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Buckminster Hotel
Category: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels [Edit]
645 Beacon StBoston, MA 02215
(617) 236-7050
- Nearest Transit:
-
Brookline Ave @ Newbury St (19, 60, 65, 8, 9)
Brookline Ave Opp Newbury St (19, 60, 65, 8)
Kenmore Station Busway (19, 193, 57, 57A, 60, 65, 8, 9)
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Paid
25 reviews for Buckminster Hotel
25 reviews in English
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Review from Joey D.
Bristow, VA
9/12/2011
Reservation Process:
I called as I could not use the AAA discount online. I spoke to a gentlemen who managed to screw my name up 3x even though I spelled it out 3x and I do not have a complicated name. :)
Check In Process:
Sorta slow, but painless. The man at the front desk explained where the included continental breakfast was as well as directing us to UBurger across the street.
The Room:
We were "upgraded" to a room with 2 rooms and 3 beds (for 2 ppl?). In reality they took our 1 Queen bed and gave us 3 standard beds. Blah? The space was nice though, being able to stretch out our stuff. We had a view of Fenway and could hear music coming from the concert on our 2nd night. The street noise was LOUD both from people walking by, regular street traffic, and the highway nearby. I would recommend getting an interior room. Sure looking into a small interior courtyard is not as nice as the fenway view, but you will sleep better. The room was clean and most everything worked. TV's had tubes, and were small - boo. Window shutters were broke, but still closed. We did wake up with bites on our legs, so not sure what that was about. Mini fridge and microwave in room as well if you need that.
Other:
Continental breakfast was included at the joined Japanese restaurant. It was simple, but good.
Wifi is free for the first 100 minutes, then you pay.
Checkout:
No complaints.
Overall:
Great location. If you were there for Fenway, this is a great spot and under $200 a night. Very close to the T as well (Kenmore station). I would most likely stay here again. -
Review from Ty H.
Augusta, ME
11/8/2011
The Buckminster. Where do I begin? A buck may have been too much to charge for a room in this magnificent shithole of a hotel.
Let me start by outlining your experience, frame for frame: You will be fooled by the lobby. You see ornate, old school marble. A slack-jawed illiterate Belarussian lackey will fuck up pronouncing the name on your reservation 37 times over a half hour period before they finally get their shit together and give you a key. Slightly perturbed, but no worse for the wear, you look about, and think, "Victorian Glory; this room will be like a quaintly decorated B&B." Good things are to come. Old luxury. And then, you check into your room, and your jaw shall shatter upon the filthy carpet, agape at the horrorscape in which you'll be forced to spend the night.
Let me start with the carpet directly inside our door frame, which was worn through to the exposed concrete. The rest of it looked like it hadn't been changed since Babe Ruth lived there. There were stains that we're petrified into it, stains on top of stains, with a crusty foot feel, leading one to believe that it was used to upholster the ring floor of a death cage match sledgehammer fight, whereupon thereafter, it was used to host the worlds largest condom free anal gang bang, while trained service goats feasted upon bits of it here and there. There where so many cigarette burns on the floor I initially mistook it for the carpet pattern, no shit. I would venture to guess if I turned all the lights off, and tuned on a black light, the glow of filth would be like staring at a supernova point blank. The sanitarium mauve walls with salmon trim were bright enough.......
The smell of the room lingered somewhere between "Corpse Flower" and the festering taint of a dead Mexican whore. The Bed and Furniture upholstery looked like it had been pilfered from the set of Miami Vice, circa 1986- a pastel blend horror show that looked like it could double as camouflage military print for uniforms if the South Beach gay community chose to draft and clothe an army of militant queens.
The bed itself consisted of a filthy mattress so bowed, it felt like an elephant was bedridden there for a decade, and was adorned with stains leading me to believe that at one point, someone performed underground plastic surgery on the DL using a plethora of Clovis tools, and then cut up the body, stuffed it in, and then explosively expelled a geyser of diarrhea and fetid urine upon it for shits and giggles.
