Hi there,
Since we were going to be in Durham for almost a month and Diego’s boss is from Boston, they organized a dinner to get to know each other and the colleagues who were closest to the city would attend.
His boss told him that so he wouldn’t have to drive there and back the same night, he would treat us to a couple of nights at a hotel in town.
He passed us the link to a 5-star Marriott that had formerly been a high security prison.
He told Diego to check it out in case he didn’t like it. The truth is that since it was an invitation, we weren’t going to get picky and neither did we research the hotel reviews as we always do before making a reservation.
We figured that since it was a Marriott, it would be all perfect and we would spend a weekend in a splurge of luxury.
Diego’s boss said that parking and room service were covered as well (the hotel was so precarious that we didn’t even waste our time asking for a room service that wasn’t going to be good).
Since we were going to arrive at 9AM in Boston and check in was at 4PM, we called to ask if we could leave the car at 9AM or should it be at the same time as check in.
The person who attended us had no idea and told us to ask at the front desk. We were shocked by the lousy service they were giving on the phone.
On Thursday night Diego’s boss had expressly gone to the hotel to leave his credit card so that all the room expenses would be charged to that card.
Even so, when we arrived the person who attended us at the front desk had no idea of anything and told us that the card given the night before was only for the payment of the two nights with nothing else and that we should therefore give our credit card.
When we arrived with the car, a man over 6 feet tall immediately came and asked us for the car keys and practically took them out of our hands. When we went back to get our luggage out of the car, he refused to give us the keys and opened the car himself.
I was in shock that I was being treated as if I was going to steal my own car.
When I saw the room of that 5-star luxury collection hotel, I could not believe it.
That room was a normal hotel room that in Europe, depending on the city and the season, can be 200 euros max.
We had breakfast included only because Diego’s boss has a loyalty card and always goes to Marriotts, otherwise we had to pay for it separately.
Here are the good and the bad aspects:
Pros
- The bed was comfortable.
- The internet worked well for WhatsApp and social networks.
- The location was good for visiting Boston.
- The bathroom was spacious.
- The towels were of good quality and in perfect condition.
Cons
- Check in very late, at 4 pm.
- Parking was very expensive, and you could find it for less than half the price in the city.
- Phone and reception service was incompetent.
- Breakfast was very limited for a 5-star hotel and there were no vegan options.
- The hotel also functions as a nightclub, so depending on the room, you may have to put up with the music all night.
- The room being so small, having the bed right next to the door and not well insulated, it was quite noisy.
- The sheets were torn and stained.
- The curtains were dirty.
- Storage space is almost nonexistent because the closet is minimal. The hotel is not suitable for more than 2 nights because it has no place to put clothes.
- The windows in the room cannot be opened and this is something I hate about some hotels.
- The air conditioning is exaggeratedly noisy.
- The amenities were poor for a 5-star hotel.
- The shower and sink were moldy.
- The plugs in the bathroom did not work.
Prices
2 nights: 953,74 USD (Superior guest room 1 King)
Parking: 71 USD + IVA per night.
With this stay we were able to prove that even paying for luxury, you don’t get luxury.
Between inflation and capitalism, every day we pay more for less.
Although in Europe you can get better options for that money, it is increasingly difficult or almost impossible to get accommodation where you have the service you paid for.
Here is the link to my YouTube channel: