Met up with some friends at the Sports Bar inside the Boston Copley Marriott Hotel last night. We used to love going to the Marriott when they featured live dance bands, but then some big wig decided they would make more money by having a sports bar which operates all day. True, they probably make more money, but they lost something which is a rare find in Boston: dance music for all ages. That being said, we decided to meet up at the Sports Bar. It was nearly desserted and deadly quiet. I opened the wine menu and saw that the only white wine they had that wasn't horribly oaky was $14.00 per glass. When the waiter brought my wine, he seemed positively embarrassed, probably by the price of the wine. My chicken wings were caked in congealed grease. We won't be going back any time soon.

Upon arriving at the hotel we were greeted by union members picketing the hotel for not using union labor to remodel the hotel, which is how we learned they are remodelling. No problem...we get angry when people try to influence businesses to make business decisions that go against basic business principles.

But we really are here to review the hotel...and the main point is that this hotel, which we have stayed at a few times over several years, is starting to need some updating. It is still a comfortable hotel, better than the nearby Westin where we also stayed recently, but in some areas such as the bathrooms, the hotel is not up to current standards of quality. The rooms themselves are better, and one notable feature is the speed of the Internet connection...it was better than most chain hotels provide.

We did not experience too much of the hotel's service on this trip, but the interactions we did have were all handled very professionally and to our satisfaction.

The staff at the hotel are very professional, courteous and attentive. it is worth staying whether I redeemed my Marriott rewards or pay full price. The facility has a gym,mini gift shop, concierge level, breath-taking Charles River view, sports bar,sushi and the mall. The shopping mall offers all price point levels from budget-minded consumers to sky is the limit.

Stayed for a weekend at the Marriott. We got a good rate on LMT so we were thrilled with the hotel. If I was paying full rate I might not have been as impressed. We were upgraded to a bay view room on the 38th floor as my husband is a Marriott rewards member and it was his Birthday weekend. It was very quiet and we did not hear any neighbors or outdoor sounds. We really enjoyed the pool and health club area. It was bright, clean and had plenty of towels. The location is great with plenty of shopping and a huge selection of restaurants near by.

We plan to stay again for our next trip.