Will always come back for a great time in Boston and a fabulous stay at the YOTEL Boston. But sadly, that experience did not align with the poor and insensitive restaurant management—over something as simple as a small part of a meal that just wasn’t right, or maybe had been sitting out too long. It happens. I get it.
To be fair, Tara and the breakfast / lunch crew—excellent work.
First off, thank you to YOTEL management—especially Anthony Bianchi-Coppola and Brandon Lee —for taking the time to call and follow up in a timely, professional, and patient manner. You and your front staff proved that guest experience matters. You made sure I was heard, and you were extremely accommodating in finding a resolution. Bravo.
Now, to VELA. This is directly addressed to Peter Pelis, the F&B manager, whose response was honestly disappointing.
1️⃣ First, I was accused of claiming ‘food poisoning’—which I never once said. That term was never used. Yet the accusation continued, paired with evasive and inappropriate personal questions that had nothing to do with the matter at hand.
2️⃣ The call started with a negative tone, lacking any sense of understanding or concern. That only escalated the situation. I had to end the conversation myself because of the condescending and dismissive treatment I received.
3️⃣ My initial call to the restaurant line was around 8:30 PM—multiple attempts, with no response. I left my contact info and my room number. It wasn’t until after midnight—when hotel management got involved—that my concern was even acknowledged.
Let me be clear: at no point did I ever ask for money back, compensation, or anything complimentary. My only intention was to make the chef aware of that specific meal item—out of respect and concern for other guests. That’s it.
I was not given the chance to express that. There was no apology for the experience or the delayed follow-up.
VELA—you can do better. Take this as an opportunity to ensure that anyone managing your guest experience understands patience, empathy, and the ability to de-escalate, rather than inflame, a situation meant to be constructive.
YOTEL—I’ll be back. VELA—I’m sorry one person had to ruin what was otherwise a great day and a great stay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Sasha J
Fantastic Experience at the Hotel Bar Restaurant!
The food was absolutely amazing—every dish hit the mark. The wings were flavorful and cooked perfectly, but the real standout was the salad—fresh, vibrant, and honestly phenomenal. I also ordered a French 75, and it was one of the best I’ve ever had—balanced, refreshing, and expertly made.
Service was top-notch as well. Jack, my server, was friendly, attentive, and made sure everything was just right throughout the meal. His recommendations were spot on and added to the overall great experience.
If I’m back in town, I’ll definitely be eating here again. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Evelyn F
Breakfast time while here was amazing! Barside with a cocktail. Great staff and Tara was informative about the to dos in Boston while we visited. Definitely coming back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rainer Weninger
The location looks nice but the food is small and not good. A spicy chicken burger wasnt spicy but sour (vinegar). An omlette looked great. But the bacon in it was raw.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Brianna Lee
HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! On a busy Saturday night, there was no server or hostess, and the bartender was the only one taking care of tables. Service was slow and felt disorganized. Even though we were just a table of two, they automatically added an 18% gratuity, which didn’t feel justified. What seem to be the manager came out to tables as we were finishing up and she did not act professional!
The food was overpriced, and the steak was completely raw despite asking for medium rare. Definitely not what I expected, especially for DineOut Boston. I’ve had way better meals elsewhere—won’t be coming back.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jim
We had reservations for dine out Boston. There was no wait staff except for the bartender. There was no hostess to greet us. We sat down at a table and nobody came to help us so we moved to the bar to sit. The bartender was cheerful and attentive. The clam chowder was excellent but the entrees were dry and not well flavored. The desserts were good not great.
Arlene
The 4 of us loved the casual, open and chic vibe. Hardly anyone there on this Tuesday night so we could take our time. Waiters were friendly and attentive. We took advantage of the fixed price Dine Out selections which was a good value. The food was very good. The beet salad was the best I've ever had! Clam chowder was very good, brothy not creamy type. The steak, chicken and mushroom entrees were very good but the salmon was a bit fishy. All presented well. Desserts were yummy. The pistachio mousse cake was to die for!
Alex
The cocktails and food were delicious and really special, and the friendly and attentive staff made us feel like royalty!
Eva
Vela is a hotel lobby restaurant. We almost left when we arrived for our 9PM reservation. The place was deserted, just couple random people sitting sitting at the bar. No hostess or wait staff just the bartender. We ended up staying and order our drinks and dinner - both arrived quickly (not surprise with nobody else to attend to). The food ended up being really good and priced reasonably for Seaport location. I hope this restaurant survives and becomes more popular.
Opentable Diner
Really delicious food and beautiful presentation. Our server was so friendly and attentive. Our experience at Vela was wonderful!
We were making reservations. In the end at the entrance several times informed about it. We were ignored by the waitress girl, after she showed us to the table I ordered a glass of champagne for 16$ and caesar salad for 16. The menu was poor, the waitress clearly did not want to work with us although we were the only ones in the restaurant. The food is unpalatable. Then $20 was included in the bill as a tip. Although it is not clear why, we kept calling her ourselves. We went to pay the bill to the counter because we were ignored! I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS ESTABLISHMENT
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
S Palmer
Great food, and the service was amazing, Dayana took great care of us, she was had the best recommendation and made sure we had a perfect experience. We’ll definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lech Migdal
Good omlet with toast, though rather expensive ($31 with service charge added automatically).
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Olivia KIM
Really annoying they don’t answer the phone. ?
Anastasiia N
We were making reservations. In the end at the entrance several times informed about it. We were ignored by the waitress girl, after she showed us to the table I ordered a glass of champagne for 16$ and caesar salad for 16. The menu was poor, the waitress clearly did not want to work with us although we were the only ones in the restaurant. The food is unpalatable. Then $20 was included in the bill as a tip. Although it is not clear why, we kept calling her ourselves. We went to pay the bill to the counter because we were ignored! I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS ESTABLISHMENT
Will always come back for a great time in Boston and a fabulous stay at the YOTEL Boston. But sadly, that experience did not align with the poor and insensitive restaurant management—over something as simple as a small part of a meal that just wasn’t right, or maybe had been sitting out too long. It happens. I get it.