The 30 year old television contained three channels, two of which were Spanish only, on a screen comparable in size to the one on my Blackberry. It was housed in a particle board cabinet that looked like it was a K-Mart floor display model from 1979, or curb plucked during the annual September student exodus.
The bathroom surfaces were filthy; the toilet itself was covered in pubic hair to the extent I hypothesized that a Wookie probably shaved it's balls all over the toilet seat just prior to my arrival. Upon attempting to drop a deuce, and rid it from the bowl, I realized the toilet wouldn't flush, and I had to fill the waste can with water from the bath tub and dump it in to get it to flush. Every surface was greasy, as if covered in a thin layer of Crisco. Fingerprints on every surface. And then there was the shower, with the water pressure of an infant urinating on your head. The toiletries were in ketchup packets, which made them impossible to open in the shower, and the soap was like a doughnut, like a quarter of a legitimate hotel bar, with a hole in the middle- barely enough for a single shower. $92 for a room and I get a fucking mini-donut of soap? !Give me a fucking break. What sheisty bastards. The tub did not drain either, so by the time I was done, there was water nearly overflowing onto the floor. Classy as fuck.The glitterati must be clamoring for reservations.
The experience was culminated later that evening whereupon, after dinner, my girlfriend and I came back to the room, and attempted to commence amorous relations, so to speak, that I realized the bed headboard, was not actually wood, but rather, hollow wood looking plastic, and not attached to the bed in any manner, It was adhered to the wall using double sided tape. The walls were like paper, and we had the joy of listening to every screaming drunk in Kenmore Square, every police siren, and every other hotel guest for a hundred yards in any given direction, moan and groan as they too got their shit wet.
I have seen nicer shooting galleries in the heart of Mattapan. If you're renting a 4 dollar hooker, and need a vertical surface to get it in, this will suffice, but if you have any self respect, you can get a better deal on a 4 star joint on Priceline. I'd avoid this place like the plague, zero stars, epic fail. Bring some cipro if you disregard this. You're bound to catch something walking through the door of your room. -
Review from John G.
Bowie, MD
7/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is AMAZING for location and price. The hotel is definately vintage and could use some updating, but if I came up to Boston again I would definately stay there again!! They have a free continental breakfast, nothing fancy, but its free and it was clean and well stocked.
Room had a mini-fridge, sink and microwave. The room we were in (two bedroom 1 bath) had enough room for a Cali king in each room, instead of the queen-sized beds.
All in all, it was a great value, and we would go back! -
Review from Emily M.
7/1/2011
Pros :
- Great location. Literally right across from Fenway. They even have a separate entrance / exit if you are heading out that way.
- Given the location, reasonably priced. For "Boston" prices, this place is a deal.
- Literally within walking distance of anywhere you would want to sight-see.
- Free continental breakfast. Yes, it's not a 5-star breakfast - but went into it not expecting one. Decent bagels, donuts, etc. Everything was well-stocked.
- A fridge and microwave were provided in the room. We went to a liquor store a block away and were able to stock up. Thank the lord we were able to keep the brew-ha's cold while we were at the games!
- For an older place, it was surprisingly quiet and we couldn't hear the neighbors at all.
- If you don't care about getting a 'city' view, you can knock a little off of the price.
- Very friendly staff!
Cons :
- It was a little weird trying to find our room at first, as the halls are a little maze-like.
- Freaky, small elevator. We wound up taking the steps when it got hung up on a floor for a little too long. Better safe than sorry!
- Our room (double bed) was tiny, so the bed took up most of the space.
- What's with the tiny TV? Our TV was literally a 13" TV - with horrible sound and reception (although we didn't spend a ton of time in the room - isn't that the point when you're on vacation?)
- What's with the "free" Wi-Fi?
A. It sucked, and
B. It would only work for a few minutes. Once my iPod was put away, the "free" didn't last for the day. I would never pay for it there. I guess my only suggestion would be to go not expecting to get Wi-Fi at all. I did not try the Wi-Fi in the lobby. My husband couldn't even get the Wi-Fi to work on his iPod. No idea what happened there.
