Hotel Review: Boston’s XV Beacon

by Melanie Nayer on

I’m a sucker for a good party. So when I learned that XV Beacon in Boston’s Back Bay was celebrating its 10th birthday this year, I grabbed my party hat, packed my bags and made my way over to the 60-room boutique hotel in Beacon Hill. (After all, 10 is an important age: you’re finally out of single digits, you’re only three years away from being a teenager and in another 10 years, you’ll be only 10 more years away from 30 and that’s an entirely other party! But, I digress…)

The Boston hotel opened on Dec. 31, 1999, and has witnessed an interesting turn of events over the past decade. Amy Finsilver, general manager of XV Beacon, said that while the clientele has remained the same, their demands have changed.

“The demands are more today because every dollar counts,” said Finsilver. “Everyone is spending a lot of time and money, but we’re not bringing in the same amount of money, so we have to adjust to meet the changing needs of the guests. They want intimacy and privacy, and that’s what they’ll get.”

Turning 10 is a big year for XV Beacon – the rooms will undergo slight renovations, (namely, the addition of cashmere throws and new bath fragrances made from a signature XV Beacon scent), and the hotel’s restaurant, Mooo, will continue to reinvent its menu for locals and travelers who have come to enjoy the ambiance of the steakhouse. In the meantime, I decided to spend a night at the tony Beacon Hill address and check out the views for myself.THE ROOMS

The 10 guest room floors of XV Beacon are designed to resemble an apartment building instead of a hotel. You’ll find the room numbers prominently placed on the side of the door, immediately up from the doorbell (a nice touch for business travelers who spend more time on the road than at home).

The rooms are decorated in champagne and gold tones with black accents, and every room has a gas-powered fireplace, a surround-sound stereo system and fully-stocked mini-bar. The king- or queen-sized beds are set apart from the ‘office space’, which includes a full-sized desk and complimentary WiFi access. Sadly, the WiFi is the one thing that didn’t work in the room. Maybe it’s because the building is so old, or maybe it’s just that the provider isn’t very good, but there was little-to-no signal, which is shame when the WiFi is free. Instead, I plugged into the cable in the wall and found a fast signal, but as a business traveler I would have enjoyed the free WiFi from the comfort of my bed or sofa.

Like many boutique hotels, XV Beacon is striving for a more eco- friendly environment. Each room comes with ‘green cards’, which tell hotel staff whether or not the sheets and towels need to be changed and washed (a bonus in my book).

THE BATHROOM

The bathrooms in XV Beacon are worthy of their own article. Complete with “Fresh” products and a shower built for 10 (also a tub/jacuzzi combo), these bathrooms are about the size of a small apartment and come complete with shoe-shine kits, sewing kits, and a walk-in closet.

Thanks to the sound engineers who clearly had a hand in the design phases, there are built-in speakers in the bathrooms so you can rock out to the radio during tub time, or at least wake up to some soothing sounds before starting your day.

Quite honestly, the XV Beacon could have charged me to stay in the bathroom and I would have been happy.

RESTAURANT/BAR

I was a little hesitant to eat at Mooo simply because the name alone frightens me. However, I’d heard great things about the food and staff so I removed the sounds of cows grazing from my head and entered the steak house.

The place filled up quickly with business elite from nearby Beacon Hill offices. The menu, as you might expect, is steak heavy but also features fresh local seafood specials and an extensive wine list with over 750 selections and 4,000 bottles wine. Truth be told, a part of me wanted to skip dinner and spend the evening in the cellar reliving history among the bottles of Bordeaux.

The prices at Mooo are standard – $5-$8 side dishes; $25-$45 steaks and entrees. If you’re not up for a full meal, you can sit at the bar with a martini and mac-n-cheese and still soak in the atmosphere of the place.

THE STAFF

Since XV Beacon is a small hotel that caters mainly to the business traveler, the staff recognizes most of its regulars and has their favorite amenities (newspapers, dinner reservations, car services) waiting. It’s these essentials that keep the business traveler coming back to XV Beacon, but it’s also this kind of attention that appeals to leisure travelers who have felt a dip in customer service over the past year.

Within a few minutes of entering my room, I received a call to make sure the room was to my liking. It was. However, after 10 minutes of trying to connect with WiFi I finally called for back-up. The hotel sent up a cable wire to plug in and was more than helpful in setting up the Internet service.

One of the benefits of XV Beacon is the hotel car service, which is available to all guests for airport transfers or local rides to business meetings, the theater or dinner reservations. The concierge will ask for your schedule so they can properly prepare any transportation and in the meantime, you can rest assured knowing you’ll end up where you need to be on time.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If there were a “Best in Show” for hotels, XV Beacon would be the top dog in its breed. Business travelers can’t go wrong here, and for those leisure travelers looking for a little more attention or a more intimate getaway, XV Beacon is a good choice.

While XV Beacon offers competitive rates for its class, budget-conscious travelers would do well at a cheaper hotel with less amenities. Standard rates at XV Beacon begin at $250 and go as high as $575. Currently, the hotel is offering a 10% discount to Boston residents who want a mini-vacation without having to leave the city.

