Raffles Boston

Location

Clean

The location was excellent, everything was very clean, and the room itself was beautiful. On the first night, we were given a suite with a view that did not fully meet our expectations, but the next day the hotel kindly changed our room, which we really appreciated. La Padrona, located inside the hotel, is one of my favorite restaurants in Boston, and the Long Bar is also a very beautiful place, especially with its terrace atmosphere. Overall, we had a wonderful stay. Out of all the five-star hotels in Boston, Raffles is the one I would choose again.

I loved the service, amenities, variety of restaurant options and the size of the room and bathroom.

I didn’t like the view especially for the amount or value paid, I was on the 9th floor looking directly over the Nextdoor car park with cars looking directly into the room towards my bed. I had to keep the shades down the whole time for privacy.

Very good

The outsated hair dryer

Extremely upscale and gorgeous spaces, outstanding elevated check-in experience, fantastic restaurants, and every single staff member was an absolute 10/10 from check in to butlers to bartenders. I was treated in a way that made me feel special. Your staff is the BEST around! This is literally the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at, and I go to some very fancy places. It was my husband’s surprise birthday weekend, and boy was I thrilled with my choice to stay here.

Nothing - it was perfection

Great location

No ventilation in the bathroom. Aircon blowing right over the bed so difficult to keep a comfortable temperature

However, I want to be fair and mention the one truly memorable experience we had. One evening around 8 pm, we decided to order coffee with milk to the room. We were not even sure it would be possible, but we tried. A very kind woman arrived, with her hair covered, delivering our coffees with a genuine smile and an impeccable service attitude. She made sure everything was perfect for us and was discreet, warm, and truly professional. In those few minutes I understood something very clearly: The difference between a terrible experience and an extraordinary one often lies in a single person who truly understands what service means. The following day we ordered coffee again, and she returned with the same calm, respectful, and wonderful attitude. Those small moments were the only times during our stay when we truly felt the level of service one expects from a hotel like this.

It is important for me to write this review. I studied tourism and I understand that hospitality is one of the most powerful pillars of the service industry. Precisely because of that, I also understand that being polite is not the same as delivering excellence. Today, anyone can create beautiful spaces, purchase luxury furniture, and design visually impressive environments. That was exactly the feeling we had when we arrived at the upper floor of this hotel: a property clearly built with a major investment and details that make you believe you are about to experience something extraordinary. Unfortunately, that is exactly where the illusion ended. When we arrived, we had to wait until the official check-in time. We understood and waited patiently. However, my husband and I are used to staying in high-end hotels, and it is not common to have to wait such a long time to receive a room. The problem began when we were finally given our room. When the receptionist handed us the key, she said: “You will have a great view.” However, when we entered the room, the window literally faced a wall. The room itself was beautiful, yes, but waking up to a wall after being promised a great view is not only disappointing — it is simply unacceptable in a hotel of this level. We thought it might have been a mistake, so we went back down to the front desk. The same person who had promised us the view informed us that there were no other rooms available. A manager then assisted us, but essentially repeated the same thing: perhaps they could move us the next day, but for now there was no solution. No real attempt to resolve the situation. No meaningful alternative. Nothing that felt appropriate for a hotel where a night can cost close to $1,000. The solution offered was a $200 voucher, which in the context of the hotel barely covers breakfast. Honestly, more than compensation, it felt like a symbolic gesture that did nothing to resolve the issue or the frustration.