- Since the bed took up the bulk of the room, the easy chair was posed oddly in the corner. If you wanted to sit and watch TV, you'd hurt your neck from the angle it was at. We wound up watching the tiny TV while laying on our sides in bed, which was very odd.
All in all, a decent place to stay if you're going to Boston to sight-see or take in a game at Fenway. If we go again, we'll probably stay there. -
Review from Christine C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/3/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I guess you can say this hotel has... character.
The building itself is oddly shaped so the layout of the rooms is like navigating a labyrinth. It's an old building so don't be surprised as the furnishings are dated, old, or emit a certain smell.
Fixtures may not work properly, or may break apart without warning.
Despite these drawbacks, the price and location can't be beat. Conveniently right next to Fenway, it provides easy access to Kenmore Square, the House of Blues concert venue, Boston University, a T stop, and more. You may also have a great view of the iconic Citgo sign from your window.
Also, the friendliness and service is very nice. While things broke easily (not fault of us), the hotel staff were all too eager and quick to fix things and answer any questions. A friend's room lock had broken, and they were upgraded to a nicer room without charge for an extra night.
Grungy, dingy, yes. Great location, excellent service, yes.
Oh yeah, they don't have coffee makers. However some rooms have kitchenettes with sinks, fridges, microwaves. It's apartment style so the bedrooms have doors to them, which makes it convenient if you are sharing bedrooms with couples. (Privacy.)
It's the furthest thing away from luxury without being in some hostel-like or ratty motel situation. But if you don't mind that, it's a great place to stay. -
Review from Ray R.
Newark, CA
3/2/2011
The strangest little place, but I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. To quote a previous review "CHARACTER" and lots of it. I call the feng shui card to be honest.
Bummed I was unable to check in early seeing it was off-season and told the hotel wasn't at full capacity... just flew in from a red-eye. TIRED!
I had the small single bed-room with a view of the internal "court yard". Strangely the bathroom was just as big as the bedroom.
In regards to what really matters- the hotel is a cross away from the T and BofA. A quick block down Brookline to reach Fenway, bars, restaurants, and a movie theater. Further down is Simmons and Emmanuel college.
It's a clean hotel, with cheap rates during the off season, and gives a student discount. Just don't know if I stay here again. -
Review from Myrtle T.
Princeton, NJ
9/8/2010
1. Disgusting, dusty rooms
2. Rooms are large but the space is not well utilized
3. Relatively inexpensive but with that come the likes of ill-mannered people who enjoy slamming doors at 4 in the morning after getting a little bit too tipsy.
4. Included breakfast is a sincere (MODEST) gesture but when you've woken up in a craptastic room, no gesture will remedy your discomfort.
5. Close to the T Station but the surrounding neighborhood is boring. The Uno's Pizzeria is the most thrilling thing nearby. "Thrilling."
6. Air conditioning doesn't work.
7. Leftover food in our refrigerator...
8. Leftover garbage in our room...
I seriously wanted to cry after the first night in this hotel. Unbearable. If you're asking why we chose this hotel it's because we decided to venture to Boston the night before. I guess planning comes a long way in situations like this. -
Review from Ashley B.
8/4/2010
Pros: Cheap, especially for the area in which it's located. Friendly staff. Standard continental breakfast (nothing special, but it saves money). Walking distance to T station, bars, restaurants. $20/day parking which from what I've heard isn't bad for Boston. Nice area.
Cons: Stuffy, tiny, hot elevator. TINY room with no dresser (only a closet) that overlooked a roof and a parkway. The bed was SO LOUD. If you turned over it would make a ton of noise.
Also close to Fenway, but I didn't include that in pros because I couldn't give a shit about baseball.
Bottom Line: For the price, you can't beat it, but you get what you pay for. If I had more money, I'd stay elsewhere, but I don't, so I'd go back, although I'd request a room with a King-sized bed. People with those seem to have had a more comfortable room. -
Review from Terri M.
