Boston Marriott Burlington

From Dec 29-Jan 2, I had a great stay at the Boston Marriott Burlington. I’m a Bonvoy member, and the team looked after me with care and kindness. Special thanks to Peter, Lauren, Diane, and Billy for the attentive service. The restaurant breakfast was delicious, with strong coffee, and I loved the freshly baked cookies they put out in the lobby every afternoon. The bartenders stayed polite and engaging even in the New Years Eve rush. The gym was clean and well equipped for both cardio and strength workouts. It’s a short drive into Boston, or there’s a nearby T stop for taking public transit into the city. Being close to 93/95 is handy for shopping and trips up to the North Shore.

Friendly service, lots of restaurants and shopping nearby, and large, comfortable rooms that stayed warm in the cold weather. One thing to know: the room key card has to be held against the sensor to unlock the door.

I checked in Wednesday and couldn’t get the room above 65° because the heater wasn’t working. The front desk associate was friendly when I raised it the next morning and offered to move me. I should have accepted, but I asked if someone could look at the heater instead. That night it happened again, and the unit was blowing ice-cold air, so I shut it off. On Friday morning I brought it up again. That evening, there was a handwritten note from the technician saying a room sensor shuts off the heat if it doesn’t detect motion. That surprised me. I travel a lot and have never come across that before. Then Saturday morning I woke up to a cold shower. It was a disappointing stay. At checkout, nobody asked how things had gone, so I brought up the problems. They said they already knew about the heating issue. I asked for the GM’s email, but they gave me the front desk manager’s card instead. I mainly wanted to make sure they knew about the problems so the heater could be fixed for the next guest.

Rich, the hotel manager, was friendly and helpful when we talked, and I appreciated that. But it didn't undo how embarrassed and disrespected I felt at the bar after a private event at the Marriott in Burlington, MA. A group of us sat down shortly before last call. Chelsea, the bartender, seemed annoyed that people were arriving near closing, which made the welcome feel cold. Then she came up to me several times to say I should cover up or adjust my spaghetti strap dress. It was a little low cut, but not inappropriate or against any reasonable dress code. My outfit hadn't changed between approaches, and being singled out like that felt humiliating and unnecessary. Chelsea and another customer seemed personally bothered by what I was wearing, as though it was theirs to correct. When we raised it with the restaurant manager, Alex, he didn't apologize. He kept saying the other customer was uncomfortable and that this justified confronting me, and described it as their policy. Staff repeatedly policing a guest's clothing because another patron objects is unacceptable in a hotel bar. That wasn't the professionalism or hospitality I expect from a Marriott property. I'd caution others, especially women, about going to this bar if that's how guests are treated.