Astronomically expensive, but an utterly fabulous, luxurious hotel experience. Clean, quiet, excellent service, Frette linens on the bed, amazing shower/bath. The hotel spa is like no other I've been to, and I'm glad there isn't a location near my home or I'd be tempted to go too often for massage / facial. The whole place smells good, too. read more

Stayed here over the last weekend. The hotel is brand spanking new, which is a plus in a town of old dirty 5 star hotels. The staff was unbelievably attentive. I booked through american express and was promised an upgrade to a suite, however this wasn't the case. I'm not sure whos fault that was. my only complaint is the heating system is super effiecient and even though it was turned to 66 we were still melting in our room. The rooms are beautiful, all frette linens and the bathrooms are tremendous. Overall I think this is a diamond in the rough, once the minor kinks are worked out this will be a 5 star experience. Definately worth the price. read more

Well, this is a sad review to write. The hotel is truly beautiful and has very peaceful rooms and great service. We enjoyed our time there immensely. Right up to the point where we got our bill. We were literally ripped off. I can't state it any clearer than that. We had made our initial booking via the website, and there ended being an error where our dates were one month off (July instead of Aug). We later called and corrected the error, showed up for our wonderful time there, and spent over $1200 on our rooms and superb dinners in the hotel. Then they insisted on charging us a $450+ "cancellation" charge for our "missed" reservation in July. Seriously, not kidding. I fully explained the situation, the error with the website, the correction to Aug. I spoke to the hotel manager. Didn't matter. In the end, all they would do was reduce the cancellation charge by 50%. Over $200. Seriously? Sending me from a 5-star fan to a ZERO-STAR upset customer, who will never stay with you again. That was worth insisting on a $200 fee? read more

We booked through American Express so we got an upgrade and we got free breakfast. That's what made this hotel a four star otherwise it would have been a three-star. Boston is not famous for its great hotels that's for sure and we were hoping that the Mandarin Oriental would be great but what makes it good is its location and that it's better than the others LOL. The one major area they can improve on rather immediately is their towels. They are scratchy and not at all what you would expect from a great hotel. read more

I have to comment on a review I just read about Alex. I've been working over by the Mandarin for 8 yrs+, and NEVER have I seen or been greeted by Alex and ALL of the other doormen, and Valets to be nothing but kind, always saying hello, and they even open and close my car door. They are ALL TRUE GENTLEMAN. I think that person that left an nasty comment about Alex was having a bad day himself. read more

The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental First off I have had my share of spa treatments in some very fancy- smanchy establishments: Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, The Fairmont in Bermuda, various places on Newbury St., among others...what sets the spa at the Mandarin apart is both good and bad. I shall start w/ the not-so-good news: Can you say bring your wallet and it better be FAT?! Basically, the services there are more than double what you'd pay anywhere else. Now I will tell you why I didn't mind afterall was said and done...First off, it was about as luxurious, in a subtle way, as one can get. Upon arrival I had my snow boots briskly removed and simultaneously handed some delicious smelling and tasting tea in a delicate tea cup. I immediately noticed that the exquisit wood flooring was entirely heated....yes, HEATED. Talk about pampered. My feet tend to get cold easy, this was over-the-top. I had a facial treatment scheduled and it was my lucky day because I received a beautiful rice papered coupon in the mail a few days before my scheduled service, for a complimentary half hour service of my choice. YAY!! I picked a salt body scrub to go along with the facial, which would pretty much take care of my entire body. I arrived early enough so I could check out the facilities -- do this if you ever go, it is quite a spectacular scene. A few of the highlights included: a shower complete with approx. 8 shower heads where one can choose their "atmosphere" of tropical rainforest, thunder storm, arctic blast, spring showers. I experienced them all w the excpetion of the arctic blast (no cold showers for me, thanks). The tropical rainforest felt JUST like you were in one, complete w music and a light show. The steam room was very steamy (others I have been in have been weak) which had different colored lights blinking, creating a very zen-like experience. The jacuuzi I didn't go in, let's just say I don't really care for public jacuzzi's, but it was huge!!! The servies themselves are an hour and 50 minutes long, so in essence the price was no longer as much of an issue for me since you're getting double the time. The facial consisted of the finest smelling lotions and potions I have ever witnessed. I got one of the best scalp massages ever. By the time I was finished I felt like I was as close to heaven as I could get with every one of my senses alive and kicking (in a zen-like way of course). I also noticed that I was the only one in the place, which made me feel like I practically owned it. The massage tables are also heated with a rock garden of smelling oils placed on the floor directly underneath the head rest, so that your nose is also participating in the "event". Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a service or two, esp during these winter blues. It was an exquisit treat for myself and I'm worth it. ;p read more

