When it comes to Boston, Forbes Travel Guide, Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure, their journalists, inspectors, and readers have diverse opinions. However, we’ve narrowed it down to what we think are the top eight hotels in the city and give you an inside look at their top suites.
1. Boston Harbor Hotel
2. Four Seasons Hotel Boston
3. Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street
4. InterContinental Boston
5. Mandarin Oriental Boston
6. Taj Boston
7. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common
8. XV Beacon
1. Boston Harbor Hotel
Conde Nast Traveler writes, “As the city’s only five-star waterfront hotel, this Rowes Wharf grande dame has a big reputation to uphold. The grandiose exterior archway overlooking the harbor is an instantly identifiable icon and a seamless part of Boston’s downtown landscape.”
Awarding it five stars, Forbes Travel Guide says, “Boston Harbor Hotel is a beautiful blend of Boston’s colonial past and chic present, down to the American flag hanging under an ornate rotunda, waving in boats from their day at sea. Every traditionally decorated, brocade-bedecked room at the Five-Star Boston Harbor Hotel features a skyline or water view, plasma TV and down-to-the-details provisions (including collar stays and stain-removal wipes). Every service imaginable is available, from same-day dry cleaning to auto detailing, and all are delivered by an affable, professional staff that almost makes you feel like a celebrity guest.”
It adds, “Dining options excel, too, from the impressive wine list at Meritage Restaurant + Wine Bar to the fresh seafood creations at Rowes Wharf Sea Grille.”
John Adams Presidential Suite
Overlooking Boston’s waterfront, the new 4,800 sq. ft. John Adams Presidential Suite (images above and also in the lead of this newsletter) adds a 1,000 sq. ft. terrace overlooking the harbor. There is a state-of-the-art media room, large living area, dining room, and modern kitchen. And yes, it does have a private elevator.
2. Four Seasons Hotel Boston
While the opinions of Forbes and Conde Nast Traveler were diverse when it came to Boston, Four Seasons Boston received 5 stars from Forbes Travel Guide and was ranked second in the city by Conde Nast Traveler.
One of now two Four Seasons hotels in the city, Conde Nast Traveler writes, “Not many hotels with this central a location are able to channel the composure and tranquility of the Four Seasons. Since opening across the street from Boston Common more than 30 years ago, and after a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2017, the hotel continues to be a favorite for upscale travelers in Boston.”
Forbes adds, “When it comes to superlative service, no one does it like the Four Seasons, and the Boston outpost is no exception. Guests at this Five-Star hotel (which lies directly across from the Public Garden and the adjacent Boston Common) can expect to be spoiled. The guestrooms, all renovated in early 2017, are tranquil and open, emphasizing the gorgeous views of the Garden and equipped for comfort with plush slippers and robes, down pillows, and new Four Seasons beds.
It notes, “A dip in the 8th floor indoor pool, which overlooks the Garden and State House, provides the perfect pre-dinner pick-me-up before enjoying the elegant Bristol Restaurant and Bar. Affectionately known as ‘Boston’s Living Room’, the Bristol is a tasteful dining experience where the Boston power set comes to dine.”
Royal Suite
The sixth floor 2,950 sq. ft. Royal Suite features a dining room with seat for 10, a media, large living room with baby grand piano, balcony overlooking Boston Public Garden and a service kitchen making it ideal for entertaining.
Our expansive sixth-floor suite offers residential living at its finest, with a dining room seating 10, a media room, a service kitchen, and a baby grand piano.
3. Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street
Just opened last month, the tallest tower built in Boston since 1976, its 61 floors are home to the second Four Seasons property in the city – just a mile from its sister. The new location includes an outpost of popular Japanese restaurant Zuma as well as a second, full-service restaurant.
Presidential Suite
The 1,627 sq. ft. Presidential Suite on the 21st floor features curving corner views of Back Bay. The expansive living room with a grand piano is perfect for a cocktail and you can host up to eight guests in the dining area. The bathroom features a large soaking tub beside the floor-to-ceiling window.
4. InterContinental Boston
Travel + Leisure reports, “With its curved glass exterior, the sweeping design of the InterContinental is meant to subtly evoke the clipper ships that used to ply their trade right in the adjacent harbor. It’s a wonderfully evocative visual element that extends into the lobby, which is decorated with a well-curated collection featuring local artists.”
Forbes Travel Guide adds, “InterContinental Boston sits on Boston’s waterfront, just steps from Faneuil Hall and the up-and-coming Seaport District. The 424-room hotel opened in 2006, giving Bostonians and guests access to a new luxury option on the water.”
Forbes continues, “In addition to the stunning view, InterContinental Boston has three different dining choices, a spa and health club, and expansive meeting space. All of the Italian marble and Texas limestone lining the lobby and hallways are certainly attractive qualities, too. In an effort to help boost its greener options, InterContinental Boston also established a beehive on its roof, allowing the production of fresh honey for the hotel’s dishes and cocktails.”