Take a stroll down Lover’s Lane at the Strand

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Warning: if you surprise your lover with a trip to the Strand this Valentine’s Day, you’ll have a hell of a time coming up with a gift next year.

Manhattan‘s newest midtown hotel, the Strand is offering a fantastic deal for the romantically inclined. Stay any weekend in February, and you can take advantage of the “Lover’s Lane at the Strand” package. For $498, you’ll get two nights in a deluxe room with overlooking the Empire State Building, a daily European continental breakfast, a dinner at the Black Duck Bistro (by candlelight, of course) and limo travel to and from the airport. As if it couldn’t get any better, you’ll also enjoy champagne and truffles at the hotel’s rooftop bar, Top of the Strand. The retractable room will protect you from the elements.

The Strand has only 177 guestrooms and junior suites, so you won’t need to worry about running into too many other guests, and two-storey waterfall is sure to grab your attention.

Laptop stealing baggage handler gang caught at Bush Intercontinental

by Scott Carmichael on


A particularly nasty gang of laptop thieves has been arrested at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental airport. The gang consisted of five baggage handlers working for a third party firm hired by Continental Airlines to re-screen transiting passengers.

“Normal” laptop thieves usually get their loot by stealing from bags in the underground sorting area, but these guys once again prove that most criminals are just plain dumb.

They were caught when they asked a passenger to remove his two laptop computers and place them on a conveyor belt to be screened. They then told him he had to go to a different terminal to pick them up. Of course, the machines were not there, as the criminals kept them inside the screening equipment. Once the passenger made his way to pick up his property from the other terminal, the gang climbed inside the screening equipment, removed the computers, and hid them in an airport bathroom.

It never ceases to amaze me how low some people will sink, or how they thought they could possibly get away with this crime. All five crooks have been fired by their employer, and bond has been set at $50,000. They face up to ten years in prison if convicted. Houston police do not know how long the gang had been operating.

Big Island Hawaii: Get your adventure on

by Katie Hammel on

There’s virtually no limit to the adventures you can have on the Big Island of Hawaii. SCUBA, snorkel, watch whales pass in season, take a helicopter flight over the island, or view lava up close from a boat, watching the fiery rivers pop and hiss as they land in the ocean. On the Kohala Coast, many of the resorts offer easy access to some of the island’s most unique activities. For others, well…you’ll need to get a bit more creative.

Stand-up paddleboarding
Kona Village resort offers guests several options for traditional Hawaiian water-sports, including stand-up paddleboarding, through its Alaka’i program. Alaka’i means “ambassadors of the waves” and the staff here really do try to fulfill that role by teaching guests not just about the logistics of each activity, but also about its historical and cultural significance to the islands. The Junior Alaka’i program is geared for kids 10-17 and includes three days of lessons in activities like paddleboarding, windsurfing, free diving, and outrigger canoeing. Guests at the Four Seasons Hualalai can also use the equipment at Kona Village.

Elsewhere on the Big Island, you can rent a board from Hilo’s What Sup Big Island, where daily paddleboard rental is $65, or $75 for a half day with lunch and beginner lesson.



Outrigger canoeing
Outrigger canoes, traditional Hawaiian boats, resemble regular canoes that have an added support (called an outrigger) added to one side. These canoes can go quite fast, and are more stable in rough waters than regular canoes. As part of Kona Village’s Alaka’i program, guests can learn to paddle one, and once they have successfully learned to maneuver a six-person outrigger canoe, they are free to use one and two-person canoes on their own for the remainder of their stay.

On the Kohala Coast, the Fairmont Orchid also offers outrigger canoe excursions and Sky Blue Canoe offers lessons and rentals. A 90-minute tour is $65.

Surf lessons
It’s practically sacrilege to go to Hawaii and not take a surf lesson. The instructors at Kona Mike’s Surf Adventures are all certified in CPR , First Aid, and professional rescue. Group lessons start at $99 and private lessons are $150 and each lesson includes two hours of in-water instruction.

Horseback riding
Hawaii’s Big Island has a surprising number of cattle ranches, all thanks to a few cattle who were gifted to King Kamehameha back at the end of the 18th century. When, a few decades later, those cattle had reproduced and began to be a nuisance, King Kamehameha III recruited some Mexican cowboys, which the locals dubbed “paniolos”, to handle the problem. Today, paniolos still work the ranches, many of which welcome guests for daily horseback rides. Na’ alapa Stables at Kahua Ranch is one of these. Located less than an hour north of Kona, the ranch offers 2.5 hour rides for just under $90. The price is well worth it for the beautiful views down to the ocean from the ranch’s 4000-foot elevation.



Snow skiing
Snow skiing…in Hawaii? That’s right. Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano, reaches over 13,000 feet above sea level (and over 30,000 above its base on the floor of the ocean, making it the tallest mountain in the world, technically). The top of the mountain is home to an observatory and is the ideal place to do some serious stargazing all year round. And thanks to the elevation of Mauna Kea, Hawaii actually has snow several months of the year! There’s just one catch to skiing Mauna Kea: there’s no ski resort there. So intrepid adventurers have a friend drive them up the mountain, where they strap on their own skis and snowboards (or just grab a sled…or even a cardboard box) and ski or sled down the mountain. If you want to ski in Mauna Kea, you can sign up with Ski Hawaii, which runs group tours for $250 per person, or rents equipment for as low as $50 per day.

