Element Boston Waterfront Opening Day Review

Element Boston Waterfront Opening Day Review

I have been watching this hotel get built over the last 8 months or so since I bought my condo in South Boston back in April.

It is in a new part of Metro Boston called the Seaport. Officially it is in South Boston, but it does reside in the waterfront area. Most of the waterfront is only no more than a 20 minute walk from downtown and there is a ton of construction lately. If you visit today, you may see that it very few people are in the streets but with more than 5 40 story towers being built, it will be much more busy in a few years.

The waterfront area also have a ton of restaurant, most of them being brand new in anticipation of a huge influx of both workers and residents in the area. A recent article noted that there are 4 restaurant seats for every household in the waterfront area, which is a lot. There are a few great restaurants in the area; most of them are right near the downtown area. My personal favorite is Row 34, but good luck finding a reservation for that restaurant unless you can eat at 10pm. Another personal favorite is Yankee Lobster mostly because there isn’t a long wait most of the time. Legal Seafood Waterfront or Legal Test Kitchens are solid choices in case you want somewhere to eat in the area.

I was excited when I found that two Starwood hotels were being built in the waterfront area. The Element hotel is the first to open while the Aloft (much larger than their normal design with about 270 rooms) will open in three weeks. It is down the block from the Westin Waterfront and across the street from the convention center in the waterfront. There is also parking next door, but unsure if it is at an additional cost. For now, there is sufficient street parking but when the Aloft opens, parking will become sparse. Much of the surrounding area will have resident permit parking so watch out for parking fees if you intend to park a car at the hotel. It is not needed since you can either walk or take Uber. The MBTA Silver line is about a 10 minute walk but you may be better off walking into downtown.

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The lobby is spacious and also has a nice outdoor space. They will have grill nights on Wednesday nights and it should be great once the weather warms up. There are a lot of areas to congregate and relax in the lobby, which is nice.

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Experience

“Relax and refresh while away from home. Element Hotels is a new kind of hotel, one that ensures you will have everything you need to be at your best – whether your stay is a quick weekend getaway or a weeks-long trip.” Element hotel is targeting extended stays and have various amenities that will cater to guests staying for an extended period of time, such as laundry facilities and kitchenettes in every room.

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Whole Living

“A relaxed feeling comes over you as you enter the bright, open, nature-inspired space. Whether you are looking to mingle or catch up on work, the multi-functional public space encourages a sense of renewal and empowerment.” One of the great complimentary offers for guests between Monday to Thursday is some appetizers and complimentary beer and wine. When I compared room rates between the Aloft and the Element for a weekend in May, the Element was $20 more expensive, but it seems to be worth it for the complimentary beer and wine and for the kitchenette.

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Below are the appetizers and beer/wine options they had at the opening, but may change over time. Harpoon is the closet brewery to the hotel at a whopping 1/2 mile away. I highly recommend their tours as it is only $5 and you can drink as much beer as you want in 30 minutes and you can try anything they brew, including some hard to find beers that is only available at the bar or bottles at the store.

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Guest Rooms

“Reflecting the smart design of urban residences, the flowing layouts of our guest rooms were created to maximize space and enable you to use the room in multiple ways. You can actually customize the space to meet your needs.” The guest rooms have a great layout with a kitchenette with pots and pans, which is part of all rooms at the Element by SPG. Pictured below is a one bedroom suite, but most rooms have the same square footage. Many of the rooms are studio so there is no wall dividing the bedroom from the living room. The bed is the Heavenly Bed by Westin, which have great reviews. The living room also have a pull out king bed.

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Restore

Whether you are on the run or have time to relax, our complimentary breakfast is a nutritious way to start the day. Healthy grab-n-go options get you out the door, while the soothing design of the breakfast area invites you to linger.

Green

Element restores your balance while being kind to the environment. Eco-conscious Element Hotels contribute to sustainability through paper recycling bins in each room, recycled materials in carpets and low VOC interior paints.

Inspired by Westin

“Inspired by Westin® Hotels & Resorts, Element encourages renewal through a nature-influenced environment. Intuitively constructed with an efficient use of space, Element helps you stay connected, feel alive and thrive while you’re away.”

The Fitness Center and Pool

The pool wasn’t open yet but the gym was. It is missing some free weights but should be installed soon. The gym is spacious for such a small hotel but the pool is really for relaxation, not for lap swimming. The pool is 3ft 6in deep and only about 15 feet long.

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Summary

Overall, I really like the design of this hotel. The kitchenette and laundry facilities are great features, especially if I am on a long vacation and need to do some laundry for save some money by cooking in the room. It is also great for families or travelers who intend to stay for more than a few days. I look forward to checking out some events at this hotel!

2 Comments on "Element Boston Waterfront Opening Day Review"

  1. this property looks very nice. Can’t wait to see what the grill nights looks like.

  2. The nice thing about these is the rooms are nearly identical at each Element. One drawback though is the Platinum bonus points are only 250 rather than 500 because it is not a full service property.

    I stayed at the one in Miami and the one in Dallas and I found them to be solid. The breakfast was pretty good. The ones I stayed at did not offer drinks or evening appetizers so that is a nice addition at that one. The ones I have been had alcohol at the mini store behind the front desk but it was regular prices per bottle.

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