First of all, you would never know that this hotel is a supposed to 5 Star, you could put a "Quality Inn" sign in the front of it and it would be just as believable. It' simply a big piece of concrete before you step inside and see much better. The one thing that's repeatedly bad is the front door staff. They engage passer's by in conversation, and if you stop to respond, they'll pretend they never started the conversation in the first place. And heaven forbid you ask a question in return, they'll play 20 questions before giving you an answer. They must be bored as hell. I've been to some functions here which were of the Mandarin Standard, but overall, they need some improvement, especially in the "service" department!!! read more

My favorite hotel! Not a complaint to be had. Except for the price! wonderful service, beautiful rooms and a spa that is second to none. The rooms are beautifully appointed and the amenities and location are fabulous!! read more

We were excited to stay at this hotel for a one night staycation, but were woefully disappointed. We arrived in our street clothes as we were coming directly from home (and our two young children). We were barely given a second glance as we opened the doors for ourselves and let ourselves into the lobby. The front desk kindly offers tea to be sent up after check in. We waited in our room for 1 hour before finally calling down and reminding them that they forgot it. We dined at L'Espalier for dinner and were more formally dressed when we came through the lobby. Suddenly, my husband and I were warmly greeted and awarded subtle nods of approval. After returning from dinner, we went to rent a movie only to find that there were none available via the TV itself. We called down and asked for the movie list (a list of 20-30 semi-older titles), then waited with baited breath for the DVD itself and DVD player. It, once again, never arrived leaving us to pick a random movie on cable to watch mid-way through to close out the night. Upon check-out, once again in street clothes, we were promptly ignored as we walked past the front desk/concierge area. We made our displeasure known by speaking with the manager. She was immediately defensive and seemed ill-prepared to deal with constructive criticism (this being her 3rd month on the job), so much so that she asked for us to wait 5 minutes so that we could repeat the entire story again to her superior. This after telling us that the reason we might have been ignored by the staff was because 'they didn't know us'. We decided to not waste any more time. Overall, the facilities themselves are beautiful, but for the price, you'll be much happier with the service at the Four Seasons. There, you don't have to dress like a Kardashian at 9am in the morning to get a kind look or a sincere "Good morning". read more

loved my stay at the mandarin my room was beautiful room service was a 10/10, the staff was so accompanying, the breakfast was delicious. the location is also a major plus! xo Alena read more

I didn't stay at the hotel, just went here for a business event in the ballroom. The food was amazing. Extremely high quality. The hotel was immaculately clean, and the design of it was very modern and sleek. I probably couldn't afford to stay here overnight, but I'm glad I went to the party so I could somewhat experience the Mandarin. Very classy and professional. Would definitely go again. read more

Amazing hotel. I went here for a Christmas Party and we were in one of the event rooms on the second floor. I felt not nearly fancy enough to be there, but the employees made me feel instantly welcome, and were very friendly and helpful. The food was delish -we had passed hors d'oeuvres, everything from crab cakes to steak tartare, and everything was done just right. If only I was rich ;) read more

