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The Royal Sonesta Boston garners appreciation for its prime location, appealing to those looking to explore Boston and Cambridge, with the Museum of Science nearby. Guests enjoy the hotel's distinct atmosphere, enhanced by modern furnishings and scenic views, although some feel the decor could use an update.
While the cleanliness receives high marks, the value proposition often disappoints due to high costs and additional fees. The service quality appears to be a mixed bag, with experiences ranging from exceptional to unsatisfactory.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Stylish
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Well-appointed
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Stayed at this hotel for a few days both this August and last. We have children that love the city skyline so we booked the river view rooms both years, and honestly, the view can’t be beat, it’s amazing. Location is a 5 minute walk to the Museum of Science and Duck Boats. You can get to Boston Common or Quincy Market by foot or subway in about 25 minutes. My kids didn’t mind the walk at all as it’s mostly flat and shaded in most parts. Indoor pool is fun after a long day exploring. New for this year was one side of the pool is now open air to an outdoor sitting area, and we found it to be a pleasant addition for sure.
We also had wonderful experiences with the front desk staff both times. Customer service here is just excellent. During our stay this year, our plans changed last minute and we needed to add an extra night on. The room we were staying in was promised as part of a room block so we had to change rooms for our extra night. Kaley at the desk went above and beyond to make the move seamless and ensure the room/view were to our satisfaction. The interaction with all the staff just really sets the tone for a positive stay/experience. We look forward to returning!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We checked into the hotel after a long drive from Maine....the front desk was very friendly upon check-in. We were informed that on top of our hotel charges we would be charged an additional $42 for parking per night! This should be disclosed when making a reservation. The hotel did give us a 20% off in any of their onsite dining facilities and two free drink coupons which was a nice gesture.
When booking the reservation I paid an additional $30 to upgrade our room to a river view. They gave us room 1020 and you could barely see the river. I called down and asked for a different room to which they stated room 704 was available and closer to the river, but the windows in this room were the same size and provided a closer view, but still not what I would consider worth the extra money!
The room was mostly clean, with the exception of a dirty kleenex that was left in the nightstand drawer from a prior guest. The bathroom is the size of a cruise ship! When you sit on the toilet your bum actually touches the shower glass....NO JOKE! I am only 4'11"...my husband is 6''2" and had to sit sideways on the toilet and his knees touch the sink!
The ART restaurant was good and our server Rick was great I had the burger and my husband had the grilled shrimp and crabcakes.
Also, the hotel is not servicing your room with the excuse of covid still! In my opinion, this is ridiculous!
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Date of stay: September 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Request a room in the single digits if you request a river view, otherwise, you will barely see...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Yep, I'm posting photos of the views, not the inside of the hotel. Can't help it! The hotel was amazing. Staff very courteous and responded quickly to our requests. Traveling during Covid-19 meant no daily housekeeping, but any time we needed trash pick-up, extra towels, the fridge replaced (it wasn't working when we arrived) , the response was within 10 minutes. We're definitely going again.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from eduardo fernandez, General Manager at The Royal Sonesta Boston
Responded 6 Nov 2020
Thank you for your positive comments and glad you enjoyed your stay. Looking forward to your return!
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Good location but not what it once was. If the hotel only provides room cleaning every 3 to 4 days, they should advise you of that on check-in and also the procedure for requesting cleaning (24 hours notice) and how to get clean dry towels. And if they only provide shower gel, shampoo and conditioner in big refillable containers in the shower, which I think is great for reducing plastic, they should check to make sure the containers are not empty. In addition, the room clearly needed a dusting and cleaning, and maybe I’m asking too much, but I don’t appreciate finding what appear to be bloodstains on the cover of one of the beds, especially if I’m paying over $300 per night. The pool was nice, and the hotel was around the corner from the Museum of Science so the little ones were happy, but that said, there weren’t many options for breakfast.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was my first time in a Royal Sonesta and it will probably be my last. We arrived late to discover the heat in our room wasn't working (in Feb in Boston). Because it was late and we knew the hotel was sold out, we just crawled in to bed and tried to ignore it. I understand things like that can happen. Worse, though, was a frequent whooshing sound that we traced to the Electrical closet right next to our room, connected to the elevator (quite a ways down the hall). It wasn't loud enough to keep us awake but when I did wake up very early in the morning, it kept me from getting back to sleep. The hotel shouldn't knowingly give people a room with a noise problem like this, without any warning or discount. We were in 326 but I assume every x26 room would have the same problem, and maybe others as well.
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Review collected in partnership with Cancelon.com
Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from hotel_mgmt_team_365, Manager at The Royal Sonesta Boston
Responded 21 Feb 2020
We greatly value guest feedback, and we thank you for sharing yours. We want our guests to feel relaxed and comfortable throughout their time with us, and we wish that we had known of these issues during your stay so that we could have ensured your satisfaction. We would love another opportunity to win you over, and should you consider returning, we invite you to reach out to us directly so that we can ensure that you fully enjoy your next stay. Sincerely, Kamal Karibe, Director of Rooms
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The most comfortable, clean, cheerful staff, Manuj the supervisor was a outstanding, loved or four week stay with the best river view of boats, trains, bikes in a superb location. We travel monthly and found this hotel beyond words nearly renovated lobby, restaurants and theatre within walking distance. Always felt at home. Dr and Mrs S from Israel
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from eduardo fernandez, General Manager at The Royal Sonesta Boston
Responded 6 Nov 2020
Thank you for your kind words about our team and Manoj. We look forward to your next visit!
