Boston Lodge and Suites

I had to cancel my booking because my dates changed, but the hotel charged me five months later. The woman I spoke to was rude and unhelpful, and treated the $1,700 charge as my problem. My bank eventually reversed it, but the lodge still kept $100. I’ve texted, emailed, and called about the missing refund and haven’t heard back. Don’t waste your time. Judging by these reviews, this seems to be how they do business. I should’ve read them first.

I flew into Boston for work, and my company booked me here for one night. It’s a little far from the airport, and a taxi costs $20. This is a self-check-in shared hotel, more like a homestay than a regular hotel, with no front desk or employee on site. You get the main-door keys from a combination lockbox, but mine was difficult to open. The manager’s number was posted on the door, and since I didn’t have a SIM card, I could use the hotel WiFi to call. I eventually got in. There’s no elevator, and the building has three or four floors, so expect to carry your bags upstairs. It’s made up of apartments with two or three bedrooms, and guests share the living room, kitchen, and laundry. The other people staying there were polite and pleasant. The kitchen was well stocked, with complimentary sandwiches and drinks. The washing machines were good, and my room was clean, with spotless sheets and a good TV. It was small and quaint but comfortable. At checkout, you just leave the keys on the nightstand; the cleaning staff come in during the afternoon. I especially want to thank the woman who seemed to be the owner. She came by the next day and booked me a taxi to work. She was one of the kindest, most polite people I’ve met in all the hotels I’ve stayed in. She was patient and well mannered on the phone, even while I was frustrated about the lockbox. I absolutely loved this place despite how different and limited the service was. I’d recommend it if you’re on a small budget and need somewhere temporary.

This isn’t a hotel in the usual sense. It’s more like a hostel or VRBO/Air BNB, with shared living room, bathroom, and kitchen. The bedrooms each have locks to keep your things secure. Street parking was okay and free, as long as you watched the signs. We stayed on the third floor. The single bedroom had a full dining set in it, which was fine, just a bit odd. There’s no elevator if stairs are an issue. It was also hard to spot the entrance, so I took a picture of the building and the red door with the 8 1/2 by 11 sign. One suggestion for the manager: a small table or similar in the full bathroom would be handy for toiletries and clothes while showering. Edit: I see the owner replied. This is 7 Doris Street. The third floor has three lockable bedrooms sharing a living room, bathroom, and kitchen. I’m not sure whether booking one room automatically gets you the whole floor. If it doesn’t, then it is shared.

The bed was clean, the towels were fresh, and they quickly sorted out a stove problem after we reported it. There were snacks and a full kitchen for cooking. Even my husband, who had reservations about sharing the kitchen and bathroom, thought it was great and better than he expected.