Best Beds in Boston
Best Beds in Boston
words by > Diane Bair and Pamela Wright
*Sleep in style, thanks to Boston’s recent hotel boom.
BEDDING DOWN
here has never been a better time to visit Beantown, with its historic attractions and vibrant shopping, dining and nightlife, thanks to the near-completion of the “Big Dig” and continuing revitalization of the city’s neighborhoods. Fifteen new hotels have opened in the past year; another 15 existing hotels have invested more than $400 million in renovations. And the boom is not over yet. Another seven hotels are due to open in the next 18 months, including the InterContinental Boston Hotel (opening this November), the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, the Regent Boston at Battery Wharf Hotel and the Charles Street Jail Hotel, housed in a famous 1851 jailhouse. But with so many choices, where is the best place to stay? Now that depends on what you’re looking for.
For romance
Take the water shuttle from the airport and arrive at the yacht-clogged marina; linger in the soaring lobby with its marble arches and 80-foot-high rotunda; stroll the waterfront boulevard; enjoy the wine-paired small plates at the Meritage restaurant, then retire to your lush room with intoxicating views of Boston Harbor. If you’re not in the mood at the Boston Harbor Hotel (70 Rowes Wharf, 800-752-7077, www.bhh.com), your relationship may be in trouble.
For families
The Marriott Long Wharf (296 State St, 617-227-0800, www.marriott.com/boslw) has two kid-pleasing features: a terrific pool (with views of Boston Harbor), and a cool game room. Plus, the New England Aquarium is practically next door. Parental escape hatches include a 24-hour health club and an on-site Starbucks. Ask about family packages for weekend stays. Also, check out the value-packed Kids See & Do packages offered by the Colonnade Hotel (120 Huntington Ave, 800-962-3030, www.colonnadehotel.com). The downtown property just received a multimillion-dollar facelift, and kids will love the rooftop pool.
For luxury
The Ritz-Carlton (15 Arlington St, 800-241-3333, www.ritzcarlton.com), famed for its hushed elegance and celebrity-filled guest list, now offers a perfect-for-Boston amenity: the fireplace butler. From choosing the proper wood to stoking the flame, the fireplace butler will set the logs a-blazing—and discreetly disappear before your bath butler arrives. The ultra-luxe Four Seasons (200 Boylston, 800-819-5053, www.fourseasons.com/boston), overlooking the Public Garden, boasts a 4,600-square-foot presidential suite with floorto-ceiling windows and a baby grand piano. Or, book a suite at the swanky Fairmont Copley Plaza (138 St. James Ave, 800-441-1414, www.fairmont.com/copleyplaza), and you’ll get treats like backstage passes to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. For true authenticity, you can’t beat the 15th-floor presidential suite at the historic Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers, (64 Arlington, 800-225-2008, www.bostonparkplaza.com); every president since 1927 has stayed here.
For furry friends
At the sleek and sexy Onyx Hotel (155 Portland St, 617-557-9955, www.onyxhotel.com), your VIPs (very important pets) get the royal treatment, including leopard print collar tags—they match the leopard print bathrobes in your room. Also available for your best friend: special beds, fleece blankets and lunch pails full of treats. Catie Copley, a black Labrador and former seeing-eye dog, recently joined the hotel staff at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. Her duties include greeting guests in the lobby and assisting bell staff with room deliveries. Catie even has her own business cards and e-mail address, if you’d like to stay in touch.
For foodies
Renowned chef Ken Oringer’s Clio, in the Eliot Hotel (370 Commonwealth, 800-443-5468, www.eliothotel.com), has remained at the top of “Boston’s Best” lists since its opening nearly a decade ago. The splurge-worthy menu mixes up modern French cuisine with world influences. Lobster and sea urchin cassoulet with yuzu and Japanese pepper? Heavenly. Team dinner with a stay at this all-suite boutique hotel and you’ll have what weekends were made for. The ultra-hip Nine Zero boutique hotel (90 Tremont, 866-646-3937, www.ninezero.com) is home to the equally trendy Spire restaurant. Try the lobster clam bake and the best foie gras this side of the Atlantic. The Great Bay restaurant at the stylish Hotel Commonwealth (500 Commonwealth, 866-784-4000, www.hotelcommonwealth.com) has become the place to go for seafood, in a town where seafood reigns. Chandeliers and cushy wingback chairs make dining at the Langham Hotel’s Julien restaurant an elegant event (250 Franklin St, 617-451-1900, www.langhamhotels.com). The focus is French with inventive twists (cod cheeks with crispy pork belly; basil ice cream). Don’t miss Langham’s famous Chocolate Bar, with more than 40 desserts.
For historic character
Lenox Hotel, (61 Exeter St, 800-225-7676, www.lenoxhotel.com), the perennial Boston favorite, masterfully blends vintage details with modern amenities. Snag one of the spacious corner rooms with a working fireplace, then stop into the popular lobby bar offering signature vodka martinis (some claim are the best in town). The Omni Parker House (60 School St, 800-843-6664, www.omniparkerhouse.com) is the oldest continuously operated hotel in the US. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Henry David Thoreau and Babe Ruth slept here, and JFK proposed to Jackie at table 40 in Parker’s restaurant. It oozes historic elegance.
For business travelers
A hotel stay at XI Beacon (15 Beacon St, 877-982-3226, www.xvbeacon.com) is like residing at a very upscale private club. This 60-room boutique, housed in a splendid 1903 Beaux Arts building on tony Beacon Hill, is all about discreet service and pampered elegance. Guests have all the high-tech bells and whistles, plus a few extras, like private phone lines and a driver to chauffeur them in a Lexus LS 430 sedan to in-town meetings. If your expense account is more modest, consider the Wyndham Boston (89 Broad St, 800-996-3426, www.wyndham.com), a 1928 Art Deco building in the heart of the downtown with 24-hour health club and business center. If space and company are what you want, check into the bustling and gigantic Seaport Hotel (1 Seaport Lane, 877-732-7678, www.seaportboston.com), located next to the World Trade Center. Meeting rooms, restaurants, a health club, business center and more are all on site.
For shopping
Stay at the Westin Copley Place Boston (10 Huntington Ave, 800-937-8461, www.westin.com/copleyplace), Back Bay’s glittering, steel and glass high-rise, and you’ll be just a stroll away from the city’s top shopping venue (that’s Copley Place, with more than 100 stores, including most of the top names). The Westin’s spacious rooms are a welcome oasis after a day of shopping—there’s a full-service spa on site, too. Book an upper floor room, with views of Back Bay and the Charles River.
For bargain hunters
There’s no sign on the door of this handsome brick townhouse, but that doesn’t stop the international set from discovering the 463 Beacon Guest House (463 Beacon St, 617-536-1302, www.463beacon.com). Dark green paint, hardwood floors and old photos of Boston add warmth to the simple digs. But the real draw is the rate, starting at $65 per night per room. Close to Kenmore Square, the 20-room inn is within walking distance of several eateries and the T subway.
Best newcomer
The $204 million Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel (425 Summer St, 617-532-4600, www.starwoodhotels., attached to the new Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, opened in June. The ultra-modern, skyscraping hotel features 793 guest rooms, lots of meeting space, restaurant, pool and health club.