I cannot believe what a fantastic experience I had at the Courtyard Marriot Boston Raynham this week. I was only there for one night and I'm kind of sorry it wasn't longer. While, I was technically there on business, I had my family with me so I wanted it to feel like a mini-vacation- I was not disappointed.
Let's talk first impressions. As soon as I walked in I was greeted by a lovely rep, who with a smile on her face was welcoming and got me checked-in seamlessly. That was refreshing after traveling in a car with for 4 hours with very small children. I was really blown away with the décor and that continued as I made my way from the entryway through the lobby and all the way up to my room. It's almost like they has they hired the set designer from Madmen and told them to give it a modern twist. It was so chic and cool that I'll be honest I was shocked that it was Courtyard Marriot. Speaking of modern it was obvious they had a recent makeover- just and FYI the current pics on their website of the hotel lobby, business center and facilities are CORRECT, but the old pics of the rooms are not yet updated. Make no mistake, the rooms are ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS now. They were clean in design, bright and artistic, but not over the top so that it made you feel uncomfortable like you were in a museum. I can only equate it to staying in a very fashionable friend's NYC studio apartment. One thing we all have in today's day an age is a lot of electronics, from iPads to laptops and phones that need charging- there's nothing more disappointing that not having enough outlets for these modern necessities. That was NOT an issue in my room. I even travel with a diffuser for essential oils and had more than enough outlets for everything including 3 options on each side of the bed built into the nightstand (two power outlets and a USB port for your phone.) I thought I was a Jetson. The king size bed was wonderful and so comfortable and there was this very hip loveseat that was also a hideaway bed. My toddler slept there well until she got into bed with us. They even had a refrigerator which was SO helpful because I had two little ones I needed to keep their healthy snacks (carrot sticks etc) and baby food from spoiling. But the fridge wasn't just out there looking gaudy it was pleasantly hidden in stylish cabinetry on the wall. Our room faced the back of the hotel where we had a wonderful view of the courtyard and the fire pit that sadly we didn't get to enjoy because our stay was so short. The ONLY hiccup we had was that there were times when it was difficult to get into our room because the safety lock would jam the door. I alerted the front desk about this and they sent someone up immediately.
The business center, which I did have to use, was in a warmly decorated lounge with great lighting and a fireplace instead of the typical cold dank windowless room that makes you feel like you're working in a dungeon. While I didn't get to use the pool, spa or workout facilities I checked them out- they were clean, warm and modern as well. One of my favorite parts of the eating lounge/ foyer was that there were these swanky little booths that even had their own private TV screens for private viewing for you and your party. I've NEVER seen that before. It was so 5 star!
I've never been to Raynham before so I wasn't familiar with the area and places to go eat. That wasn't an issue because there were some great choices very near by. The night of my stay we went to Longhorn Steak house just across the street, which was really good then the next day when a friend came down from Boston we had lunch at the Stoneforge a very nice restaurant in walking distance from the hotel. There is also a huge array of fastfood options and grocery stores a short driving distance from the hotel. Regardless of how you feel about Wal-Mart and their policies toward their employees there was one conveniently located across the street- so if you need anything from diaper wipes to wine you're set.
This was truly one of the best hotel experiences I've had in a long time and for someone who travels a great deal that's saying something. I highly recommend this hotel for anyone who is going to be in Raynham for business or pleasure. read more