Tips for saving money on a road trip

by Gadling Staff on

Having spent many of my post-college years both (a) totally broke and (b) living on the road, I know very well the financial perils posed by the seemingly-cheap road trip. In order to help you avoid some of my same mistakes, I offer what I’ve learned … most of it the hard way.

Fuel efficiency matters!
Remember when Barack Obama said Americans should pay more attention to their tire pressure? Well, it’s true. Check your tires before you start your trip and each time you stop for gas, and be sure to air ’em up if they’re running low. (Be careful not to overpressurize your tires, though. Your car’s owner’s manual should contain information about the appropriate pressure range, and most tires are marked as well.)

Also, don’t overload your car with heavy or bulky stuff that you’re not likely to use — extra weight, or odd-shaped things like surfboards stuck to the car roof, increases fuel costs.

Drive the speed limit.
It’s a sad fact for us adrenaline junkies, but according to fueleconomy.gov, “Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.” Gas is one of the biggest road trip expenses, so anything you can do to minimize it is worth considering. Plus, it’ll keep you from snagging a speeding ticket, which is a definite road trip bummer.

Get to know your National Parks!
They’re not just for Ken Burns documentaries — the National Park system is there for people to use, and one thing that a price-conscious road-tripper can always use is a cheap place to sleep.Even at the most popular parks, like Yellowstone, camping fees start at only $12/night — a lot cheaper than you’ll find at any motel, and with better scenery too. Some parks do have a vehicle entry fee, so it’s also worth investigating the National Park Service’s Annual Pass; at $80, it pays for itself after four nights at Yosemite.

Check out hostels.
If your travels are taking you to more urban locations where camping isn’t much of an option, make reservations at hostels instead of hotels or motels. For a single bed they usually run about $20-$25 per night or, if you’re traveling with a group of people, you can all share a room instead of hanging out with strangers. It’s worth noting, however, that hanging out with strangers has its perks — when you’re in an unfamiliar place you can swap tips and often get some good advice.

To see if there are hostels in your area, check out Hostels.com or Hosteling International.

Bring your own food.
The single biggest waste of money on a road trip is road food. Instead of hitting up pricey restaurants or unhealthy fast food, swing by a grocery store and pack snacks for yourself.

Carrot sticks, apples, protein bars, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all keep well — and they’re cheap and healthy to boot.

Check the Internet.

Pro tip: To avoid parking tickets in large cities, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to feed the meter.

If camping isn’t your thing and you’d rather not dole out the cash for a hostel, well, it’s the Internet to the rescue! Social networking sites like Facebook make great directories, so if you’re trekking to visit San Francisco, why not search your Facebook friends and see if anyone you know has moved there recently? You never know who might be eager to see you again.

And if your social networking sites are a bust, don’t forget sites like couchsurfing.com. It can seem a little disconcerting to crash on the couch of someone you’ve never met before, but chances are pretty good that they’ll not only be happy to have you (since they volunteered for it) — but they might even be willing to play tour guide.

Avoid parking tickets.
The biggest headache of a road trip is usually also the thing that makes it great — that is, your car. Parking tickets are a particular concern if you’re visiting an urban area, where popular, touristy neighborhoods are often targeted for parking enforcement. And just because there’s not a meter on the street doesn’t mean the parking is free: many cities are moving towards parking pay boxes, which are usually spaced one per block and require you to pay and place the printed receipt somewhere visible in your car.

Pro tip: Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to feed the meter, and don’t count on leniency just because you’ve got out-of-town plates — many cities and towns rely on tourist parking tickets as a regular revenue stream.

Plan, plan, plan.
The great beauty of the road trip is its flexibility and potential for spontaneous adventure. However, some careful planning can be a fiscal lifesaver on the road.

When you’re figuring out a route, be aware that things like toll roads and mountains will increase your driving costs; if you have particular weaknesses for things like outlet shopping or antiquing, steer clear of towns that are likely to lure you into big spending. Also, do some research and see if any of your destinations are hosting special events that are likely to raise lodging and parking costs — even the sleepiest small town can charge steep prices when the state fair is in town.

Set a budget and stick to it.
The easiest way to stick to a budget is to avoid using plastic. A credit or debit card is useful for getting gas on the road, but beyond that, figure out how much you want to spend each day on food and sundries and use cash to help yourself stick to it. An easy way to do that is to have an envelope for each day of your trip; inside the envelope is the amount you’re allowed to spend that day (not including gas and lodging), and once that’s been tapped, consider yourself cut off.

And if that’s hard for you, just remember: the road trip is all about adventure and self-discovery (On the Road, anyone?), not kitschy souvenirs, and nothing you buy will be as fun or as enduring as the stories you’ll have when you get home.

Saving money on a road trip isn’t that hard. And remember: the more money you save on this road trip, the more money you have for another road trip!

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