The Mandarin Oriental is a Ferrari Enzo with some minor door dings; a masterpiece of a hotel that cut some small, detailed corners. But only the most discerning would notice, and by no means does it veto the prestige and caliber of the hotel. Preface this by mentioning the obvious, the Mandarin Oriental is superb; the layout, the door service at the curb, the decor, front desk services, cleanliness, those are all spot on and in no need of detailed break down here. They nailed all the obvious requisites of a four star hotel. Bravo. Other perks include a gorgeous view of Boylston street, and they bring you a hot pot of wonderful tea upon check in. Also worth mentioning is that the elevator allows access only with a room key, a perk which I always appreciate so you don't have randoms wandering around the halls. I want to stress that the metaphoric door dings did not detract from the experience whatsoever, but, that said, it is within the details which distinguish the good from the great, and the great from the ultimate: To elaborate, at one point I wanted to plug my ipod in to the dock on the nightstand, but for the life of me, could not find the remote to operate it. We had just checked in, so it seemed unlikely that we had misplaced it. After scouring the drawers and looking next to the TV, on the desk, etc. I gave up because it should have been way more obvious to locate and I was concerned with other priorities. And, come to think of it, if it was one of those "conveniently operate the ipod dock with your TV remote set ups, but only learn that detail my browsing through your Welcome Guest binder... ", that is a total strike. I want technology, but I want it simply and logically. It never turned up, even the next day when I looked in full daylight. I felt this should have been on the maid's checklist to verify that it was, a) present, and; b) in a logical place, like say, err, I don't know, next to the dock. (If there was in fact a separate remote) Missing remote aside, this brings me to another oddity, motion detecting lights that didn't detect motion and are oddly synced and paired with seeming illogic. We wanted just the bathroom light on, but it also triggered the nightstand lights. We tried obvious combinations of manually turning lights on and off, to no avail. Not wanting to waste too much time on this, we abandoned our effort to attain superficial mood lighting and killed all the lights all together and opened the curtains instead, letting the city lights of the summer night sneak in. Done. Bona fide mood lighting attained.... (Suffice it to say that obviously, I could have resolved both issues by simply picking up the phone and requesting a replacement remote and a copy of "Motion Detecting Lights for Dummies". This was something I did not feel like doing however. I felt like it should have been done for me prior to check in. I was not at a Holiday Inn truck stop, I was at the Mandarin Oriental, a hotel, per my stay, still striving for the "ultimate" title, but far better then its greatest competition.) read more

The hotel has an amazing lobby filled with cool art and it's obvious they threw a lot of money at selling this place as a high class hotel. The reason I have to give such a low review is because me and 3 other people were kicked out of the hotel for 'being too loud,' which might sound like a reasonable thing at first, but we weren't actually being loud at all. We were sitting in our room around 2AM, watching TV on low volume and just having normal conversations. We were not yelling at all. The truth is, the walls in this hotel are PAPER thin, if it wasn't so highly decorated, they could easily be the walls of a motel. How could I even bring a girl to this hotel if we couldn't be a little bit loud at night? When the guards kicked us out, they said they were standing all the way at the end of the hallway and could hear everything we were saying, which is astounding when you realize we weren't having a party or going crazy at all. A hotel that claims to be this nice should be able to conceal at least a little noise. So if you're planning on having ANY fun at ALL, be prepared to get kicked out for literally keeping your voice to normal decibel levels. Not to mention the room we had was the Presidential suite, and there was nothing really "presidential" about it. read more

Great hotel in the heart of Boston. The staff here will Spoil you at a 100% level. Rooms are nice, bed is great, shower is awesome. The Spa Facilities are also state of the art. read more

If only every hotel could be as classy as the Mandarin! I have a tradition of coming to this particular Mandarin for a chocolate martini after dinner ever since week 1 of it opening. Just a special moment and memory created each time I visit. Just wonderful! read more

I attended a Mutual Funds conference here for work and I didn't really want to leave. The staff, the food, the surroundings, the convenience...impeccable. The ballroom had chandeliers that looked like modern art, the bathrooom ambience was wonderful (and warm) with very private stalls...not the kind that you can see someone wiping through the cracks (no pun intended). I loved the glass Voss water bottles (and thank you to the kind staff member who opened my explosive sparkling water for me when I was having all kinds of trouble). The skirt steak during lunch was delicious and the apple cinnamon pretzels made my mouth water during the mid-afternoon break. They are lucky I didn't end up sleeping on the big, comfy blue couch outside of the ballroom because believe me, I thought about it. read more

No scumbags in the lounge , just some wanna be's and people either with money or wishing they had money.... Had to stand around.. No treal big.. read more

The BEST hotel in Boston!!! Excellent service, the Spa is incredible! Great place to stay, host an event or simply dine in any of their fabulous restaurants! I wish I could give them SEVEN stars!!! read more

