One lucky family from the winning Super Bowl team's home city will get to go on a "Super Tour" of the losing city, per the terms of the Super Bowl bet announced yesterday between Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Thomas Menino. Each tourism package includes a lot of fun sightseeing, wining, and dining -- and most importantly, a two-night stay at one of the city's hotels. (Fans can enter to win on their city website after the Super Bowl.)
So which fans will score the nicer hotel -- Giants fans heading to Boston, or Patriots fans coming to New York? Find out in the hotel face-off below.
The Ritz-Carlton Boston Common
The Grand Hyatt New York
3.5 Catering to families, business travelers, and major conventions, the 1,311-room Grand Hyatt lies next to Grand Central Station — a prime location in New York’s corporate center. Comfortable rooms, prompt service, an excellent fine dining restaurant, and a nice gym make this Midtown East giant a decent value.
Deluxe King Room at the Grand Hyatt New York
Deluxe King Room Bathroom at the Grand Hyatt New York
Fitness Center at the Grand Hyatt New York
Entrance at The Grand Hyatt New York, in bustling Midtown East next to Grand Central Station
4.5 The Boston Ritz-Carlton is refreshingly intimate with spacious, luxurious standard rooms and access, for a fee, to one of the city’s best gyms, with its own spa, salon, and pool. But it doesn’t thrill style-wise, service is uneven, and the restaurant is unremarkable.
Deluxe King Room at the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common
The Deluxe King Room Bathroom at the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common
The 114,000-square-foot Sports Club/LA Boston, one of the city’s best gyms, with direct access from the Ritz elevator
The Ritz-Carlton Boston Common entrance, in downtown Boston, less than a block from Boston Common
The outcome of Sunday’s game may be hard to call, but this contest isn’t. Sorry, Boston fans — if New Yorkers get to head to Beantown to flaunt their victory, they’ll be sleeping in a far nicer hotel. The Ritz-Carlton has better rooms, better bathrooms, arguably a more tourist-friendly location, and a better fitness center. It’s also earns a whole pearl more than the Grand Hyatt. If the Pats do win, New Yorkers can take solace in the fact that the Boston fans coming to the Big Apple will hardly be sleeping in the city’s premier luxury digs.