Staying in a Hotel During Coronavirus

I was pretty excited to pack my suitcase and spend the night in a hotel. Like most people, I have not been traveling during the coronavirus outbreak at all. I’ve been grounded for eight weeks, in a travel writer‘s life that feels like more like eight years. By now, I should have been to San Diego, Mexico, Budapest, and Portugal. Instead, I’ve been home in Vermont. Not in a million years could I have imagined needing to stay in a hotel during coronavirus, but then this happened.

Why Stay in a Hotel During Coronavirus?

Last year my son was swabbed for the Gift of Life marrow registry during an on-campus event at George Washington University. Little did he know at the time that simple cheek swab would become a life-changing experience—an act of kindness he could never have imagined doing during a pandemic.

While he was home for Christmas break, he found out that he was a potential match for a patient. A blood test at home in Vermont confirmed that he was indeed a match for a woman suffering from Leukemia, a type of cancer that is found in blood and bone marrow. They needed his healthy stem cells to help save her life potentially.

Initially, he was scheduled to donate his cells this spring at a collection center near his school in Washington, DC. However, with the COVID-19 Pandemic, that wasn’t going to be possible. Unfortunately, there is no collection center in Vermont for the Gift of Life. The next closest option is the Dana Farbar Cancer Center in Boston.

The Four Seasons One Dalton Street Boston

Currently, hotel reservations may only be made for essential travel purposes. However, when the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston found out that we would need a place to stay, they graciously offered us a room to honor one of their staff members who received a bone marrow transplant. We will forever be grateful to the Four Seasons for providing us with a safe haven during this time.

The 61-story Four Seasons One Dalton Street opened its doors last spring. It is Boston’s newest skyscraper luxury hotel in the heart of the Back Bay neighborhood. The property is super sleek and modern. It has everything travelers would want in a luxury city hotel.

Although I didn’t get to enjoy staying at the hotel to the fullest extent possible like I might have if I were staying there under normal circumstances, I will admit I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just getting away from home for a night was a sheer pleasure. I didn’t even mind sharing a bedroom with my 21-year-old son. We stayed in a premier room with two double beds. My favorite part of the room is definitely the amazing bathroom with a huge walk-in shower and an oversized soaker tub.

What was the hotel like during the Pandemic?

I felt like I was we were the only guests at the hotel at the time. Everyone from the front desk staff to the valet personnel was wearing masks and gloves. I was informed via an email prior to my arrival that their employees have been trained on social distancing measures to reduce face-to-face interactions. For example, there was a velvet rope barrier in front of the front desk preventing, you from leaning on the counter or getting to close during the check-in processes.

In order to practice safe social distancing, some hotel services are impacted. They have taken the precautionary step of closing the swimming pool and amended their Fitness Center hours of operation. Additionally, all spa treatments and salon services at the hotel have been suspended.

Furthermore, housekeeping services, laundry operation is unavailable between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am. Evening turndown and private bar refill are only available upon request, and their house car services have been temporarily suspended at this time. 

What Did I do About Food?

Spa services and evening turndown I can do without, but a girl has to eat. Although the restaurants were not open, I was able to order room service between 9:00 am – 8:00 pm from a limited all-day menu. The hotel was kind enough to send me the menu ahead of time so I would know what was available. They also placed an extra refrigerator in my room so that I could bring my own food.

Room Service delivery was excellent. A masked and gloved staff member knocked on the door, which I held open while he nudged the rolling dining cart into my room. And yes, I did order two glasses of wine with my meal because frankly, I haven’t been this excited to have someone else cook for me in what feels like forever.

Sanitizing My Hotel Room

I did bring my own Clorox wipes and cleaned the door handles, faucets, and of course, the remote control for good measure. Honestly, I was likely being overzealous and a bit OCD. At no time did I feel like things were not completely hygienic and sanitary. The staff is incredibly professional and appeared to be very careful.

The Bottom Line

No doubt, staying in a hotel during coronavirus will look different to you, which will likely be the case for a long time afterward as well. This is not the type of photo I usually take to showcase a hotel room.

However, I am so impressed with the way the Four Seasons One Dalton handled my hotel stay during the coronavirus that I plan to return to this property for years to come. I was only there 24 hours and didn’t even have time to soak in this amazing tub! I need to return to dine at Zuma and spend time on the Wellness Floor. It is more than just a spa.

I encourage you to check out this property when you can visit Boston next. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Disclosure: Complimentary accommodations were provided by the Four Seasons One Dalton Street, Boston. No other compensation was received for this review. This post reflects the honest opinion of my experience without outside influence.