Pennyweight Hotel Boston, Curio Collection by Hilton

The only real upsides were feeling safe and getting an affordable rate. The location was fine, though TD Garden was a bit of a walk, so the fee for being “in TD Garden” seemed odd. We won’t return. We spent the trip laughing at the strange things we kept noticing whenever we went back. From a distance the place looked good, but up close it seemed messy. Staff barely greeted us or showed us how to find our room, and some hung out at the bar during their shifts. They came across like high school or college students who needed customer service training. Our room was okay, but the bed and pillow were uncomfortable, the heat didn’t work, and the sliding bathroom door wouldn’t close. I wish I’d known that beforehand. We were there for a birthday trip with my partner.

The location works well for TD Garden, but that’s about the only thing going for this hotel. It presents itself as high end, yet the service was terrible. The valet seemed sketchy and the front desk staff weren’t attentive. The elevator also doesn’t require a room key, which would have made me feel more secure. The extra cost wasn’t worth it. If you want genuine high class service, go to the Canopy.

The room was small, and its “historic” character didn’t make up for the lack of comfort. The table barely held my laptop, and the overly soft bed left me restless for several nights. The staff were polite but seemed inexperienced and disengaged, often chatting or looking at their phones instead of helping. The shower took nearly ten minutes to get hot. The restaurant menu is limited, though it does have some good drinks. The building is beautiful and the location is convenient, with North Station, TD Garden, and plenty of good restaurants a short walk away. But if you’re driving, parking is valet only at $67 per night plus tip, with no nearby self parking. Valet service doesn’t begin until 7 a.m., so an early departure means retrieving your own car. The place has potential, but the experience doesn’t justify the price. I’d probably stay somewhere else next time.

The hotel itself is quite nice, but we ran into several problems. When we arrived, nobody was at reception or the valet desk. There weren’t enough valet staff during busy check in and check out times, either. The street is narrow, with no safe space to leave a car for pickup. Cars were double parked, and passing traffic could barely squeeze through, with only a couple of inches to spare. Our car was trashed, smelled foul, and had things stolen from it. We filed a claim and police report, but nobody from the hotel, valet, or garage management has followed up yet. The reception staff and the valet who brought the car were the only ones who tried to help. Power in our room went out in the morning, probably because of a faulty hairdryer. Without power, the room phone didn’t work. Nobody picked up when we called reception from a cell phone. We walked down, were told an engineer would come, and waited about 30 minutes for them to arrive and flip the breaker.