TRIED AND TESTED HOTELS
Citizen M Boston North Station; Aerotel London Heathrow; Courtyard by Marriott Oxford City Centre
BACKGROUND
Dutch brand Citizen M first launched at Amsterdam Schiphol airport in 2008 and now has city-centre properties in the UK, Europe, Asia and the US. This year, it has Seattle, Geneva and Washington DC in the pipeline. Citizen M’s stated aim is to offer “affordable luxury” in the world’s biggest cities, capturing “what a millennial businessperson wants”. The Boston hotel opened in August last year.
WHERE IS IT?
On top of North Station, also home to TD Garden, where basketball and ice hockey games are played. From the airport, you can take a shuttle bus and the T train, or a ten-minute Uber.
It’s an excellent location for business or leisure, with easy access to Cambridge and other districts on the train, and Boston Common within walking distance. The hotel begins on the fourth floor, so it’s well soundproofed from the bustle below.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
The hotel entrance is to the left of the station. The ground-floor welcome area features bold prints and quirky ornaments. The fourth-floor lobby makes a great first impression thanks to a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that lets the light flood in, a warming gas fire and an eclectic yet stylish mish-mash of furniture. Check-in is via self-service screens and took me less than 30 seconds. There were two or three members of staff in this area throughout my three-day stay, who all greeted me when I walked through.
Referred to as the Lounge, this large, openplan area designed by Dutch firm Concrete has a range of seating, shared desks with plug points, a bar, and dining tables. Next to it is a large outdoor terrace.
ROOMS
All of the property’s 272 rooms are the same size, at 15.7 sqm, but you can pay extra for one on a higher floor with a better view. This starts from £7, although when I made a last-minute booking it was quoted at £18. It was worth it for the stunning sunrise I enjoyed from my bed on the 14th floor one jetlagged morning.
The rooms have six hangers, a sink with a large mirror, and a small fridge with two bottles of water. The toilet and shower are behind opaque glass walls within the main room, with a curtain between them. Shampoo/shower gel is provided in full-sized bottles. Under the wall-towall kingsize bed is a safe, with sliding drawers providing storage. Next to the bed was a small desk with plug sockets, USB points and an adapter. As well as bedside switches for the lights and blackout blinds, there was a tablet for controlling the room settings, including the temperature, lighting (various jazzy mood options are available), music and TV – you can choose from a good selection of recent films, with two free streams available per day.
The room is compact, but white walls, attractive décor and the large window made it feel spacious. I found it comfortable and it had everything I needed. There is an ironing room on each floor.
FOOD AND DRINK
There is a 24-hour menu in the Lounge, with dishes including Italian beef ragu (US$18) and chicken tikka masala (US$16). The bar was well stocked and each evening the area was busy. The breakfast buffet (£15 at the time of booking) is simple but tasted great, with options including smoked salmon, cold meats, cheeses, potato pancakes, bacon and fruit.
MEETINGS
Off the Lounge are six small meeting spaces.
The room is compact, but white walls, attractive décor and the large window made it feel spacious
LEISURE There is a gym on the fifth floor.
VERDICT A superb location, very comfortable rooms and welcoming staff. The hotel wears its cool credentials on its sleeve, but non-millennials should not be put off.
BESTFOR
A stylish hotel in central Boston
DON’TMISS
Nabbing a room with a view
PRICE
Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in April started from US$275
CONTACT
70 Causeway Street; tel + 1 617 861 4360; citizenm.com