Boston Marriott Peabody

The executive lounge was closed for remodeling, so we couldn’t use it. We did enjoy the flavored water machine, and there are plenty of shops and places to eat nearby. Our room was clean and pleasant, breakfast was good, and housekeeping did a thorough job. The staff were especially friendly and helpful. Since the hotel is close to the highway, there can be noise, though our room on the far side was fairly quiet. The design is being renovated.

Dinner at Sophia's was really good, though the kitchen seemed a bit slow. Rafael at the bar was lovely with my friends and me, and took good care of us. The craft cocktails were good but pricey. The sheets were lovely and the bed was comfy, but the room and hallways feel dated and shabby. My room was reasonably clean; in the hallway I saw a spoon and fork left on the floor, among other bits of debris. The TV was at an odd angle, so watching from bed was awkward. The lobby looked gorgeous and clean. Check-in and checkout were efficient, but the staff weren’t very friendly. Would I stay again? Probably not.

Salem was an easy drive, about 15 minutes away, and the staff were helpful and very friendly. Our room was clean, and the food was good. But breakfast cost our family of four about $70 a day, and Wi-Fi was another $15, despite being described as free. I should’ve checked whether breakfast was included, but at $300+ a night, I feel it should have been.

The pool was freezing and the hot tub was out of order, even though we’d called before booking to ask if the pool was open and heated. Other guests couldn’t use it either. The front desk said it would be fixed by morning and offered us another night so we could use it at the right temperature once the engineer had repaired it. They said the offer had also been confirmed with price line. We got a business card, but later learned it didn’t belong to the person we’d spoken with. In the morning the pool still wasn’t working. We told the desk we’d go to the mall and come back while they worked on it, but our key cards didn’t work when we returned. Now the manager is offering only 50% off a future stay. Corporate can only talk to the hotel, and the manager won’t be in until Monday. We’re still waiting to hear from the actual manager. Customer service was horrible.