I chose XV Beacon because of its good reviews and reputation as a premier luxury boutique hotel. As a boutique hotel, I expected a more personalized experience where the staff would be warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Unfortunately, that was the complete opposite of what we experienced. From the moment we arrived, our stay got off to a disappointing start. The valet, Frank, seemed to have a constant chip on his shoulder. He was unfriendly upon arrival, just as unpleasant every time we entered or exited the hotel over the next two days, and equally miserable when it was time to leave. His attitude immediately set the tone for what turned out to be a very disappointing stay. Check-in was no better. We weren’t greeted with the level of hospitality you’d expect from a luxury property. After settling into our room, we went out for dinner. When we returned later that evening and were getting ready for bed, I watched a mouse run from underneath the bed to behind the sofa chair in the corner of the room and behind the curtain. At approximately 1:30 a.m., I immediately called the front desk. The response was simply, “We’ll get you another room.” The matter was handled so casually that it gave me the impression this wasn’t the first time the hotel had dealt with something like this. If a guest reports a rodent in a luxury hotel room, I would expect shock, concern, and immediate apologies—not a routine room change. The following day, I spoke with one of the managers, Miriam. She told me this was the first time anything like this had ever happened. I found that difficult to brlieve with how casually the front desk handled the situation. She also asked whether I had photos or video of the mouse. At 1:30 in the morning, my priority wasn’t getting evidence—it was getting out of a room that had a rodent in it as quickly as possible. Later, I was told the hotel’s pest control company found no physical evidence and, therefore, there was nothing they could do. I understand they may not have been able to locate the mouse afterward, but that doesn’t change what I personally witnessed. The hotel itself is beautiful. The architecture is elegant, the location is excellent, and the property has a great deal of charm. Unfortunately, between the consistently unfriendly service and the rodent we encountered in our room, this was not the experience we expected. For that reason, I cannot recommend XV Beacon. There are too many exceptional hotels in Boston to risk having an experience like this.
