Overview
Located about a 4-minute drive from the nearest Interstate 93 on-ramp and a 9-minute drive from Boston's city centre, the Holiday Inn Express Boston is geared towards business and vacation travellers who prefer a hotel with easy highway access, meeting/conference space and a free breakfast.
This hotel has 118 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a mini-fridge, a microwave, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Standard rooms offer two double beds or one king bed, while rooms with a jetted tub, a living area with a sofabed and a dining table are also available.
Hotel amenities include fitness facilities, a business centre, meeting/conference space, guest laundry, free parking and a free continental breakfast. A free shuttle is offered every 30 minutes to Andrew Subway Station, and a $5 per way airport shuttle is also offered (pre-booking required). Pets are not permitted, and wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request.
Cafe Polonia is about a 7-minute walk northeast of the hotel. Shopping and dining can be found at South Bay Center, 2 minutes away on foot. The University of Massachusetts Boston is roughly a 6-minute drive away, and Logan International Airport (BOS) is an 11-minute drive northeast. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, $5 shuttle to airport per way, free shuttle to Andrew Subway Station, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: June 4, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's rooms, location and staff.
Many guests were pleased with the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as clean, modern, spacious and well equipped, with fast Wi-Fi, comfortable beds and nice views of the Boston skyline.
The hotel's location was praised by numerous reviewers. They found it to be close to the subway, highway, airport, Fenway Park, South Bay Center, Boston Library, Trinity Church, restaurants and shopping.
Several lodgers complimented the hotel's staff, characterizing them as friendly, helpful and accommodating. One guest felt that the hotel was well managed.
The hotel's value was also praised by several guests, who described the rates as reasonable, affordable and very good. The hotel's free Wi-Fi, free parking and free shuttle to Andrew Subway Station were cited as adding to the hotel's overall value.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about noise transfer.
A few reviewers complained of noise disturbances during their stays, and reported noise from guests in adjacent rooms and rooms overhead, as well as highway noise and noise from the parking lot. Some guests recommended booking rooms on the upper floors to avoid outside noise.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #54 out of 77 Boston hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 384 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.1 out of 5 with an 89% recommendation rate from 349 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8 out of 10 from 97 reviews.
The author called the hotel on June 4, 2013 to verify some information.