Security followed me around when i was trying to find out some info on rooms for a friend. He said my business is not welcome there. Which i have decided to take my guests to a more friendly and welcoming hotel. I never got the security guards name but he had a thick accent and was very judgy. I do not recommend this hotel as you may be discriminated against based on your looks. read more

I like to go here and sit by the fire. That's it. So if you want to sit by a fire and make phone calls, hang out here with me. :)

Mandarin oriental is a notch above the other luxury hotel in town in terms of service. ( ritzcarlton, Liberty hotel, fairmont) I stayed in the backbay room which has a stunning city view. The hotel offers direct excess to prudential mall and lespalier. (One of my favorite restaurant).The interior design is stunning and i loved the simplicity of this luxury hotel. I had the chance to experience different spas around the world, but the spa on the fourth floor is truely something different. Upon entry, it's serenity in the city. Take advantage of steamroom, vitality pool, and relaxation lounge before treatment. The mandarin oriental hotels remain on the top of my list. read more

This is a review for the restaurant only; I haven't stayed in the hotel. At the Prudential/Hynes/Marriott/Sheraton complex for a big conference this weekend, was trying to find a place to eat where conversation wouldn't be constantly interrupted by greetings from other conference attendees saying "Hey, there, you-person-who-I-know-I-know-but-whose-name-I-can't-remember, how are you?!?!" Snuck into the Mandarin Oriental with an entrance that is hidden so delightfully within the mall that I can't believe we found it. Dining room empty. Not sure how they stay in business. Coffee was amazing; beet salad was very good with a very generous helping of goat cheese. The only weird thing: they brought a jar of pickled cauliflower with the bread instead of butter, and forgot to explain that it was their "specialty of the house" -- a different pickled vegetable every day! Which led to an unpleasant experience on the part of my friend who thought it was butter. Ew. But otherwise fine. Very pleasant hidden gem amidst the chaos of the largest indoor shopping extravaganza in Boston. read more

Met 2 friends at the WBar at the Mandarin Oriental last night for drinks and to catch up. Service was deplorable. We literally had to flag our server down to order drinks, to then order food, and finally one of my friends literally had to get up to find our server chatting with other servers in the back bar, to get our bill. The drinks themselves weren't even up to par of an upscale bar. I ordered a specialty drink "Spring Sangria" expecting slightly sweet and refreshing and it tasted like a whiskey sour. While the bar area itself was very attractive, there are too many other upscale bars with impeccable service out there. We won't be returning. read more

Finishing a three night stay here and it was simply fabulous. I've been lucky enough to stay at some of the finest hotels in the world and this compares favorably with the best of them (in fact, I can think only of the Elysian in Chicago as a US equal, and I haven't stayed there since the ownership change). Superb staff, sumptuous spa, immensely helpful concierge, spacious room, excellent location...truly could not have been happier. When I write a review I try to identify the worst, or least best, issue...I'm struggling with this one. [Oh, okay, when I left the hotel at 9:15 this morning they had already cleared the comp coffee station in the lobby...that's the best I got.] We have a new favorite in Boston! read more

Another stop in our day from window shopping on Newbury street. I work for a competitor and wanted to see what this spot was about. So, let's face it, Mandarin built a great stage for their guests: the bar, the restaurant, rooms, amenities and spa all with the highest level of interaction with a top flight product. You won't go wrong with anything here but you certainly will find other products out there that will compete easily and perhaps even exceed The Mandarin's standards. read more

You truly get what you pay for with this luxury hotel. My wife and I couldn't understand how everyone on the hotel staff seem to know our names. We walked off the elevator and someone on the staff greeted us by our last name when we walked by the front desk the staff greeted us again by our last name the same with the valet and bell desk. That was a first. We joked that they must have face recognition camera throughout the hotel... The room was amazing and the bed was the most comfortable either of us have ever slept on. The hotel lounge closes early (1am). Great location. read more

Favorite place to stay when I'm in Boston. Room, food, service and spa are all excellent.

