Anisha Shasmo
Google
A Birthday Ruined by Aggressive Staff and Disrespect
My fiancée and I went to The Grand Boston to celebrate her birthday, expecting a fun night out. What we got instead was one of the worst experiences we’ve ever had at a venue in the city.
After paying $22 per drink, we were enjoying ourselves on the dance floor. I brought our empty cups back to the bar—trying to be respectful, not just leave them on the floor like others do. As I turned to return to our paid section, a security guard shoved me in the diaphragm with his knuckles and told me to “go to people,” pointing toward the exit. I tried to call my fiancée to explain, and he pushed me into a woman holding a full drink, which spilled all over her and us, causing a scene.
I calmly explained that we had paid for a table and I was trying to get back to my party. Instead of listening, he grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the railing. Only after seeing my fiancée waving from our section did he finally let me through. Absolutely unacceptable.
The service was no better—drinks overpriced, staff indifferent. We’ve been to many venues in Boston and never had an experience this hostile. We decided to leave early, and even that was a nightmare. While waiting outside the bathroom for my fiancée, another guard asked me what “business” I had there. I explained I was waiting for her, but yet another bouncer grabbed me and threw me up the stairs.
We left shaken and disgusted. For a venue that markets itself as upscale, the behavior of the staff—especially security—was aggressive, unprofessional, and downright dangerous. If management cares about their reputation, they need to seriously reevaluate who they’re hiring. We will never return, and we’ll be warning others to stay far away.