either one queen bed, two doubles, or one king, priced differently (rooms with one queen are the cheapest, two doubles typically cost $20 per night more, and one king typically runs another $20 per night). A few small (275 square feet) "economy" rooms with just one double bed are also available, for about $40 per night less than a standard queen.
• Beds have a Westin Heavenly pillow-top mattress, but the stiff poly-filled, foamlike pillows and thin (especially for Boston) poly-filled duvet aren't so heavenly.
• Dated electronics: a 27-inch Zenith tube TV (flat screens in the suites) and a Sony AM/FM alarm clock
• Tiny L-shaped bathroom: bathtub with curtains on two sides, no counter space, cheap plastic toilet seat, Gilchrist & Soames toiletries, disposable plastic cups
• No Wi-Fi, only wired Internet for $10.45 per day
• Though guest rooms were upgraded with new carpets and beds in early 2009, other aspects, like the heavily scratched furnishings and cracked bathroom tiles, feel far from new.

The fitness center is large, but a bit dated.

With a dated fitness center and expensive business center, the hotel's features further disappoint. For better amenities, again, head to the Colonnade Hotel, which has a newer fitness center and a rooftop pool.

• The lower-level, 24-hour fitness center is fairly large, but the equipment -- five treadmills, three ellipticals, four bikes, and a few weight machines -- is pretty worn. Cardio machines don't have individual TVs, but there are a couple of flat-screen TVs throughout.
• The fitness center's bright spot is a new-looking yoga and meditation room with thoughtful lighting, flowering plants, and yoga mats and fitness balls in good condition.
• 24-hour business center features five PC stations and a Xerox machine; computers are pricey at $7 per hour, but there's a function for printing boarding passes for free.
• An outside company runs an airport shuttle that stops at the hotel every half hour from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; it costs $14 and reservations don't typically need to be made in advance.

The Boston Park Plaza is pet-friendly for smaller animals.

• Pets up to 50 pounds allowed with a $50 nonrefundable cleaning charge per stay
• In addition to dogs and cats, the hotel has also welcomed birds and rabbits, though those bringing exotics should get approval before arrival.
• No regular pet amenities provided
• Concierge can arrange dog walking; the Public Garden park is just one block away.

The Melting Pot offers a kids' menu.

Though the hotel is affordable and centrally located, its cramped rooms, tiny bathrooms, and inconsistent service make it a less than ideal pick for families. With bigger rooms and a rooftop pool in the summer, the similarly priced Colonnade Hotel is a far better option for families in the area.

• Adjoining rooms available, but most are between suites and standard rooms, not two standard rooms
• Free cribs and rollaway beds; rollaways can fit in standard rooms with one bed (though it would be cramped), but won't fit in rooms with two beds
• No children's menu at Pairings, the hotel restaurant, or for room service
• The Melting Pot and McCormick & Schmick's, two independent restaurants located within the hotel, have kids' menus.

Dramatic centerpiece at Pairings restaurant

The hotel website lists a whopping nine restaurants as being part of the property, but the majority of them aren't physically connected to the hotel nor do they allow guests to charge meals to their rooms. They're simply outside tenants on the ground floor of the hotel. The hotel's on-site restaurant, Pairings, serves contemporary American fare in a casually elegant atmosphere, but it hasn't garnered notable accolades like Brasserie Jo at the Colonnade. There is a trendy bar and lounge on-site, however, that allows room charges.

• Pairings is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is currently ala carte only with intriguing options like pancake tacos with pork hash and chipotle-berry compote ($10). Dinner includes an extensive selection of wines by the glass (in three- and six-ounce sizes) and the bottle.
• Whiskey Park, a trendy bar and lounge from nightlife moguls Rande and Scott Gerber, is located within the hotel and offers specialty cocktails (priced in the midteens) and small bites; room charges accepted.
• McCormick & Schmick's, the seafood chain, has a location within the hotel; there are lunch options for under $10, while dinner entrees range from $16 to $29; room charges accepted.
• The popular fondue chain, The Melting Pot, has a location within the hotel; fondues are $16 for one to two people, plus $8 for each additional person; room charges not accepted.
• Room service available 24 hours a day from a general kitchen, not Pairings restaurant
• A number of other restaurants occupy the ground floor of the building, but aren't directly connected to the hotel (you have to exit the hotel to get to them), nor do they accept room charges. They include M.J. O'Connor's Irish pub; Finale desserts; Au Bon Pain, a chain bakery; and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. There's also a Smith & Wollensky steak house just across the street.

While guest rooms underwent a partial renovation in early 2009, that's hardly apparent. Bathroom tiles are cracked and furnishings are badly scratched. Nothing is downright dirty, but it all feels pretty tired. I also found a mouse trap under my bed. Thankfully, it was empty.