To be fair, Tara and the breakfast / lunch crew—excellent work.
First off, thank you to YOTEL management—especially Anthony Bianchi-Coppola and Brandon Lee —for taking the time to call and follow up in a timely, professional, and patient manner. You and your front staff proved that guest experience matters. You made sure I was heard, and you were extremely accommodating in finding a resolution. Bravo.
Now, to VELA. This is directly addressed to Peter Pelis, the F&B manager, whose response was honestly disappointing.
1️⃣ First, I was accused of claiming ‘food poisoning’—which I never once said. That term was never used. Yet the accusation continued, paired with evasive and inappropriate personal questions that had nothing to do with the matter at hand.
2️⃣ The call started with a negative tone, lacking any sense of understanding or concern. That only escalated the situation. I had to end the conversation myself because of the condescending and dismissive treatment I received.
3️⃣ My initial call to the restaurant line was around 8:30 PM—multiple attempts, with no response. I left my contact info and my room number. It wasn’t until after midnight—when hotel management got involved—that my concern was even acknowledged.
Let me be clear: at no point did I ever ask for money back, compensation, or anything complimentary. My only intention was to make the chef aware of that specific meal item—out of respect and concern for other guests. That’s it.
I was not given the chance to express that. There was no apology for the experience or the delayed follow-up.
VELA—you can do better. Take this as an opportunity to ensure that anyone managing your guest experience understands patience, empathy, and the ability to de-escalate, rather than inflame, a situation meant to be constructive.
YOTEL—I’ll be back.
VELA—I’m sorry one person had to ruin what was otherwise a great day and a great stay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Fantastic Experience at the Hotel Bar Restaurant!
The food was absolutely amazing—every dish hit the mark. The wings were flavorful and cooked perfectly, but the real standout was the salad—fresh, vibrant, and honestly phenomenal. I also ordered a French 75, and it was one of the best I’ve ever had—balanced, refreshing, and expertly made.
Service was top-notch as well. Jack, my server, was friendly, attentive, and made sure everything was just right throughout the meal. His recommendations were spot on and added to the overall great experience.
If I’m back in town, I’ll definitely be eating here again. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Breakfast time while here was amazing! Barside with a cocktail. Great staff and Tara was informative about the to dos in Boston while we visited. Definitely coming back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The location looks nice but the food is small and not good. A spicy chicken burger wasnt spicy but sour (vinegar). An omlette looked great. But the bacon in it was raw.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! On a busy Saturday night, there was no server or hostess, and the bartender was the only one taking care of tables. Service was slow and felt disorganized. Even though we were just a table of two, they automatically added an 18% gratuity, which didn’t feel justified. What seem to be the manager came out to tables as we were finishing up and she did not act professional!
The food was overpriced, and the steak was completely raw despite asking for medium rare. Definitely not what I expected, especially for DineOut Boston. I’ve had way better meals elsewhere—won’t be coming back.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
We had reservations for dine out Boston. There was no wait staff except for the bartender. There was no hostess to greet us. We sat down at a table and nobody came to help us so we moved to the bar to sit. The bartender was cheerful and attentive. The clam chowder was excellent but the entrees were dry and not well flavored. The desserts were good not great.
The 4 of us loved the casual, open and chic vibe. Hardly anyone there on this Tuesday night so we could take our time. Waiters were friendly and attentive. We took advantage of the fixed price Dine Out selections which was a good value. The food was very good. The beet salad was the best I've ever had! Clam chowder was very good, brothy not creamy type. The steak, chicken and mushroom entrees were very good but the salmon was a bit fishy. All presented well. Desserts were yummy. The pistachio mousse cake was to die for!
The cocktails and food were delicious and really special, and the friendly and attentive staff made us feel like royalty!
Vela is a hotel lobby restaurant. We almost left when we arrived for our 9PM reservation. The place was deserted, just couple random people sitting sitting at the bar. No hostess or wait staff just the bartender. We ended up staying and order our drinks and dinner - both arrived quickly (not surprise with nobody else to attend to). The food ended up being really good and priced reasonably for Seaport location. I hope this restaurant survives and becomes more popular.
Really delicious food and beautiful presentation. Our server was so friendly and attentive. Our experience at Vela was wonderful!
Restaurantji Recommends
We were making reservations. In the end at the entrance several times informed about it. We were ignored by the waitress girl, after she showed us to the table I ordered a glass of champagne for 16$ and caesar salad for 16. The menu was poor, the waitress clearly did not want to work with us although we were the only ones in the restaurant. The food is unpalatable. Then $20 was included in the bill as a tip. Although it is not clear why, we kept calling her ourselves. We went to pay the bill to the counter because we were ignored! I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS ESTABLISHMENT
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great food, and the service was amazing, Dayana took great care of us, she was had the best recommendation and made sure we had a perfect experience. We’ll definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good omlet with toast, though rather expensive ($31 with service charge added automatically).
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Really annoying they don’t answer the phone. ?
We were making reservations. In the end at the entrance several times informed about it. We were ignored by the waitress girl, after she showed us to the table I ordered a glass of champagne for 16$ and caesar salad for 16. The menu was poor, the waitress clearly did not want to work with us although we were the only ones in the restaurant. The food is unpalatable. Then $20 was included in the bill as a tip. Although it is not clear why, we kept calling her ourselves. We went to pay the bill to the counter because we were ignored! I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS ESTABLISHMENT
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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