Drexel Hill, PA
12/29/2010
I really enjoyed my stay at Hotel Buckminster. The hotel is across the Pike from Fenway and we had a view of the park from our room. It is walking distance to a movie theater, bars and coffee. This area is not as fun as other parts but was still nice. The hotel is also walking distance to the Newbury Street shopping district, which is a plus for me. The parking is right next to the hotel (it is a public lot), there were plenty of spots and you get a discount on daily rates from the hotel. The room was really spacious for the price. The complimentary breakfast was decent, the coffee was really good as were the danish.
This is by no means a 5 star hotel, but it's moderately priced and comfy. What impressed me most - the desk clerk gave me a refund on my second day of parking (we checked out early due to inclement weather) and said that normally they would give me a refund for the second night, but since I booked through Expedia, they could not. I would definitely stay here again. -
Review from Tinka C.
Cambridge, MA
5/19/2011
This is a very reasonably priced hotel in the fall. I had the pleasure of staying here in late October 2010. The hotel was around $80/night and the hotel provides continental breakfast. It is right by the Kenmore stop, Fenway and McDonald's. It is across the street from Boston University and it is above Uno Chicago Grill. The bathroom is also stocked with eco-friendly products ranging from soap to shampoo. Each room also has a mini-fridge which was very convenient! Great location, great prices, and decent continental breakfast. No free Wi-Fi but that's okay...
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Review from Caroline A.
Chicago, IL
6/4/2007
If you're looking for a cheap cheap place to stay in the heart of the city, Hotel Buckminster may be your answer.
The good: Steps away from the Kenmore T-stop on the green line, backyard to Fenway Park, a few blocks away from Newbury Street and down the street from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Also perfect for BU kids when parents come to visit and every other hotel in Boston is sold out.
The bad: Reaks of hotel/motel. Rooms are pretty decent sized, but have SUPER cheesy bed spreads and tacky furniture. Think Holiday Inn caliber. The building is super old, but the lobby and second floor have been renovated. I heard those rooms are much nicer.
I recommend the Buckmister Hotel if you're going to be out and about and spending minimal time in your hotel room. -
Review from Kori M.
1/11/2010 3 photos
This is not a frivolous or fancy hotel by any means. However, if you're conscience of your spending and still want a comfortable place to sleep while visiting Boston, the Buckminster is a wonderful spot.
A charming old hotel with helpful and friendly staff. Our room was very clean and spacious. Despite being in a great location (walking distance from many of Boston's favorite attractions), their prices were surprisingly inexpensive. They even upgraded our room at no charge when we found out there would be three of us staying there rather than two.
Continental breakfast is included, and while it's certainly not fine-dining, you'll find your share of tasty and healthy options to choose from.
The one complaint I have is that it took a very long time for the water to get warm. -
Review from Colleen B.
North Waltham, MA
1/1/2010 1 photo
Thanks Yelpers! I was initially scared to stay here because I thought it was a crappy hotel, but after reading your reviews and seeing the video tour on their website--I had no fear. We also needed a Fenway location so we booked it. (AAA discount helped too)
I was pleasantly surprised! It was definitely an old hotel, but charming and clean and the suite was extremely spacious. There was a fridge and microwave in the room. The king size bed was actually fairly comfortable, no kinks in the neck and a good night sleep. Initially we had some problems with the heat, but the staff took care of everything promptly.
Views of Kenmore and Fenway were exceptional! If you need to be near Fenway or Kenmore you cannot not beat this location.
Breakfast was pretty low budget with bagels, breads, pastries, cereal & fruit. Coffee & tea, but not much else. Your standard continental breakfast. Considering some hotels don't include it I give them some props. -
Review from Mike C.
Long Island, NY
4/6/2010
Worse than terrible.
Good: Close to Fenway.
Bad: Everything else.
Keep it moving folks. -
Review from Jesse R.
