La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Boston Somerville

Breakfast didn’t quite suit us as Europeans, since the typical American options aren’t what we’re used to, but it was okay. The only real problem was the shower, which kept swinging between warm and cold. Our room was a little old, but tidy and clean, and we felt comfortable during the stay. Krissi welcomed us when we arrived and made check-in easy. She was kind, helpful, and professional, so we started off with a very good impression. All in all, a positive visit, especially because of the staff.

We had a much better visit this time, and I’m glad I gave the hotel another chance. The staff were just as friendly as before, and our room was very clean and warm. We were there during a weekend of really cold weather as the snowstorm began, but the hotel stayed cozy. The location is great, close to everything. WiFi can be a bit troublesome, but it’s free, so I’m not going to bother the staff about it lol.

The rooms have gone downhill too. Some are never properly cleaned, and there are loose outlets, faucets, and other fixtures. The place feels very dirty overall. It used to aim for five star service, but now I’d give it zero stars, or negative ones if I could. I’ve also achieved top tier status with Wyndham Rewards, but they suddenly dropped me from the top level to the second lowest, saying I’d need to give them thousands of dollars to get top tier reinstated. The hotel is operated by Wyndham but privately owned, and customer service has gone from great to terrible since the ownership change, which I think is coming soon. They don’t explain things like incidental charges or parking fees at check-in. You get charged, then have to call to find out what it was. I tried to check in today because of the storm. I had a prior authorization form, the same kind the hotel accepted just a few months ago when I used a card that wasn’t mine, which had been given to me as a gift for safety reasons. This time they said they no longer accept that form and that I was supposed to fill out a different one online when checking in with another card. I told them I hadn’t received it and that they’d used the form on file only months earlier, but they said there was nothing they could do and asked me to use another card. We didn’t have another one. When they asked what I’d do, I said I’d have to cancel and travel in the blizzard if they wouldn’t help.

The room was decent, and the front desk service was really good. I didn’t get to try breakfast, but it looked like they were missing the usual cereal and granola bars. Being in Somerville is convenient, with Assembly Mall and other restaurants within walking distance.