Charles Mark Hotel, Boston

I stayed at the Charles Mark Hotel last week and the customer service was outstanding! If you are looking to save some cash than book it here HotelDealNow.Info I saved like $50 by using that site!

Upon arrival at the hotel I found a small counter with a man sitting watching a computer screen. At first I thought it was the security desk, but then realized it was the reception desk. I have never been to any US hotel with such a small reception area. I gave my name, and was told to sit in the lounge and wait until they were ready to allow me to register. I was called back to the desk and given my room on the 1st floor (the hotel basement). I took the elevator to the basement and found my room, at the very end of the hall next to the service alley. I inspected the room. The closet was puny, one-foot wide, and there was no dresser or any place to put my clothes. It was obvious that I would have to leave all of my clothes in my luggage. I returned to the reception desk and requested to see another room. I was take to an upper story room which overlooked Boylston Street and the Boston Public Library. This room was also small and cramped, but the view was much better than the basement. I noted this room was already made-up, but the receptionist told me I would have to wait for them to ready the room. I was told to take my luggage to the lounge and wait. Three-quarters of an hour later, I was told the room was ready. Up to this point, the receptionist gave me the impression my concerns were a bother and I was keeping him from more important matters. This was surprising since I had observed no one else enter or leave the hotel since my arrival. I found the rooms were extremely small-miniscule. The management claims the rooms are large (18' x 14'), but this is misleading due to the incursion of the bathroom, the hall and the adjoining rooms. They are actually very small. My "upgraded" room included a queen bed, a one-person sleeper sofa, a wall unit and two night stands. The closet (3'H x 1 1/2' W), was in the lower part of the wall unit. It would only accommodate approximately four shirts or four folded pants. There was also a storage cabinet in the base of the unit which had no drawers. It would accommodate a suitcase. Bookshelves were part of the unit. Both rooms were noteworthy for the lack of drawers and storage space. In this room there were two-coat hooks behind the entrance door. One problem with the smallness of the room was the ability to to reach the bathroom. With the sleeper extended, there was less than a foot of space between the end of the sleeper and the wall mirror. This made moving across the room almost impossible. My room faced the street. The nightly noise was a serious problem. We could hear everything happening on the street below. The hotel has a patio in the front which is contiguous with the lounge. During the evening hours when the lounge is in use, you can hear the blaring music and noise. Each morning we would be awakened by the cleaning staffers who were chatting outside our door. Most hotels have a luggage storage room, but this one does not. Luggage is stored in the open, in full view of the lounge. A bicycle cable is attached to the luggage to provide a small measure of security, but the divider which separates the reception desk from the lounge, prevents monitoring of the luggage by the hotel staffers. I would not recommend this hotel. I found the staffers unprofessional and at times, rude. The rooms were extremely small and poorly appointed. I feel this is a poor reflection of the management. Having traveled throughout Boston, the US and the world, I would opt for one of the other many wonderful hotels in this beautiful city.

Although the hotel was clean, the room I stayed in (#106) was one of two rooms located in the back of the hotel. Not only did it face an alley, but it was located just 10 feet away from the bar/club that made up the lobby. On Saturday night, the blaring music and loud patrons made it feel like I was sleeping in the back room of a bar. Any chance of getting the manager to lower the music was fruitless. It wasn't until 2 a.m., when the bar finally closed and bouncer went home, did I finally get some sleep. Don't stay here. I live in a New York City apartment and I'm used to noise, but this was ridiculous!!!

My room was very small and lacked a table and chair which I found very inconvenient. Be sure you don't get a room over the alley where they collect the trash at 2:30am. Other than that it was ok, clean and near what I wanted to do. The price is certainly right.

The room was very compact but the location and amenities were great, especially for the price. It is located in a posh area of Boston.

I stayed at the Charlesmark last year when I visited Boston, and I loved it. It was very safe, and the amenities were awesome! The front counter service agent/concierge was able to get me tickets to a Red Sox World Series Game with only a few hours notice! That's a class act. Their rooms are cool, and you can't beat the central location. I will say,"I can't wait to go back!" which I'm doing in a few weeks and I wouldn't stay anywhere else!

