botched reservations
I was pleased to obtain a price $30 lower per night than any of the discount websites by calling the hotel directly to make reservations. However, despite my repeated conversations with them to remind them of our late arrival (one only 3 hours before checking in) we were told when we arrived that they had no room for us. This was a very busy week in town and I had realized when trying to book a room that many hotels were full and the prices had spiked for those dates. They told us they had a "maintenance problem" but two other parties came in behind us and also got bumped with the explanation that they were just "overbooked." It was approaching 11pm and they had no viable alternative for us, though claimed they were working on it. We went out to try to find some food and returned an hour later to be told that they were paying for us to stay in a "suite" at a hotel in Cambridge. Bottom line - after a long cab ride we were dropped at a hotel after midnight that I would characterize as a truck stop in a remote area on a divided highway. Yes, there was a sitting area that came with the room (hence the word "suite"), but the carpets were stained, the bath mat had holes in it, small insects in the corners, waterstained wallpaper, a cigarette hole in the upholstery, etc. The flashing sign out front advertised rooms for $79 - not even close to being comparable with the $250 room we booked at the Bulfinch. The taxi driver who took us back to town the next day said that this location provided rooms for people waiting for Section 8 housing. I called the Bulfinch prior to heading back and was emphatically assured that our room would be ready by 1:00, but when we arrived there was no room ready. The clerk slipped and said that it had been given to someone else. An hour later we were checked in. We were compensated for the inconvenience with a reasonable discount, but we lost the better part of a day of our 3-day trip. During our front desk interactions I overheard two other people who were told that their reservation either weren't showing up in the system - or were showing up under different dates (no indication whether it was the fault of the patron or the hotel). The location was worthwhile, the room very small but comfortable with a nice bathroom. If you book here, be sure to have your confirmation in hand when you check in, call a few weeks in advance to confirm your dates and check in early.