Pet-friendly Hotels in Lexington

I am short on words to describe the pandemonium at this hotel. There are not a lot of hotel options/alternatives in Lexington, Massachusetts, or convenient to Hanscom Field, without going to the neighboring town/city of Burlington or Waltham; be forewarned, The Aloft is on the same campus as The Element, and shares the same management and ownership as The Element. On a positive note, our room was clean, and the common areas of the hotel are clean. That is not an easy achievement in this economy/labor climate, so, call that an achievement. Similarly, our room was spacious and comfortable. Call that an achievement, as well. The hotel is conveniently located, immediately adjacent to Routes 95/128, Hanscom Field, Minuteman National Park, Lexington and Concord, MA. The hotel has an excellent fitness center and indoor pool, both immaculate. From there, there is a steep plummet, and things go dramatically downhill, in a substantial number of areas that are important to a guest. The Front Desk staff range from competent to grossly incompetent. Some Front Desk agents have some understanding of guest service, and others are clueless. The hotel is in a poor state of repair/upkeep. It appears that the hotel has not been capitalized/ renovated/properly maintained in many years; the appearance is one of an ownership that is sucking every penny of revenue from the hotel, without investing in the infrastructure and upkeep of the hotel. Breakfast is an abysmal disgrace. The limited pastry options look like they've had radiation therapy or chemotherapy, after being removed from the freezer. The pastry was about the size of a pencil eraser. There is no decaffeinated coffee or skim milk; a member of the management team claims that those options are not part of Element's brand standards (that's odd, as they exist, right up the street, at the higher performing Element in North Chelmsford, MA (granted, some very ill informed person or people at Marriott's Corporate Headquarters massacred the once Westin limited service brand quality, Element breakfast, and turned it into a Truck Stop Convenience Store breakfast)). For two days, two out of two days of our visit, there was not a napkin to be had, at breakfast, only a roll of paper towel (it could have been worse, it could have been a roll of toilet paper (apparently, there is no supermarket nearby, for someone to take petty cash, and purchase napkins (this hotel has the Westin name on its facade! Westin!))). Oatmeal is instant, not cooked, daily. Items, like orange juice, plate ware, cutlery were frequently exhausted, and not replaced promptly. There appears to be no mechanism for the single staff person working breakfast, to call in some reinforcement from other departments of the hotel, to, for example, replace the missing glassware, paper plates, plastic forks, knives, and spoons, when there is not a plate or glass to be had. Perhaps, the most shameful of the breakfast buffet, is a Chobani yogurt buffet statio

The staff at the Aloft Hotel were friendly and welcoming, making check-in a breeze. They were always available to assist with any questions or requests during my stay, and their service was efficient and professional. The room I stayed in was comfortable and well-designed, with a contemporary style that I appreciated. The bed was cozy, and the linens were clean and of good quality. The room was equipped with all the necessary amenities, including a flat-screen TV, a mini-fridge, and a coffee maker. The bathroom was clean and functional, although the space was somewhat compact.