Residence Inn Boston Downtown/Seaport

The Residence Inn Boston Downtown Seaport was renovated from an industrial office building into a fashionable hotel in 2013. The overall vibe is cool and modern, with bright accents colors, exposed beams, bricks walls, and metal pipes. 12 foot high ceilings, glass elevators, and a 1900s era subway tiled atrium add a sense of history to the space. Skylights allow natural light. Most of the clientele are business travelers who want to be near downtown Boston and appreciate having full kitchens in the room suites. The lobby is bustling with guests working on their laptops and having cocktails at the bar.

The neighborhood surrounding the hotel is mostly made up of brick office buildings and condos, so it's relatively quiet, though the livelier downtown area is within walking distance. The Congress Street side of the hotel does include quick access to lounges, restaurants, and cafes. Business travelers should note that the financial district is a short walk from the hotel. The Boston Children's Museum is a few blocks away. South Station is nearby as is a public bus stop.

All of the 120 rooms inside the Residence Inn Boston Downtown Seaport are studios or one-bedroom suites; each has just one bed. The unique and trendy decor pays homage to the building's industrial past with partial brick walls, exposed wooden beams, metal pipes, and arched windows. The full size kitchens have stainless steel appliances and gray cupboards filled with cutlery and dishes. Furniture includes a sectional couch and long wooden work desk. Flat-screen TVs are standard and Wi-Fi is free. Shower/bathtub combinations and single sinks make up the bathrooms. The hotel was built in 2013 so everything looks fresh and new. Some of the views of the surrounding neighborhood are more inspiring than others.

The hotel offers fee grocery shopping to guests, which is a nice touch for busy business travelers who want to cook their own meals but don't have the time or desire to actually go out and get the ingredients. Guests simply check boxes on the form in their kitchen and staff bills the items to the room. Breakfast is free and there's a bar for beer and cocktails, but no on-site restaurant. A small marketplace does sell snacks and packaged food items. The fitness center is better than the average chain hotel gym. It has Precor cardio machines and fresh fruit for the taking. There's a small business area which includes a printer and two desktop computers in the lobby. Coin-operated laundry facilities are another convenient feature at this hotel geared towards business travelers.