Sheraton Boston Needham Hotel

A fair price for a great hotel, and I'd come back if I'm in the area again. The room was spacious with a sofa, a fridge, and no microwave, though there was one down the hall by the ice machine. I would have liked a full-length mirror. The bed was softer than in most mid-range hotels I've stayed in, and the handheld shower wand helped, but the water pressure was too weak.

There are plenty of restaurants nearby, and the indoor garage parking was a godsend during the recent snowstorm. The pool had a nice feel, though it was awkward to locate, upstairs from the fitness room. If you want to work outside your room, there are some fun seating areas on the first and second floors. The room was fresh and clean, with a king bed and separate couch and seating area. The refrigerator was very small, and there was no microwave. The shades stay partly closed and can't be opened fully, though you can shut them all the way. This is a decent value for the location near Dana Farber's Chestnut Hill campus. The fitness center was frustrating: of the four treadmills facing a mirror, only one worked properly. There was one recumbent bike, three ellipticals, and some heavier dumbbells, but no small hand weights. I don't usually complain about showers, but this one was annoying. I couldn't get the water to a decent temperature, and the flow was so weak I struggled to rinse shampoo from my hair.

My girlfriend and I came for Valentine's Day weekend mainly for the indoor pool, but the atmosphere felt like Chuck E. Cheese. Kids were splashing us, jumping in beside us, throwing balls all over, screaming, and making weird noises. Other guests were upset too, and there seemed to be some kind of high school event in the pool area that we hadn't been told about. I spoke to the front desk woman, Una or Uni, I'm not sure which, and she said she couldn't do anything except send maintenance to the pool area. That didn't help. We felt ripped off and won't come back. Breakfast also wasn't included as listed, and parking costs extra, which you'd think would be part of the nightly rate. Take it from me, spend the extra $50 and stay somewhere nicer.

The hotel is getting older, but it's still great, and I got a suite with no complaints. Prices are good, breakfast is free, and the location on a hill is convenient. Cecelia at the front desk is great too. Birdie at the restaurant lounge up front gave excellent service, hustling around and staying really attentive with the busy crowd.