3/2/2009
I really want to give "The Buck" a higher rating because its purpose is a budget hotel, but alas the two-star phrase "I've experienced better" rings all too true after my weekend stay.
The staff is very nice and helpful, check in and check out was a breeze. One of the stars is for that. The second star is for the great price (which includes a decent continental breakfast). It was only about $80 per night (plus tax) after a 10% student discount. Still, the the place does have a strange motel smell to it, and the rooms are quite old and cheaply done. Its kind of odd having a microwave and microfridge in the room, not sure how many people are using these as there's a variety of food options outside ranging from McDonald's to the high-priced Eastern Standard.
As Caroline A. said, if you need a very inexpensive place to stay in downtown Boston then The Buck is your place. Would I come here again? Yes, as long as I'm a student on a student's budget. -
Review from Anita F.
Los Angeles, CA
2/6/2011
First off, the hotel is clean, the staff is very helpful and friendly and the rates are very competitive.
IMPORTANT TIP: Take an internet cable! They have "wireless internet" which is awful despite paying 13 bucks/day. Don't count on it no matter what they tell you over the phone. If you are upset enough, they may provide you with a cable, but I think they have one for the entire hotel, so take one with you.
Also, as this is an old building, there is only one elevator and the waiting time is extremely long. Be aware -
Review from lucas p.
Washington, DC
9/8/2010
eh mediocre hotel.
dont pay for the internet, it sucks (slow, really slooow), and its super expensive. no ac in august? boo.
pros:
good location, free breakfast, streetparking, view of fenway, big room. -
Review from Gina E.
Howard, MD
8/2/2009
Great location to Fenway and the T. A short T ride to Boston Common or Faneuil, with no changes in line. We are't Sox fans, and we got a LOW rate when the Sox were out of town...so the area was definitely quiet that weekend. Might stay closer to downtown next time though.
Very clean. Tacky, outdated decor, but who cares about that, if you are just going out and about town.
Very dog friendly, though can't leave dog in room unattended, even in a crate, for any amount of time.
Free contintental breakfast is limited, but standard.
Would definitely stay here again, if we got a good rate.
Eat at Eastern Standard (really close) and Trattoria Toscana (less than mile , easy, safe walk) for sure if you stay here. -
Review from paul f.
Saint Louis, MO
7/6/2010
i was so borderline between one and two stars. but this was not quite "EEK", but definitely "MEH". where to begin with the buckminster? well - let's first start off with from here on out i'll call this the bucksheister.
i WILL agree with the one review below that this "hotel" is close to fenway. Indeed it is! and it's damn close to the uno's which had a great lobster feast going on, but this isn't a fenway or uno's review....
first - check in. this went fine. i will again agree with reviewers below that the elevator was bloody awful. a) slow b) HOT c) stinky. i don't mean mcdonalds stinky, i mean stale farts. we also had the cheeky guests who tried to beat us into the elevator and raced up the stairs to hit the up button only to meet us on the 2nd (and 3rd) floor.
anywho, we stayed in one of the "premium two bedroom suite" locations (room 601 to be exact) which the trailer talks up that bands and other groups will stay in and such. well it must be the winger tribute band because the suite was already nicely trashed. the red armchair was split down the right armrest. the "couch" was as hard and straight up and down as a 2x4 and the chairs at the table were on the verge of breaking (do not even attempt to lean back).
but alas, maybe the bedrooms better, no? NO. the beds had the 1970 andy griffin color to them, the hangers in our room you COULD NOT remove from the hanger rack. our "premium" view from the bedroom was of the other guest suites. our friends overlooked the bank across the street. so much for the fenway views (and forget about the july 4 fireworks).
but hey, how about the bathroom? oh - did i mention that their is one bathroom in the two bedroom suite? talk about a la carte. and be sure to ask for extra towels if you have FOUR people staing, because we didn't have enough. the soap was "eco friendly" i.e. there's a hole in the middle. yes you read that right. the tub would fill up nice and quickly with bath water after a good two minutes, so we had to wait 5 to 10 easily before we could shower. needless to say it took over an hour for everyone to "get ready" for the ballgame.
