I never dreamed that I would give a Kimpton hotel less than five stars. I am a "Kimpton junkie" that always makes a point to stay at a Kimpton when one is in town, and I was very excited to try yet another new (to me) one. Unfortunately, this experience was unsatisfying and not to the standards that I expect from the chain, and certainly not for an Inner Circle member.

From the moment I arrived, I felt a little put off. I arrived with a rental car that I was planning to return after dropping off our stuff. We were greeted gruffly by the doorman who ominously told me that I had 15 minutes to leave the car. I felt rushed and uncomfortable during the check-in process as a result. Then, our room experience really left me feeling dissatisfied.

As a long-time Inner Circle member, I have come to expect being a little spoiled by the chain. I almost always get a suite upgrade, and this is the first property that did not offer a suite or even a corner room, but rather I was given a basic king room. The upgrade was that it faced the city skyline. That was fine.. except they could not manage to get me into a room that was sufficiently quiet. All of the skyline rooms had adjoining doors, and the noise transfer between rooms is unlike any other hotel I have ever stayed at. I have stayed in many rooms with adjoining doors, but in this property, the next room will sound like they are in the room with you. We were placed next to a party - literal party - that went on all. night. long. I was woken by laughter and yelling at various intervals, from 4am to even 6:30am. (Karma kicked them by having a fire alarm drill that started right after they finally seemed to go to sleep. Oh and yes - for about an hour in the morning, while my husband was trying to work, we had to listen to a fire alarm drill, of which we were not informed of ahead of time.) I was promised that they were checking out, but when I got back to my room after a long and very stressful day, I found there was yet another party going on in that room. At one point, it was implied I should just deal with it because it was almost New Years and people were going to party. Perhaps you should have better construction or figure out a way to make guests more comfortable rather than just having them suck it up?

Marlowe's solution was to downgrade me to a room that overlooked the canal - and directly into the offices of Kayak located next door, so we didn't feel comfortable having our drapes open anyway. I had to pack all of my belonging and trudge them to another floor (a lower floor) - and no one even seemed to recognize this was an unnecessary and inappropriate hardship. Even the employee that came to deliver a luggage cart commented on the noise when he came into my room, so it was clear that I was not simply being a diva. In sum, we spent the remainder of our trip in an inferior room with no apology or acknowledgment of how improper the whole thing was. That is absolutely not the service that I expect - or have ever received - from Kimpton, certainly not as an Inner Circle member. It was a far cry from Kimpton properties like the Fontenot in New Orleans, the Palomar in Phoenix, or the Monaco in Seattle, all properties who really treat their Inner Circle members well.

The room was comfortable enough, and it was clean. Service was truly a mixed bag. The gentleman at the desk on the first night when we complained about the noises is the only person who did try to go above and beyond. Everyone else put in the bare minimum. I had to ask twice to get a Keurig delivered to my room.

Also, if not an Inner Circle member, be aware that they charge a horrific daily amenity fee, but they don't actually have the amenities. For example, when I tried to get a Polaroid camera, one of the gimmicky amenities they offer, they told me they didn't have any film. I was honestly surprised I got the Keurig at all.

I am glad that there is also the Nine Zero in Boston (which has been superb in the past) because I will have a Kimpton option when I return to Boston because this is not the property for me. Inner Circle members should keep that all in mind.

I couldn’t recommend the Hotel Marlowe more for anyone visiting the Boston/Cambridge area. I first fell in love with the property years ago when my daughter was in school near by…and it continues to be my go to when ever I need a place to recharge. Here are just a few of the reasons I love it: reno’d rooms are super spacious, great water pressure in the shower, smart plugs on night stands, self parking makes coming and going nice and easy, the hotel is attached to mall with a CVS, Old Navy, Apple Store and more (comes in super handy if you forget anything), there’s a wine happy hour for a wind down or pre game from 5-6P. The front end staff is fantastic…huge props to Sophie and Tara for taking time to chat with me when they really didn’t need to! I’m also a big a fan of getting more local down and dirty recco’s for places to eat or visit and they have all had amazing suggestions. With a great view of the river and the most comfy beds ever it’s well worth the trip!