Michelle B.
Yelp
Unfortunately, due to a few specific and easily fixable issues, this hasn't been a pleasant experience. Note this is our third stay here.
First off - parking on weekends is fine. There's street parking and we didn't have an issue finding a spot. But parking for the snowstorm and during the week is at a garage that's a rather far walk for a family with young kids. It's also not an in-and-out garage, so you'll pay for each entry. The hotel did provide very clear directions to the lot, however.
Secondly - the rooms. I'm okay with cheap hotel rooms and I fully expected this one to be. What I didn't expect were missing lightbulbs (2 out of 4), no hangers, no plates or silverware (despite having a kitchenette - be sure to bring a plate or mug to reheat anything), and the television remote barely worked (lacked a back) while the channels all sounded underwater. There's also a total lack of hot water most of the day and night, and the bath doesn't work (you couldn't use it without hot water anyway). We discussed it with the front desk, who recommended that we run the water first (didn't work even after 20 minutes) and offered to switch rooms for us. After a discussion with another family in the elevator, we learned it wasn't any better anywhere else so we stayed put. There is, however, extremely hot water in the sink. Why it doesn't translate to the bath, who knows. The bath has the issue of being extremely slippery, as both myself and our preschooler unfortunately discovered. And, unfortunately for this technological age, only one socket in the entire room that was capable of holding a plug. The rest immediately released anything plugged into them - something I would consider a safety hazard.
Thirdly - the pool. The website goes to great lengths to avoid saying the pool is the YMCA's - NOT the hotels. And getting to it is a huge challenge without directions. We got stuck in a stairwell and thankfully a kind maintenance worker let us out. The pool is open only sporadically and there's not a ton of space. If we had known this, we would've chosen a different hotel. (Also be sure to get towels before you go all the way down to the pool - they told us to go to the front desk of the Y, which doesn't look like a front desk but rather a regular gym desk.) Furthermore, the pool has only a ladder entrance, and there are no handicap-accessible bathrooms. You must also follow the rules of the YMCA when it comes to little kids - which seem to change depending on the lifeguard. Our third time swimming we were told our 3yo must wear a life jacket. Four other lifeguards didn't mention it at all.
The good? It's affordable and not in a bad location, though I'd recommend using a cab or Uber to get to many of the city destinations. Parking garages in Boston are as outrageous as New York, if not more so. The staff was extremely kind and, for the most part, helpful. And, while we had issues with the pool, we were able to take advantage of it enough that our 3yo barely noticed the challenges. The room was fine otherwise for a cheap motel and the heat worked well. The beds weren't comfortable, but they were clean. The only cleanliness issue was with someone who kept leaving dirty diapers in the hallway - including in front of our room, but you can find rude people anywhere. Lastly, we of course tremendously appreciate the military discount - something very few hotels offer.
To the hotel management, here are my suggestions:
-Ensure there are lightbulbs in every lamp
-Enlist an electrician to update the outlets; clearly we weren't the only ones with this issue
-Enlist a plumber to examine the issues with the shower hot water heater and ensure all baths are functional
-Add stickies to the bathtub floor, or provide a mat for in-bath use
-Offer at least paper plates to use in the microwave and the option of at least checking-out other kitchenware
-Make the circumstances of the pool explicitly clear on the website - it is not the Inn's pool. It's the YMCA's pool and, in general, there's very little room for families to play. YMCA rules stipulate kids wear life jackets. The bathrooms and showers are not handicap-friendly. And the hours are dictated by the YMCA, not the Inn.
-Print out information and directions to the pool for hotel guests.
These few and (mostly) inexpensive fixes would go a long way to improving guests' experiences.