Boston's Sheraton Hotel: They Take
care of You!
“The oldest public library in the country is here in
Boston, and it’s virtually around the corner from this hotel,” said Jim
Campbell, manager of the 1,216-room Boston Sheraton. “The Boston Common is
the oldest public park in the county, and it’s just a 15 minute walk down
Boylston Avenue.” He might have also mentioned the first Sheraton in
the country was in Boston as well, having opened back in 1937. That was
way before there was a Prudential Center which for the past forty years
has added a special dimension to a Sheraton stay with its Hynes Convention
Center, a 200-shop mall, and a range of restaurants that run the gamut of
dining experiences. All are accessible to Sheraton guests without having
to venture out of doors.
But with so
many attractions of this most historic of American cities within walking
distance of this premier Back Bay hotel, why limit oneself to the indoors?
The amiable hotel manager: Jim Campbell |
“Of course, the convention center
brings people to the Sheraton. But we also attract many, many
tourists. It’s amazing how many people come to town to see this city.
I still feel like tourist myself,” said Jim who’s been on the job for
less than a year having arrived in early 2004. “We saw our first game
at Fenway a few weeks ago, parked our car at the hotel, and walked
over. My wife had grown up in Wyoming and her father was a Red Sox
fan. They’d listen to the games on the radio because they couldn’t get
it on TV. Once we came to Boston, she couldn’t wait to take the tour
of Fenway and see the Red Sox play.” |
A native of
Austin, Texas, the amiable hotel executive seems to be happily at home in
his new surroundings. “One of the things that impresses me is how many of
our staff are natives of the region,” he told us. “It seems the people
here love the area and don’t want to leave. They’re comfortable with the
climate and all the things Boston offers plus the advantage of having both
the beaches and mountains nearby. Boston is very much a small town
atmosphere where everybody knows everybody. It has a large impact but it’s
a small city.”
But there is
nothing small about the Sheraton, from its broad circular driveway to its
9,000-square foot contemporary lobby where gleaming marble floors
comfortably coexist with patterned carpets, and the vast space is
punctuated by cozy conversation areas comprised of glass cocktail tables
surrounded by plush sofas and high-back chairs in warm earth tones.
And then
there is “the bed” – off to the side of the reception area – king-sized,
turned down, its puffy duvet, down pillows, and pure white linens an
irresistible temptation to weary travelers. “It’s no more than what our
guests can expect in their rooms,” said Jim, “a bed with a very thick
mattress with foam pillow top, very, very comfortable. It’s our way of
advertising how we at Sheraton take care of you.
“ ‘Sheraton
cares of you,’ is the name of our training program,” he added. “It carries
on the mission established by the two gentlemen who originally founded the
hotel: find out and deliver what the customer wants.”
Someone had
found out and delivered what this pair of customers wanted in a hotel
room. That much was clear from the moment we opened the door to our 29th
floor room in the recently renovated North Tower club level. Before us was
an enormous window that, on closer inspection, overlooked the rooftops of
Back Bay brownstones and across the Charles River, dotted with sailboats
this June afternoon, to the neo-classical buildings of MIT on the
Cambridge side. When we finally stopped looking out the window, we took in
the smart décor of our surroundings: a blend of early twentieth and early
twenty-first century chic with a dark blue pinstriped sofa, traditional
mahogany furnishings, wood moldings, and, of course, “the bed.” Off the
hallway was the bathroom, a study in modern luxury with creamy marble
surfaces and sleek nickel fixtures.
 |
While time pressures prevented our
taking advantage of the Sheraton’s touted health club built around a
stunning swimming pool beneath a retractable see-through roof, we did
partake of the offerings of the 29th floor club lounge where a buffet
breakfast far too ample and varied to be called continental is served
each morning, and drinks and hors d’oeuvres are available during the
cocktail hour. |
We noticed how often when Jim referred to the Sheraton
staff, he used the term “associates.”
“It’s more appropriate than ‘employees’” he said. “It
suggests people who work towards the same goal rather than people who work
for management. The name makes a difference, I think. We are all working
here: housekeepers, food and beverage people, valet parkers, folks in
reception, marketing, whatever – all doing their part to make sure we have
a great team.” And from what we could tell, it is a great team and
consequently a great hotel indeed.
Sheraton Boston Hotel
Prudential Center
39 Dalton Street
Boston, MA 02199
Phone: 617-236-2000
Fax: 617-236-1702
Photos by Harvey Frommer
