Hotel Review: Copley Square Hotel Boston

by Melanie Nayer on

The Copley Square Hotel opened in 1891 in Boston’s famous Back Bay neighborhood. Near trendy Newbury Street and tucked behind the Boston Public Library, the seven-story boutique hotel seems overshadowed by its Westin and Marriott neighbors, but what it lacks in stature it makes up in grandeur.

The hotel closed in January 2008 for a $18-million renovation and reopened later that year as a luxury contemporary boutique with old-school elegance and modern amenities.

THE ROOMS

I heard about the modern-meets-sexy designs and decor that graced the rooms at the Copley Square Hotel post-renovation, but I wasn’t quite prepared for the seductive atmosphere I walked into. Simply put: these hotel rooms set the mood.

I was expecting a few silk throw pillows and a curvy bedside lamp, but was greeted with a leopard-print sofa, champagne-colored drapes and a king-size bed perfectly positioned to view the entire city (or be viewed from the city). Yes, there were decorative silk pillows and curvy lamps, and also a 32-inch flat-screen TV, WiFi in the room, and an iPod docking station. There’s also plenty of strategically-placed mirrors, which is a good thing if you’re intent on looking your best before you make your way down the grand staircase that leads into the hotel lobby.

The hotel claims it’s catering to business professionals and it is – I had no problem plugging in, getting on, and communicating from the comforts of my king-sized bed. But, in my opinion, it’s also a the perfect little hideaway for some rekindling of the romantic kind. Just remember to put the in.2.it sign on your door (the hotel’s risqué-read-between-the-lines way of saying ‘do not disturb’.)

THE BATHROOM

A decent size for a hotel bathroom, it was complete with a tub/shower combo and basic amenities (shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotions). The standout part of this area, however, is the hotel’s “green” commitment. Placed in every bathroom is a plastic chip – flip to green and you don’t need any restocking; flip to red and your cleaning crew will supply fresh towels and amenities. It’s a nicer way to signal a change is needed if you’re not into throwing your dirty towels on the floor.

ROOM SERVICE

Room service comes directly from Xhale or minibar, the Copley Square Hotel’s restaurant and martini bar. I opted for a mid-evening snack from the room-service menu and was pleasantly surprised with my options. While there’s a full menu complete with salads, burgers and pasta entrees, the in-room dining menu also includes a snacks page, which offers everything from caramel corn to ice cream sandwiches. I opted for a bowl of “fresh popped corn” but I hear the marshmallows with chocolate dipping sauce is worthy of a try.

Admittedly, the 18 percent gratuity on a bowl of popcorn seemed a bit much, but I chalked this one up to the experience.

THE STAFF

My first impression of the hotel staff came when I was greeted at the check-in counter by a lovely woman who wanted to know if I preferred a glass of white or red while I wait. Score 10 for knowing I needed a cocktail. Apparently, the hotel hosts a wine hour every evening and all guests – whether you’ve checked in or not – are welcome to wind down. The check-in process took only a few minutes (disclaimer: I was the only person in line), and I was asked if I required a wake-up call or wanted to join the company staff on a run the following morning. No to both, but it was a lovely touch.

The hotel was debuting a new restaurant concept – Sushi and Sake Nights – the evening I checked in. The food was good, but the waitstaff was unclear as to what sushi and sake really is. Once the kinks were figured out, there was plenty of spicy tuna rolls to go around.

THE BOTTOM LINE

On the outside, the Copley Square Hotel looks like a simple, commuter-friendly, business-oriented hotel perfect for the overnighter needing a place to stay before the big board meeting. One step inside and you’ll forget you have a big presentation due the next day. The renovation put this hotel back on the map, but it came with a price: rooms start at $170 in the off-season and spike to a starting price of $500 for stays during the summer months.

Bottom line: Business travelers might choose a less-expensive hotel, but for those looking for a hidden hotel perfect for a quick escape from the chaos of everyday life, complete with amenities that ooze “the mood”, this is undoubtedly the place to stay.