I love this hotel. Extremely relaxing, in every possible detail. There are two top luxury hotels in Boston- this one, and the Liberty. While the Liberty is more of a party style, boutique young dark design, the Mandarin is quiet, spa oriented, hong kong. The rooms are designed brilliantly. And they have the beat spa in New England. Also, This is of course the best location in Boston. read more

This hotel really provides an incredible experience through expert observation and attention to detail. Your reservation is correct, your bags placed in your room, special welcome tea service is delivered. The turn down service turns your room into a sanctuary for sleep. What I especially love about this hotel is the attention to the little details. For example one night I used the bath salts in the tub, the next day the maid seeing I used them put 2 new ones in. You just feel taken care of. The staff truly tries to get to know you and your preferences to give you an amazing stay. I love this hotel. read more

The Mandarin Boston is indcredible! Full disclosure, I got married here so my memory is influenced by that happy day. The rooms are beautifully decorated, clean and new. Upon arrival, I was served hot tea and a bottle of Veuve was brought to my room. That kind of hospitality is highly appreciated! The service is outstanding and the hotel chefs take such pride in every single meal they prepare. The food I've had at the Mandarin is some of the best I've ever had. I wish I could live there, perhaps one day.... read more

On Memorial Day weekend we decided to go for an afternoon tea at mandarin oriental. Before going we confirmed that they cater to vegetarians and they said they would make us special dishes. When we got there to our surprise the afternoon tea was in the lobby of the hotel right next to the front door - clearly an underwhelming ambience. However we thought we would still give it a try based on the reputation of the hotel. We were told that the chef had been preparing our afternoon tea sandwiches and pastries all morning. Typically in the afternoon tea you get several varieties and courses of tea - here there was only one. When the sandwiches came out, they were very insulting. Ie cutout white bread with a glob of peanut butter (think jiff or skippy quality) or another one with raw avocado. On top of this, the bill came to $85 a person and let's not forget the $45 valet for one hour of parking (no validation). If I could give this negative five stars, I would. Be warned and stay away! read more

From check in until check out, the service was INCREDIBLE. My room was immaculate, huge and very stylish. It's quite pricey but so worth it. My one negative comment is with Sel de la Terre. Why is it attached to this hotel? It's dark, the service is pretty terrible, the food/drinks weren't any better. The only negative in an otherwise perfect weekend. read more

Very nice hotel. I usually stay in $$ or $$$ hotels, and this one was a solid $$$$. So I can't accurately compare this hotel with similarly priced ones. But I have to say, it was a real treat. The room was well stocked with everything we might need. They served us a lovely welcome tea, and every employee we encountered treated us with an easy graceful friendliness. My only slight disappointment was that there was no coffee maker in the room. read more

Used the Ballroom for our company's annual party...@$150 a head. Won't do that again. The food wasn't all that great and there wasn't enough of it. The management could have done more for us, a lot more. The Mandarin has a pleasant, but conservative/corporate atmosphere which is not really conducive to a good party. This was not a complete catastrophe as much as it was an expensive lesson. read more

I stay here every time I come to Boston due to its central location. I feel that their price adds up to their level of service. Staff is personable, hotel is clean and rooms are spacious. I recently arrived at 3:30 and my room was not ready so they bought me drinks at the bar while I waited and brought me my keys as soon as it was. Way to fix a frustrating situation professionally and quickly. read more

My wife and I just stayed at the hotel this weekend. By far the best hotel I've stayed at in Boston. Sure it's a bit more expensive than some other hotels, but you get what you pay for. The room quality and staff service is second to none. Great place and look forward to going back. read more

I'd like to echo Shailish's comments. We ate at one of the restaurants in the hotel -- service was amateur, not what one expects at the Mandarin. After dinner there was much confusion over whether our parking would be validated. We also had to go to a manager to straighten it out but the attitude was that they were doing us a favor. Furthermore, the window to pay for parking is in a tiny space on the sidewalk outside -- have the designers ever been in Boston in January? read more

Let me start by saying that I have been to many spa's throughout the country during all of my traveling and I have to say that this is one of THE BEST! The staff here is exceptional and treats you like royalty from the moment you walk in the door. Although on the more expensive side, you definitely get what you pay for. Incredible state of the art facilities, professional staff, and some of the best spa services you could imagine. Treat yourself and go here. read more

First time staying at this Mandarin and what a wonderful hotel ...location is wonderful connected to to the Prudential and easy access to everything. The hotel was top flight and everything that would expect from high end stay. Tech wise this is one of the best hotels I have stayed at. They are on top of everything. read more