My first time going into Boston, I didn't know what to expect. Picking a hotel was difficult without knowing the area, but I'm glad that I chose the Charles Mark Hotel. It's in the Back Bay area which is a great location. It's well-lit, clean, many restaurants, bars, shops, etc... The hotel has a crisp, clean modern look which I liked. I realize some people might not be into this contemporary design, but it's a nice departure from the usual, bland hotel rooms with the floral bedspreads. The service I experienced was very friendly and helpful. They weren't over the top in their welcome, but if you asked for anything, they were there for you. The hotel was easily clean, since everything was brand new. Not to mention that the value for the hotel was excellent. I paid $158 a night and that was the least expensive I found in Boston. The continental breakfast was also convenient having. The rooms were very comfy and I loved the TV and stereo system. You can listen to it from the bathroom! Downsides: There is NO parking. Trying to find a spot in the city is like looking for a needle in a haystack unless you park in a garage. Be ready to shell out big $$$. However, this is not the hotel's fault. It is just something that you have to deal with when you're in Boston unless you find a hotel with parking which I found to be rare. Either way though, it will cost you. Another thing is the rooms are small and some people might be bothered by that. It didn't bother me though. I would say this place would be ideal for couples, singles, and business travelers.

This is the 3rd time I've been to the Charlesmark and it is still excellent for the price. The rooms are immaculate. If you are looking for large rooms this hotel may not be for you. It has a European flavor with no bathtubs but beautiful showers. The only downside to the place is that the rooms could use a bit more lighting and you can hear people walking in the room above you but overall the service is great and the location is perfect (right across the street from the Boston Public Library and within easy walking distance of Copley Square and the Convention Center). I particularly like the free wireless access and the computer located in the lobby. The continental breakfast isn't lush but it is servicable. The bed is comfortable and the stereo system is excellent. Most of all the people at the Charlesmark are especially helpful. You won't find every amenity that you might have at a Marriott or Hilton but you won't be paying outrageous prices for the room either.

I recently returned from a week's vacation staying at the Charlesmark Hotel. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The front desk gentleman was able to get me tickets to Game 2 of the World Series at what I found out was rather reasonable prices! The room is cozy, but there are many amenities like the little water holder. Contrary to what another reviewer stated, the pillows were if anything, too thick! You can't beat the location, and the continental breakfast in the morning was very convenient. As a single (without hubby and kids!) traveling woman, I felt very safe there, and was happy there! The artwork around the hotel is beautiful and original- I was very impressed. I would definitely stay there again!

I arrived there with my daughter, thinking we were going to pamper ourselves. First problem was finding A parking spot to unload our bags, there was NO valet parking or anyone on site to help. After going around the block 4 times we stopped at the front door where the sign reads "valet parking" put the bags in the room and in less than 8 minutes got an $55.00 ticket for parking at the door. Front rooms are very noisy, they are facing a very busy avenue, so lots of busses and trucks,and NO double pane windows. The other room I stayed in was dark and depressing, hard to know if it was day or night, because the window looked straight to a brick wall 2feet away. Elevator doors are very close to the rooms and in need of some oil to make them run smoother. The room I was told by the owner had about $1,000.00 in bedding, my assumption was down comforter, great linen, great pillows.....well, I was wrong. The sheets were not soft (50/50 mixed) and not of good quality, there was a waffle cotton blanket on the bed, and the pillows were so thin, that I needed at least two or three to be comfortable. The closet was small and short, so forget about putting a short dress in it, so anything long was out of the question. Adding to that there were no drawers. The bathroom was SMALL, forget about taking a bath, only a shower, of course no bathrobes, Qtips, cotton balls, lotion, shower cap.
I am VERY familiar with boutique hotels, they should feel comfortable, and stand out by the DETAILS which you don't find at a chain hotel.
This hotel was planned by men for men, even though there isn't a place to hang a suit in the "closet".
The price I paid was $249.00 per day, I did not find that a deal.
I would definitely think twice before staying here again.