EPIC Hotel’s water cleared in Legionnaire’s case

by Melanie Nayer on

The water at the EPIC Hotel in Miami has been cleared by the health department, allowing the Miami hotel to reopen and rebook guests.

The EPIC was forced to close and relocate guests two weeks ago after three cases of Legionnaires’ disease — including one death — were discovered from guests who stayed at the hotel.

According to the Miami Herald, the Miami-Dade County Health Department officials said they couldn’t be certain that EPIC was the cause of the death or illnesses, and they will continue to investigate the situation. The department of health conducted a series of tests on the hotel’s water filtration system and it was found clean and safe for drinking on Saturday. The health investigation did discover, however, that the hotel’s filtration system may have been stripping chlorine out of its water, which would have made the system susceptible to waterborne diseases.

During the course of the investigation, the EPIC underwent a major cleaning effort including removing and sanitizing all shower fixtures and installing a new copper-silver ionization filtration system, which is said to disinfect the water and prevent the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.


[via Miami Herald]

American Airlines is the one to watch in 2010

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Could 2010 be the year for American Airlines?

Well, it’s hard not to see the light at the end of the tunnel after a decade of unusual airline severity. The market was shaken several times by terror attempts – including the attacks of 9/11 – economic pressures from the dotcom meltdown and the recent financial sector only made matters worse. Energy prices hit some peaks along the way, which, according to Joseph Lazzaro of our sister site, BloggingStocks, determines the fate of the U.S. airline sector.

But, AA in particular? The guys with the flight attendant who through a nutter over orange juice?

The stock is up 90% since June. To most travelers, this is not just irrelevant, but boring … until you think about how these matters can impact your experience on an airline. When a company is profitable, it has an easier time serving its customers. And, employees tend to relax a little bit, as profits and stock prices tend to be good signs that jobs won’t be disappearing (at least not in large amounts).Also, I use stock price as a proxy for intangibles, like brand strength, customer loyalty and other factors that are hard to quantify. At the end of the day, the price determined by investors takes all this stuff into account, giving customers and passengers a feel for how the airline is likely to treat it.

So, cast aside the recent high-profile debacles of this airline, including its recent runway faux pas in in Kingston, and think to the future. After all, everyone’s screwed up. United has its guitar-playing victim, and Northwest (and, as a result, Delta) watched a plane overshoot a destination. In a business where every player is scraping the bottom of the barrel, American may rise above, even if only slightly.

Ivana Trump forced off Palm Beach flight

by Alison Brick on

What does Ivana Trump dislike about airplanes more than peanut packets or lines outside the lavatory?

Children running around, making noise in the aisles.

That’s what threw her over the edge on her Delta flight departing Palm Beach Airport yesterday.

Originally what made he upset was something about her first-class seat in the LaGuardia-bound plane. Flight attendants tried to calm her by offering her another seat and headphones. Then, it was the children running up and down the aisles that really made her angry.

The way that sources tell it, she turned belligerent and swore up a storm at everybody around her — the kids, the adult passengers, and even the sheriff’s deputies who asked her to voluntarily get off the plane.

She put up a fuss, then finally gave in and deplaned — only after the airline offered to let her fly on a later flight.

All told, the plane had to return to the gate and the scene caused a two-hour delay.

Washington airport terminal flooded after water main burst

by Scott Carmichael on

Around 3pm yesterday afternoon, Washington’s Reagan National airport suffered some substantial damage from a burst water main pipe. Passengers arriving at the airport were greeted by several inches of water in the baggage claim area, and by 6pm, most of the airport had been shut down. As you can see in the video above, the amount of water was so great, that it was pouring out of the side of the building.

At the moment, only US Airways flights are being affected, and passengers flying US Airways out of DCA/Regan National are advised to contact the airline for more information. Only terminal C was flooded – terminals A and B were not impacted, and flights out of those terminals should be departing on time today.

More photos of the flooded terminal have been posted over at “We Love DC” and for more on the status of the C terminal, check the site of the airport operator.