Tag Archives: Hospitality

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The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Boston – Cambridge /The Idyllic Location

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HIlton DoubleTree Suites in Boston
(hotelstravel.com)

By Rohan:

When you’re visiting one of America’s most historic cities, it feels like it would take another revolution to find a hotel to accommodate the family. The DoubleTree Guest Suites has been our choice time and time again when we visit Boston thanks to its beautiful waterfront location and its spacious rooms despite being in the middle of all the action. Despite being in the heart of downtown Boston, the DoubleTree feels as if it is located on its own island. On one side is the sprawling metropolis home to excellent museums, succulent restaurants, and boatloads of history, and on the other is the intellectual haven of Cambridge, home to Harvard University and MIT.

The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Boston – Cambridge is a stone’s throw away from Boston University. From here, you can catch the T train to Quincy Market, the Museum of Fine Arts, the New England Aquarium, and other terrific New England attractions. As suggested by the name, every room in the hotel is a suite consisting of a living room area, a bedroom with two queen beds, and a large bathroom. If you are traveling with a group or prefer more space to spread out, this hotel will suit you perfectly.

In addition, the DoubleTree’s rooms all have two windows: one facing the Charles River or the city and the other looking inwards to the hotel’s beautiful atrium. Whether you enjoy the reflections of skyscrapers of Boston while reading a great book or people watching from high above the lobby, the DoubleTree has you covered. And who could forget those irresistible cookies you receive as soon as you check in.

The DoubleTree is also packed with amenities most downtown hotels have to sacrifice for more rooms. This includes an indoor swimming pool, a huge fitness center, and three elegant restaurants. If you are looking for some late night entertainment, catch a stand-up comedian or a jazz band at Sculler’s Jazz Club. The breakfast package is not complimentary, but for a small fare, it gets the job done.

We highly recommend choosing the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Boston – Cambridge the next time you plan an adventure in Boston.

To learn more, you can visit their site here:

http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/massachusetts/doubletree-suites-by-hilton-hotel-boston-BOSSBDT/index.html

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A tale of two hotels in Athens – Who won us over?

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By Lakshmi:

We at Paupers want to feel enriched by our travels without draining our wallet.  Price and location drive our lodging choices and when faced with a choice of one more experience or indulging in a hotel, we always chose the former.

Due to differences in the economy/the exchange rates over several years, we experienced two hotels, separated a world apart in Athens.

We were pretty excited when we snagged a deal at one of Athens’ premier addresses, Hotel Grande Bretagne.  Situated smack in the middle of Syntagma Square, history oozing through its every pore, the hotel is an elegant old world property that has played host to heroes and villains in history.  Winston Churchill has been a guest as have the leaders from the third Reich!  The staff was efficient, the rooms formal but tastefully done, the doorman always greeting us and yet what appealed to us most about this property was not the hotel, but what lay outside.  We had to just step outside to see the changing of the guard, we looked forward to the elderly couple selling us sesame coated bagels, our to-go-veggie sandwiches from Everest, walking to the restaurants in Plaka and of course shopping along Ermou Street.    The hotel was a lovely place to come back to each night, but to us, there was nothing they did to make our Athenian visit special.

Fast forward a few years, and the strength of the Euro made us go further out and select the Art Hotel near Omonia Square.  While the hotel looked pretty good on the web and cost us more than what the Grand Bretagne did, it was a modest property with a small room and an even tinier bathroom.  We would live in pretty cramped quarters for a week!  And the busy thoroughfare location ensured us a constant sound of cars and bikes!  And yet, from the word go, the lady at the front desk seemed to care about us.  She wanted to make sure we got enough to eat at breakfast, told us how to get around on the metro that was a few blocks away, wanted to know our plans and gave us tips to do things more effectively with kids and a senior in tow!  Of course, the most touching aspect was when two days later, they had a vacancy in the adjacent room and gave it to my father so he would have enough space….without charging us a dime for the extra room for the duration of our stay.  Every night, we would be asked about our day, our plans for the following day and of course what the kids’ reaction was to all the events of the day.

Sure the Grand Bretagne had a dedicated concierge if you wanted one, but our friend at the Art Hotel made it her business to be one and served us in the true spirit of “philoxenia” – translated as taking care of a foreigner.

To learn more about The Grand Bretagne, click here:

http://www.grandebretagne.gr/

To learn more about The Art Hotel, click here:

http://www.arthotelathens.gr/