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I stayed here this weekend and honestly after the hassle I went through I literally just left and went home before midnight when I didn't get settled in until 10:30pm. I stayed here with 2 friends and we received a noise complaint which we immediately responded to by quieting down and turning off our music. Not even 1 minute passes by when we start talking again at a regular volume when the security guard Erald knocked on our door yet again to complain about noise that we were not making. He said that we'd have to leave if he got another call. Which was ridiculous because at 11pm on a Saturday I should be able to laugh and chat with friends. We spoke to a manager about feeling harassed and the possibility of switching rooms since Erald was literally stalking our door and the room making the calls to the front desk was also being weird. They said we could switch and checked us into a room that had not previously been cleaned and sanitized the way all the other rooms had. Then they charged me an extra $75 dollars for that switch when in all reality they put us at risk during a Global Pandemic with an unsanitized room and after switching we felt like we were being watched and monitored. This was such an uncomfortable feeling and stay, so we decided to leave and I should have had words with the front desk but I was so upset that I just needed to travel back home. Worst 2 hour stay at a hotel I've ever had and corporate will be hearing from me.
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Date of stay: January 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from eduardo fernandez, General Manager at The Royal Sonesta Boston
Responded 26 Jan 2021
Dear 733ciarah, I apologize for your unfortunate experience. We are committed to provide a quiet and comfortable night sleep to our guests. Some are more sensitive to noise than others, and we follow up on every noise complaint that we receive. We did provide a different room to avoid any further issues or concerns for both parties.
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We booked a room with views of a Charles River marina and the Museum of Science from an upper floor at a bargain price (probably covid-19 related) but that same pandemic whittled down availability of amenities such as room service and the hotel restaurant. These deficiencies were made manageable with food delivery services such as uber and the mall offerings right across the street. The pool access compensated for any feelings of deprivation in this new post pandemic redefinition of hospitality especially since pool access was the determining factor in our final choice of hotel. The pool room, located in a white and blue Greek tiled atrium with potted palms and other large leaved plants, was a serene haven after a long day of work or sightseeing. This delightful respite in the sky-lighted atrium had only one wrinkle and that was that some of the palms seemed to cry out for water and/or some tender loving care. All in all a very pleasant stay.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from eduardo fernandez, General Manager at The Royal Sonesta Boston
Responded 21 Oct 2020
Thank you for your feedback!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stay far, far away from this property. Atrocious experience, terrible staff. Room type from reservation not honored, staff unhelpful and unprofessional, clueless about services and repeatedly changing their statements. AT this stage when even the US government is not requiring COVID testing from international travelers, this property is saving money by insisting they will only do housekeeping every 4-5 days. If they are so concerned about safety, why is their onsite restaurant still open? Because it generates revenue, and housekeeping costs money. For nearly $800 for two nights, I do not expect this. Housekeeping requested and was told they ask management, did not even have the basic courtesy to get back to me with a response either way. The lotion bottle in my bathroom was used (eww, but also unsafe). The property is run down - lobby is decent and renovated, but the hallways remind me of motels in shady areas.
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Date of stay: June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
One of these generic American hotels which could be part of any chain if you replaced the signs. The reason for choosing is proximity to your business meeting location (as a tourist you would not stay in Cambridge anyway). The nice thing is the view of over the river and the Boston skyline - if your room faces that direction. The staff at the reception is nice, although the whole set up is so outdated and slow. You want to stay a night longer, cannot "just do that" no no. need to check out, pay, book separately, check in, scan passport and credit card again, although they had everything in the system literally just five seconds before....we are in the year 2020, my friends..... Breakfast buffet is continental, egg and bacon meals need to order à la carte, no problem, however quite slow, and reaches you lukewarm. Wonder how far the kitchen is. they heat with hot air blowing into the room, quite noisy if you are not used to it. So, all combined, ok if your reason to be in Cambridge is in walking distance from there.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â Facing the river
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from hotel_mgmt_team_365, Manager at The Royal Sonesta Boston
Responded 3 Feb 2020
Thank you for joining us and for sharing your review. We are pleased to read that our river views and friendly staff were the highlights of your stay, and we appreciate your additional feedback. Our guests often find our location, close to many local attractions as well as both the red and green T lines, to be ideal for exploring Boston, and our concierge team would be happy to assist you in planning activities or with directions on your next stay. We do apologize that extending your reservation took longer than you had expected. While a new reservation is not required when adding to a stay made directly through our hotel, this can sometimes be necessary for third-party bookings, and for security reasons, we cannot transfer sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, from one reservation to another. We appreciate your understanding, and please rest assured that we will address your additional comments with our staff. We would love nothing more than to have another chance to impress you further, and we invite you to visit us again on your next trip to Cambridge. Sincerely, Kamal Karibe, Director of Rooms
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After reading your question, I presume you tried to raise (2) the concierge team at the Sonesta Boston via email and failed to get a response. Some suggestions: email the Manager with a complaint (Michael Mederioc) or just change hotels: the Marlowe, a fine hotel, is just across the street but doesn't have a Charles River side. If I assume that you are looking for some 'BostonTrip' pre-planning, try 'Visitacity' on the web or guides like Lonely Planet can be very useful. Then after this process you can zoom in on your preferences with the help of your concierge.
West Midlands, United Kingdom146 contributions66 helpful votes
As others have said, the hotel has a concierge service who will be able to help organise trips etc. I used viator website myself. There are also lots of vendors selling trips in central Boston itself
There are more places to choose from in the Cambridge area.
PRICE RANGE
₹19,881 - ₹36,490 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
sonesta hotel cambridge, cambridge sonesta hotel, sonesta cambridge, royal sonesta boston
LOCATION
United StatesMassachusettsCambridge
NUMBER OF ROOMS
400
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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Are there any historical sites close to The Royal Sonesta Boston?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Bites of Boston Food Tours (1.8 km), The Printing Office of Edes & Gill (1.7 km), and Old North Church & Historic Site (1.7 km).
