Not only has Boston never had anything like this before, it’s not your typical casino buffet – things are made to order and fresh, and there are a lot of individual platings. There are two fine-dining restaurants – Sinatra’s (Italian) and Rare Steakhouse which are open for dinner only and available to guests and families with children 5 and older.īelieve it or not, The Buffet is a dining experience to be excited about. There are a total of 15 restaurants at the Encore Boston Harbor with tastes to suit everyone including The Oyster Bar, Cantonese noodle dishes and dim sum (Red 8) and seasonally-driven, modern American Eats (Garden Cafe). Let’s just say that if you find out that you’re upgraded to room 2601 at check in, it’s going to be a really good stay ).

I have to say, seeing the infrastructure and roads leading to the resort in place, the shuttle boat is absolutely the way to go – you’ll thank me later.

The trip is comfortable and about a 25-minute duration.Â You’ll arrive at the Harborwalk -the resort’s is a six-acre waterfront park with plenty of outdoor space and great lawns to enjoy.Â Additionally, the resort offers private boat docking if you’re feeling extra fancy. The boat shuttles areÂ open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis at an introductory fare of $7. A unique feature of the property is that it’s accessible by 35-passenger, custom-built luxury boat shuttles which run every 20-30 minutes from points within Boston (Seaport, World Trade Center, and Long Wharf) between 7am to 11:45pm daily. I’m not local to Boston, but I can already tell that traffic is going to be an issue once Encore Boston Harbor opens and is operating at full-swing. Though I did not stay overnight, I did partake in an extensive tour of the grounds and attended an on-property press conference (unfortunately personal photography/video was forbidden indoors during my visit). The entirely smoke-free Encore Boston Harbor casino and resort boasts 671 rooms and opens its doors to the public at 10am, Sunday June 23. Those who know me know I love my casino fix, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to tour the brand new 27-story Encore Boston HarborÂ yesterday during a media preview while I was already visiting Boston for the weekend with my family. I’m happy with the addition of another impressive and accessible “Vegas-style” casino on the East Coast, so allow me to share my first impressions (teaser: totally blows any of the Atlantic City properties out of the water).

Encore boston casino floor map