Hilton Boston Downtown Faneuil Hall

The Hilton Boston Downtown/Faneuil Hall has all the features associated with the Hilton brand, with excellent business amenities -- except for the fee it slaps on Wi-Fi. The hotel is clean and spacious, but not fancy. It offers exactly what Hilton customers expect to find: a nice bar, room service, an upmarket restaurant, a well-equipped fitness center, and plenty of conference and meeting space. There's plenty of work space and a touch of Boston flavor, even if it doesn't overdose on the New England charm. Business travelers can always be seen working away on their laptops in the lobby, which is grand. With wood inlays, marble surfaces, and vintage-style lighting, it recaptures some of the glamour of the building's early days in the 1920s. The library-like lounge is welcoming, with warm wood paneling, desks and armchairs, and a bold, red-tufted leather couch: It's a good place to settle in and get some work done. While business guests make up a significant portion of those who stay here, the hotel also draws plenty of Hilton brand loyalists, including families and couples. 

The Hilton Boston Downtown/Faneuil Hall is located in the center of Boston's Financial District, within a five-minute walk of Aquarium T station on the Blue Line, and a 10-minute walk to South Station, where the Red Line connects to Harvard and MIT. The immediate area is busy and urban, but the waterfront is a block away. Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which is home to tons of national retailers and an excellent food court (not to mention stops on the Freedom Trail), is a five-minute walk from the hotel's lobby. The New England Aquarium is also a five-minute walk from the hotel, and Boston Common is within a 15-minute walk. It will take about 20 minutes to reach Hynes Convention Center on the T. Logan International Airport is a 10-minute drive depending on traffic, or about a half hour away on public transportation, with a link at Aquarium Station (on the Blue Line) or at South Station (the Silver Line). 

The 403 rooms at the Hilton Boston Downtown/Faneuil Hall come in a range of configurations and sizes, from standard rooms to two-room suites with separate living rooms. There aren't any surprises here from a style perspective, and rooms are fairly bland. Deep reds and silvery blue upholstery complements light oak veneer furniture, and all have high wooden headboards with built-in lighting. Small details like artsy silver lamps do kick the design up a notch, but ultimately the homey decor falls a little flat, especially given the lack of any meaningful wall art. Some rooms with extra seating -- like the One Bedroom King Suite that we visited -- even had velvet brown furniture that looked a bit dated.

In keeping with the hotel's business ethos, rooms have separate work areas with ergonomic desk chairs. Rooms are not overly large, and many are dark, with views of air shafts or the air-conditioning system; guests may want to request exterior-facing rooms, some of which have harbor views, or corner rooms, which are slightly larger. Marble bathrooms are small, but clean and adequate, with shower/tub combos and toiletries. Some have been updated with fresh tile and walk-in showers -- guests might want to request these rooms. All rooms come with 42-inch flat-screen TVs with cable channels, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, and laptop safes. Guests have complained about plumbing and temperature problems, and you might want to check these systems on arrival. Additionally, Wi-Fi is only available at a fee, and the connection is unreliable.

Like most Hiltons, there are a number of features packed into this hotel, most of which get solid marks. The Hilton Boston Downtown/Faneuil Hall has a large fitness center with a long bank of cardio machines, as well as Cybex equipment, free weights, and other exercise equipment, along with a flat-screen TV. The hotel's restaurant, Fin Point Oyster Bar & Grille, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in an attractive dining room, added in 2016 after our visit. The menu is modern American, with New England classics and a raw bar. The Hotel Bar & Lounge is a nice place to unwind after a day of work, with a cool stacked quartz-and-marble bar, and a menu that includes appetizers, creative (seasonal) cocktails, and New England craft beers. Parking is valet only, with in and out privileges, and it's expensive, even for downtown Boston. The hotel also has a gift shop that sells cold drinks and snacks, along with toiletries. There's also a business center with several computer stations and a printer, plus 10,000 feet of meeting space. Wi-Fi is not free and the connection is spotty.