Pros

  • Across the street from the Hynes Convention Center
  • Big standard rooms with comfortable Hilton Serenity beds, 32-inch flat-screens, and Cuisinart coffeemakers
  • Sunlit fitness center with floor-to-ceiling windows, plus a pool, Jacuzzi, and outdoor deck
  • Free business lounge with five computers
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Cons

  • Pricey fee for self-parking
  • Fee for Wi-Fi
  • Room service is not 24 hours
  • Other than business lounge, little seating in lobby
See More Cons

Bottom Line

Across the street from the Hynes Convention Center in Back Bay, this 390-room Hilton features big rooms with comfortable Hilton Serenity beds, a spacious and free business lounge, and a sunlit fitness center with a lap pool and outdoor deck. Sure, it's not as classy as the nearby Westin Copley Place or Sheraton Boston -- but the rates are usually lower.

See More Bottom Line

Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Fitness Center
  • Internet
  • Jacuzzi
  • Pets Allowed
  • Pool

Oyster Hotel Review

Hilton Boston Back Bay

Scene

This 390-room Hilton in Back Bay offers spacious rooms with comfortable Hilton Serenity beds, plus a free pool, fitness center, and business center. But it doesn't quite measure up to the next-door Sheraton and nearby Westin.

Part of a cluster of midrange chain hotels surrounding the huge Hynes Convention Center complex, the 390-room Hilton Boston Back Bay offers lodging to big groups of business travelers. The hotel faces some stiff competition for convention traffic from the nearby Westin and Sheraton, which have more colorful rooms, bigger and better fitness centers, and direct access to the Hynes complex. But it's worth noting that rates are usually lower at this perfectly nice Hilton, which offers spacious and comfortable (if not supremely stylish) rooms and ample amenities.

Guests will find a pleasant but smallish lobby, with warm wooden columns surrounding a double-sided, burnt orange couch. Similar to the across-the-street Sheraton, a business lounge off to the side offers a Starbucks and several computers guests can use for free.

Following the renovation, the sizable standard rooms (starting at 300 square feet) now all come with Hilton Serenity Beds -- very comfortable Serta Sleepers topped with 250-thread-count sheets, down duvets and down pillows. A new 32-inch flat-panel LCD TV offers almost 50 channels, including HBO Family. That said, even after the renovation, the decor feels a little staid. By contrast, for example, the rooms at the Sheraton next door are more colorful and contemporary -- and even the standard rooms there offer panoramic views of Boston. (At the Hilton, you have to pay for an upgrade to get that.)

After a separate $1.7 million renovation in 2008, the fitness-center and pool complex here features brand new Life Fitness cardio equipment, a Jacuzzi, Philips flat-screens, and new locker rooms with showers. Again, it's not as splashy as the one at the Sheraton complex -- where the huge lap pool comes with its own retractable glass ceiling -- but it is spacious and sunny, with floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding two sides of the room.

Service is pretty much what you'd expect from a midrange chain serving hundreds of rooms. A free copy of USA Today is delivered to your door, but room service ends at midnight. The per-night fee for self-serve parking (no valet here) is also bit pricey. Dining choices here are a little limited, just a Starbucks and a single restaurant, 40 Dalton, serving traditional American cuisine. But with so many restaurants in and around the Hynes complex, you won't lack for options.

See More Scene

Location

In Boston's Back Bay, across from the Hynes Convention Center

The Hilton is located in Back Bay, across the street from the Hynes Convention Center complex -- not attached to it, like some of its competitors. That means you must (briefly) walk outside to enter Hynes, which conventioneers may not enjoy in the middle of a Boston winter.

As an upscale commercial and residential area in the center of Boston, Back Bay offers a little bit of everything, from luxury shopping on Newbury Street to baseball at nearby Fenway Park. Office workers toil away in the area's high-rise buildings, some of Boston's tallest, while business travelers convene for conferences at the Hynes Convention Center. Major attractions like the Public Garden and Boston Common and the start of the Freedom Trail are within a few blocks. Many other tourist hot spots, like the North End and Faneuil Hall, are 20 to 30 minutes away via public transportation. The area is filled with midrange and upscale restaurants, many of them chains. The South End, a more lively, bohemian-flavored area with trendy bars and eateries, is a quick 10-minute walk.

  • The Hynes Convention Center stop on the T (Boston's subway) is two blocks away
  • A five-minute walk to Berklee College of Music
  • About a six-minute drive, or 20- to 30-minute walk, to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox
  • About a five-minute drive, or 20-minute walk, to Boston Common, the country's oldest park and the start of the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, which passes through 16 of the city's historic landmarks
  • An eight-minute drive (two miles) to Faneuil Hall, a historic marketplace and modern day mall
  • About a 15-minute drive (three miles) to Harvard Square in Cambridge
  • Less than a 15-minute drive to Boston's Logan International Airport
See More Location

Weddings

Although not as classy as its neighbors, this Hilton is a comfortable, accommodating, and very affordable wedding option.

