With a laser focus on service, I checked in earlier this month with knives out. What I hadn’t paid attention to as closely was the attentiveness of staff. I knew from previous experience that Encore Boston Harbor hit the mark on bed comfort, quality of linens, guest room amenities (an iPad and Alexa can control everything in the room), and the quality of the bath and shower. The article broke down five-star qualifiers such as beautiful beds, supreme service, thoughtful guest room amenities, genuine interest, and exceeding expectations. I didn’t have a list of the 900 objective criteria that Forbes inspectors use, but I did arrive armed with a Forbes article ( “What makes a Forbes Travel Guide five-star?”) that gave me a few points to look for. Like the Forbes inspectors, I went in anonymously and paid the nightly rate (it was $340 a night and I stayed two nights). I reviewed the hotel shortly after it opened in 2019, and while I thought the spacious room was calm and well-appointed (read beige), I never thought, “This is definitely a five-star property!” It was time to review again.

Barbara KraftĪ few weeks ago I started hearing rumblings that Encore Boston Harbor might receive five stars from Forbes and was surprised. We have 3,300 employees who have just gone through crazy COVID chaos.”Ī guest room at the Encore Boston Harbor. Most five-star places have 300 or 350 employees. You are completely dependent on your staff to do that. “The toughest thing about Forbes is that it’s not just the facility the service has to be delivered with authentic, tangible warmth and care. “I just burst into tears when I heard,” said Jenny Holaday, president of Encore Boston Harbor. It’s the first casino in New England to receive a five-star rating. The Encore Boston Harbor, which opened in 2019, also made the list. The Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton also joins the five-star club for 2022.īut in addition to those familiar and well-heeled names, Boston (technically Everett) has a new five-star hotel, and this one might raise some eyebrows.

It’s no surprise that the Boston Harbor Hotel, the Four Seasons, and the Mandarin Oriental were honored with a prestigious Forbes Travel Guide five-star rating again this year, according to the annual list released Tuesday by Forbes.

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