Same Score, Different Bill: Four Seasons vs. Mandarin Oriental Boston
We stayed at both of Boston's big-name five-stars about five months apart: one night at the Four Seasons in October, three nights at the Mandarin Oriental in March. We booked both through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, we got the same set of perks at both, and both of us scored the two hotels within a tenth of a point of each other.
The bills were nowhere near each other. Per night, the Four Seasons cost about two and a half times what the Mandarin Oriental did. This is a review of two very similar hotels, and of how much the timing and the booking changed what we paid.
How We Booked It
Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, both times
Both stays went through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, which gave us the same package at each hotel: noon check-in when available, an upgrade when available, daily breakfast for two, a $100 credit, and guaranteed 4pm check-out.
The Four Seasons was a single Saturday night in late October, a Deluxe Room with one king bed and a city view, at $1,250 before taxes and $1,455.66 all in.
The Mandarin Oriental was three nights in March, a Deluxe Room with one king bed (Premier), and the rate carried a complimentary third night on top of the FHR perks. Three nights came to $1,521.12 before taxes and $1,771.36 all in. We paid for two nights and slept three.
Our take: Check FHR for a stacked offer before you book. A free third night on top of the standard perks is what turned the Mandarin Oriental from a splurge into the better deal of the two.
The Rooms
Bigger at the Mandarin Oriental, and no real upgrades at either
The Mandarin Oriental's rooms were the larger of the two, and over three nights that space mattered more than it would have for one. The Four Seasons room was a perfectly good city-view king for a single night.
Neither hotel gave us a meaningful upgrade, even though the FHR package lists one when available. We would not count on it at either property.
Our take: If you are staying more than a night, the Mandarin Oriental's base room is the more comfortable place to spend it.
Location and the Little Things
The Four Seasons wins on both
The Four Seasons sits on Boylston Street across from the Public Garden, and its location was the better of the two for how we like to spend a Boston weekend on foot. The Mandarin Oriental is connected to the Prudential Center in Back Bay, which is a fine base too, just a little less charming to step out into.
The Four Seasons also kept handing us small, random freebies. There was a coffee bar and a candy room, and that kind of thing made a one-night stay feel generous. The Mandarin Oriental answered with its spa and gym, which were the standout facilities of the two hotels.
Our take: For walking the city and small surprises, the Four Seasons. For a workout and a spa afternoon, the Mandarin Oriental.
Eating and the Credits
Breakfast at both, credits spent differently
We used the included breakfast at both hotels, which is where our usual split table comes in: one of us is vegetarian, the other eats everything, and we both ate breakfast at both hotels. The food was the better of the two at the Four Seasons. The Mandarin Oriental's was decent.
We spent the $100 credit differently at each hotel. At the Four Seasons, the credit went toward valet, which runs $75 a night there. At the Mandarin Oriental, we skipped the car and the credit went to drinks.
Our take: If you are driving into Boston, valet at the Four Seasons eats most of the credit. Take the train or leave the car at home and the credit buys you a round instead.
What Went Wrong
Nothing big, and that is part of the verdict
Neither stay had a real misstep. The honest knock is that neither hotel made it into our top tier either. Both landed at Liked from both of us, the promised upgrades did not show up in any meaningful way, and service at the Mandarin Oriental was fine rather than memorable. These are two good hotels we would go back to, and neither is worth crossing the country for.
What It Actually Cost
About $1,456 a night versus about $590
One night at the Four Seasons cost $1,455.66 all in. Three nights at the Mandarin Oriental cost $1,771.36, or about $590 a night with the free third night spread across the stay. Both totals include breakfast for two each morning and the $100 credit.
Part of the gap is the calendar, a single Saturday night against a Thursday-to-Sunday stay, and part is the free night. Either way, for nearly the same score, we paid roughly two and a half times as much per night for the Four Seasons.
Our take: In Boston, when you book and which offer you catch matter more than which of these two hotels you pick.
The Verdict
Book the Four Seasons if it is a one-night weekend, you want the Public Garden out the front door, and you like the small extras.
Book the Mandarin Oriental if you are staying a few nights, want more room, or care about the spa and gym.
Do what we did: book either one through Amex FHR, look for a stacked free-night offer, and skip the car if you can.
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