  • Wedding Size: Up to 250 guests
  • Ceremony Location: The Belvidere Ballroom
  • Extra Fees: Ceremony fee
  • Wedding Package: The dream wedding package includes a one-hour open bar (for a minimum of 60 guests), four passed hors d'oeuvres, a champagne toast, a four-course dinner with wine, a wedding cake, decorations, and a two-night stay for the bride and groom. Even better, the fee per person includes gratuity; most other venues charge at least 15 to 20 percent extra.
  • Food: With the standard wedding package, you get to chose two of the following three entrees: pan seared salmon, petite filet mignon with deep sea shrimp, or roasted chicken. No bad. You can also arrange for a kids' menu, or kosher, vegetarian, or gluten-free options.
  • Drinks: There has to be a catch, right? Well, that might be in the bar. While the one hour of open bar is included in the package price, the rest of the cocktails are bought per drink -- and trust us, even the bottles of water and soda are a hefty purchase. If you choose a cash bar, prices increase even more.
See More Weddings

Things You Should Know About Hilton Boston Back Bay

Also Known As

  • Hilton Hotel Boston
  • Hilton Boston
  • Boston Hilton
  • Hilton Boston Back Bay Hotel

Room Types

  • Standard Corner Room
  • Standard Room
  • Suite
  • Superior Corner Room
  • Superior Panoramic Room
  • Superior Room

Address

40 Dalton Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115-3155, United States

Phone

(617) 236-1100

Website

Oyster Hotel Review

Hilton Boston Back Bay

Scene

This 390-room Hilton in Back Bay offers spacious rooms with comfortable Hilton Serenity beds, plus a free pool, fitness center, and business center. But it doesn't quite measure up to the next-door Sheraton and nearby Westin.

Part of a cluster of midrange chain hotels surrounding the huge Hynes Convention Center complex, the 390-room Hilton Boston Back Bay offers lodging to big groups of business travelers. The hotel faces some stiff competition for convention traffic from the nearby Westin and Sheraton, which have more colorful rooms, bigger and better fitness centers, and direct access to the Hynes complex. But it's worth noting that rates are usually lower at this perfectly nice Hilton, which offers spacious and comfortable (if not supremely stylish) rooms and ample amenities.

Guests will find a pleasant but smallish lobby, with warm wooden columns surrounding a double-sided, burnt orange couch. Similar to the across-the-street Sheraton, a business lounge off to the side offers a Starbucks and several computers guests can use for free.

Following the renovation, the sizable standard rooms (starting at 300 square feet) now all come with Hilton Serenity Beds -- very comfortable Serta Sleepers topped with 250-thread-count sheets, down duvets and down pillows. A new 32-inch flat-panel LCD TV offers almost 50 channels, including HBO Family. That said, even after the renovation, the decor feels a little staid. By contrast, for example, the rooms at the Sheraton next door are more colorful and contemporary -- and even the standard rooms there offer panoramic views of Boston. (At the Hilton, you have to pay for an upgrade to get that.)

After a separate $1.7 million renovation in 2008, the fitness-center and pool complex here features brand new Life Fitness cardio equipment, a Jacuzzi, Philips flat-screens, and new locker rooms with showers. Again, it's not as splashy as the one at the Sheraton complex -- where the huge lap pool comes with its own retractable glass ceiling -- but it is spacious and sunny, with floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding two sides of the room.

Service is pretty much what you'd expect from a midrange chain serving hundreds of rooms. A free copy of USA Today is delivered to your door, but room service ends at midnight. The per-night fee for self-serve parking (no valet here) is also bit pricey. Dining choices here are a little limited, just a Starbucks and a single restaurant, 40 Dalton, serving traditional American cuisine. But with so many restaurants in and around the Hynes complex, you won't lack for options.

See More Scene

Location

In Boston's Back Bay, across from the Hynes Convention Center

The Hilton is located in Back Bay, across the street from the Hynes Convention Center complex -- not attached to it, like some of its competitors. That means you must (briefly) walk outside to enter Hynes, which conventioneers may not enjoy in the middle of a Boston winter.

As an upscale commercial and residential area in the center of Boston, Back Bay offers a little bit of everything, from luxury shopping on Newbury Street to baseball at nearby Fenway Park. Office workers toil away in the area's high-rise buildings, some of Boston's tallest, while business travelers convene for conferences at the Hynes Convention Center. Major attractions like the Public Garden and Boston Common and the start of the Freedom Trail are within a few blocks. Many other tourist hot spots, like the North End and Faneuil Hall, are 20 to 30 minutes away via public transportation. The area is filled with midrange and upscale restaurants, many of them chains. The South End, a more lively, bohemian-flavored area with trendy bars and eateries, is a quick 10-minute walk.

  • The Hynes Convention Center stop on the T (Boston's subway) is two blocks away
  • A five-minute walk to Berklee College of Music
  • About a six-minute drive, or 20- to 30-minute walk, to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox
  • About a five-minute drive, or 20-minute walk, to Boston Common, the country's oldest park and the start of the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, which passes through 16 of the city's historic landmarks
  • An eight-minute drive (two miles) to Faneuil Hall, a historic marketplace and modern day mall
  • About a 15-minute drive (three miles) to Harvard Square in Cambridge
  • Less than a 15-minute drive to Boston's Logan International Airport
See More Location

Weddings

Although not as classy as its neighbors, this Hilton is a comfortable, accommodating, and very affordable wedding option.

  • Wedding Size: Up to 250 guests
  • Ceremony Location: The Belvidere Ballroom
  • Extra Fees: Ceremony fee
  • Wedding Package: The dream wedding package includes a one-hour open bar (for a minimum of 60 guests), four passed hors d'oeuvres, a champagne toast, a four-course dinner with wine, a wedding cake, decorations, and a two-night stay for the bride and groom. Even better, the fee per person includes gratuity; most other venues charge at least 15 to 20 percent extra.
  • Food: With the standard wedding package, you get to chose two of the following three entrees: pan seared salmon, petite filet mignon with deep sea shrimp, or roasted chicken. No bad. You can also arrange for a kids' menu, or kosher, vegetarian, or gluten-free options.
  • Drinks: There has to be a catch, right? Well, that might be in the bar. While the one hour of open bar is included in the package price, the rest of the cocktails are bought per drink -- and trust us, even the bottles of water and soda are a hefty purchase. If you choose a cash bar, prices increase even more.
See More Weddings

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Babysitting Services

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Business Center

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Internet

  • Jacuzzi

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Pets Allowed

  • Pool

  • Room Service

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.