Presidential Suite
The 3,300 sq. ft. Presidential Suite offers classic decor and floor-to-ceiling windows with harbor views. This suite has a parlor, two bedrooms, and a grand marble bathroom with rainfall shower, soaking tub, and heated towel rack
5. Mandarin Oriental, Boston
Travel + Leisure writes, “The Mandarin’s marble-and-limestone exterior provides cool cover for the warmth of its interior space, which brings together elaborate flower arrangements with a mix of warm woods and surfaces that seem impossibly shiny. If you’re looking to venture out, the hotel can arrange a special tour of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem via Mercedes sedan or a trip to Nantucket via helicopter.”
Forbes says, “Perhaps the most hotly anticipated real estate project to come to Boston in decades, the Five-Star Mandarin Oriental, Boston (which includes residences) opened in October 2008 to much fanfare. Its Back Bay location can’t be beaten; the hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the Prudential Center, providing an ideal base for shopping year-round — during the city’s long winters, a private guest entrance will deliver you into the luxury mall without having to step foot outside.”
Forbes adds, “The experience of Mandarin Oriental, Boston begins in the spacious lobby, which was designed with local granite and artwork, a traditional New England color scheme and the principles of feng shui — all elements are represented and the front door aligns with the Charles River. The lobby’s long, gas fireplace is a wonderful place to relax surrounded by fresh flower arrangements, soothing music, and personable staff ready to create a quiet respite within the busy city hotel.”
Presidential Suite
The 2,626 sq. ft. is a large one-bedroom suite with a living and dining room, wood-paneled study and jacuzzi. The bedroom features gold silk wall coverings and a large bathroom with bath and shower, a walk-in wardrobe and dressing room. I’d like the largest one-bedroom suite with a living/dining room, study, and jacuzzi.
6. Taj Boston
Forbes writes about the 4-star hotel, “The venerable Taj Boston, perched at the top of Newbury Street across from the Public Garden, hasn’t changed much since it opened in the 1920s. Where else in town can you call for a bath butler (to fill your tub), a fireplace butler (to light your in-room hearth), or a technology butler (to ensure you don’t miss a single email)? In true blueblood fashion, the décor is upscale, but not flashy, with richly textured wall fabrics and tasseled drapes in a palette of beige, gold, rose and blue. Shoe-shines, turndown service, and high-end European toiletries are included, of course, as are the fantastic views of Newbury Street. The bar, with its original fireplace, dark wood paneling, and cushy club chairs, is where Boston power deals are made.”
Presidential Suite
The 1,540 sq. ft. Presidential Suite offers classic opulent style with impressive artwork in muted tones and dull gold and has panoramic views of central Boston. With the option of connecting park-view rooms, the suite includes a wet bar and kitchenette making it a good place to host meetings or entertain.
7. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common
Forbes Travel Guide says, “The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common is literally surrounded by distractions (Boston Common park and Boston Theater District for two), but there’s so much going on inside its own walls that there’s a chance you may not even notice the commotion outside.”
It adds, “With a $13 million renovation project completed in July 2017, the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star property is proud to again show off 193 guest rooms that have been given a jolt of vibrancy by the Rockwell Group architecture firm, meeting spaces that are now outfitted with more tech toys than conventioners know what to do with and a Club Lounge that feels like it’s ready for its close-up in the next home decorating magazine.”
Presidential Suite
The 1,680 sq. ft. Presidential Suite offers park and city views, a separate dining room with hardwood floors and seating for eight. There is also a cozy window seating in the master bedroom to enjoy park views. For those cold nights, enjoy the gas fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows with classic views. Also, enjoy complimentary access to the Equinox Sports Club.
8. XV Beacon
The number one choice in Boston by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler with a 99.03 score, XV Beacon rates four stars from Forbes, which says, “Staying at the Four-Star XV Beacon, a Boston boutique hotel, makes you feel like a Brahmin with your very own home in the exclusive Beacon Hill neighborhood, complete with a staff to take care of every detail and a chauffeur to drive you wherever you wish in the hotel’s Lexus sedan.”
It adds, “(The) hotel oozes old-school Boston style. All of the 63 guest rooms have a four-poster bed, fresh floral arrangements, a working fireplace and toiletries from Boston-based cosmetics line Fresh.
The Gilbert Stuart Suite
The 1,370 sq. ft. Gilbert Stuart Suites offer two bedrooms with a separate Parlor Room which has a dining/boardroom table that can accommodate up to 12 people. All three rooms have separate imported marble bathrooms with a rainforest shower and whirlpool tub combination. Both bedrooms are equipped with King beds.