after the ballgame and dinner, we partook in the karaoke in the sushi bar that evening and were there from about 9:30 to 11pm. we got yelled at for "banging on the tables" while singing, however if you order saki bombs, feel free to bank and yell at top volume over the singers.
ok - but that's just the bathroom and nightlife - what about this continental breakfast that's been talked up you say? well if you like a) DAMN hot coffee, b) REALLY tiny muffins and c) eating in the karaoke bar you sung in the night before with damn sticky floors, this place excels.
the bucksheister is a place that just keeps on giving. our keycards "stopped working" easily 3 times, the internet that I paid $10 for did not work most of the time, and definitely timed out before the '24' hour period i had purchased expired, and let's not get into the bathrooms that didn't flush. suppose i don't have to elaborate there.
in conclusion, if you're NOT going to be here very long (i.e. 2 hours or less), go for it. i have this marked as pricey, we paid $600 for two nights after taxes and that is a crazy price. i'd suggest you hit the marriott (we stayed there the night before we ended up here), pay for a cab to fenway, and enjoy boston. -
Review from Lily C.
Brattleboro, VT
10/26/2010
Very decently priced hotel, super close to Fenway, and the rooms were fine. Is it fancy? No, but I didn't expect anything fancy at a hotel I paid that amount for. My room was clean, not trashed, and perfectly normal. My only complaint is that there was no AC unless we called down to the desk to have it turned on. Free wi-fi would have been nice, but again, at the price I won't complain. My room overlooked Fenway just as I had asked. Parking was easy at the garage next door (that did seem pricey for a hotel guest). The continental breakfast was very standard and not anything to write home about. Bottom line though, it was a perfect spot to stay for a trip to see the Red Sox play.
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Review from Amanda S.
7/7/2008
Not so nice, but this is the perfect place to stay if you aren't looking to be pampered and are simply looking for a cheap place to rest your head. Rooms are kinda dingy, but again you can't beat the price, and the location is key.
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Review from Christina L.
Thousand Oaks, CA
5/14/2011
My boyfriend and I stayed here a few days! Absolutely loved it! Not the most up kept, but the rooms are huge and it's close to everything in Boston! Rooms come with two TV's, kitchen, decent size restroom, and the bedroom is separated from everything! The view to Fenway Park was amazing! Plus, the service was great too! Hotel was very friendly! We definitely plan on coming back here! A bit pricey, but worth the stay!
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Review from Elizabeth S.
Bastrop, TX
6/7/2009
I have NEVER in my life, checked out of a hotel before my stay was over, until today. We came to Boston to see a Red Sox game. Thought the Buckminster looked like a nice boutique hotel. Unfortunately, it was awful. We checked out after day 1 of a 3 day. Reasons why:
1) Room was being painted a horrible salmon color, they hadn't finished, but put us in anyway.
2) Very old furniture, uncomfortable bed, ugly. Chair springs pinched butt! No dresser in room to put folded clothes.
3) Room not clean, shampoo and conditioner had been used.
4) Elevator was scary!
5) Besides no dresser, closet was bizarre, like a shelf with a few hangers. Shelf was about to fall down.
6) Tile in bathroom loose.
7) Non-smoking but smelled like smoke
8) Continental Breakfast in the Japanese restaurant, not well stocked or clean.
It is a lovely old building close to Fenway Park, please remodel! Get a decorator. -
Review from Natalie D.
Boston, MA
8/18/2009
The rooms didn't look very welcoming.... The rooms were really small and cramped. Furniture and decor looked really old and outdated.... It was pretty cheap and the breakfast wasn't what I had expected at all...I guess that's what you get for paying 80 bucks per night.
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Review from Ben R.
New York, NY
6/19/2010
Nice location and price, but poor breakfasts, tiny rooms, and bad AC. The elevator was unventilated, hot and slow. The price was low enough that I expected free wi-fi, but they charge $9/day for a very poor connection.
