Boston may be best known for its baked beans, cod, cream pie, and good old Yankee frugality, but things are a' changing. Today, the city's culinary scene is hot and the lodging choices are plentiful. Vacationers looking for luxe digs in Beantown now have several fine choices. Here's where to stay in style in Boston.
InterContinental Boston
The soaring InterContinental Boston, a glistening landmark of blue glass and sleek polished granite, is the first hotel to open on Boston’s waterfront in nearly 20 years. The AAA four-diamond property sits at the base of the Financial District, overlooking Fort Point Channel and the newly-finished Rose Kennedy Greenway. The design of the ultra-contemporary property was inspired by historic tall ships. “The structure’s wings are the height of the masts, about as far apart as ships at dock. Its curve facades are sails, reflecting in a modern way the sense of wind within the sails” reads the brochure.
Hmmm…whether visitors see “tall ship” or not, they will likely be impressed by the modern touches, including Texas limestone walls, Italian marble and original art. Guest rooms are spacious, dressed in soothing, though predictable, beiges and earth tones; the spa-like bathrooms are done in mosaic tile and granite, with separate tubs and showers.
If all this gleam and glisten sound a bit too cool, don’t fret. The hotel’s hopping RumBa bar, with a collection of nearly 100 rums, is one of Boston’s hot spots. Or check out Sushi-Teq, offering a unique combo of 69 tequilas, sushi and salsa dancing. Don’t leave without a visit to SPA Intercontinental. The soothing, 6,600-square-foot retreat features a full menu of facial, body and massage treatments.
Taj Boston
For a taste of old-world luxury and classic style, check into the venerableTaj Boston, overlooking the Public Garden. The former Ritz Carlton, re-branded in 2007, is famed for its hushed elegance and oh-so-proper atmosphere. It’s all still there, including the crystal chandeliers, lavish fabrics, and gilded sconces. It offers a prime location, anything-you-want service, and over-the-top amenities.
Book one of the wood-burning fireplace suites complete with a personal fireplace butler. From choosing the proper wood to stoking the flame, the fireplace butler will set the logs a-blazing—and discreetly disappear before the bath butler arrives. While the rooms boast traditional furnishings and décor, there’s also plenty of tech-y toys and plush 300-thread count linens.
Mandarin Oriental
It took ten years and an estimated $300 million to bring the Hong-Kong-based, high luxury Mandarin Oriental to Boston’s Back Bay, ushering a new level of lavishness in Beantown. It’s taken some criticism for its boxy, imposing structure, crowding Boylston Street, but there’s no arguing with the refined, nearly zen-like interiors, including mother-of-pearl ceiling tiles, museum-quality artwork and wood engravings.
Service is impeccable: quiet, efficient, attentive. There are 136 guestrooms and 12 suites, featuring walk-in closets, marble baths with rainforest showers and soaking tubs, custom made furniture, high-tech work areas, and sumptuous silk fabrics. The hotel has four restaurants and lounges, including the top-ranked L’Espalier, and Asana, run by highly acclaimed Executive Chef Nicolas Boutin. No need to venture out into the weather for retail therapy; the hotel is directly connected to the Prudential Center shopping center.
XV Beacon
A stay at XV Beacon is like residing at a very upscale, plush private club. Leave the bustling, jostling city outside and walk into this lush oasis, and guests immediately feel pampered and privileged. This 60-room boutique-style hotel, housed in a splendid 1903 Beaux Arts building on tony Beacon Hill, is all about discreet service and modern elegance. The handsome, cozy lobby is black lacquer, dotted with splashes of red and abstract art. Rooms are handsome, too (this is not frilly chintz territory!), with neutral and black colors, a canopy bed, and a gas fireplace. High-tech bells and whistles include surround-sound stereo and flat-screen TVs, plus a few extras, like private phone lines and a driver to chauffeur guests in a Lexus LS 430 sedan to in-town meetings.
Liberty Hotel
Looking for a hotel that really feels like Boston? Do not pass go, go directly to jail! The cheekily named Liberty Hotel served as the Charles Street Jail in its past life. The last of the prisoners left in 1990, but vestiges of the 1851 building’s notorious past remain, including catwalks, iron bars, and jail-related puns—a restaurant is named Clink, for example.
But the Liberty isn’t a Disney-like theme hotel, it’s all about luxury. (Just ask recent guest Bruce Willis, who stayed here three months while filming a movie, or Mick Jagger, who entertained his peeps in the 2,200 square-foot Esplanade Suite.) The 298 guest rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Beacon Hill and the Charles River, plus luxury linens, Molton Brown amenities, a 24-hour gym, and sailboat, bicycle, and kayak rentals. Check out the Alibi bar (housed in the jail’s former drunk tank), adorned with oversized celebrity mug shots (Paris Hilton signed hers on a recent visit.) And don’t miss dinner at Scampo, named by Esquire magazine one of America’s best new restaurants last year.
Fairmont Battery Wharf
The newest kid on the block is the Fairmont Battery Wharf. The luxury waterfront address is comprised of four buildings set in a private enclave, adjacent to the historic North End. Interiors are contemporary featuring original local art and dramatic chandeliers by San Francisco artist Nikols Weinstein. The hotel’s Lobby Living Room bar/restaurant, with water views, is a great place to hang and relax, and the hotel’s signature Sensing restaurant--Michelin chef Guy Martin’s first U.S. restaurant-- is already creating a buzz.
There's no need to rough it in Beantown. Vacationers looking for luxury hotels in Boston have plenty of choices.
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