If you are staying in Boston, which is the best luxury hotel for families, couples, and business travelers? We have already reviewed the best hotels with club lounges in Boston. Now we look at which hotel comes in at the top and which hotels I would select as being the best for luxury in Boston.
Boston has been called many things – “The City On The Hill,” “The Cradle of Liberty,” one of America’s foremost university towns, and some terrible things by New York sports fans. It’s a classic American city, whether you’re exploring neighborhoods (Back Bay, South End), museums, the Charles River, or one of the city’s many pubs.
If you want to stay in luxury in Boston, you need to choose one of the best luxury or boutique hotels in Boston, and we have outlined the top ten best below, along with tips on how to get these hotels cheaper and how to get a better deal.
1. Four Seasons One Dalton Street
This is the most impressive hotel in Boston and is very luxurious. This hotel is our top pick for luxury hotels in Boston and is pictured above. Four Seasons One Dalton Street, Boston, is the second Four Seasons hotel in the city and is the better of the two. It is located in the heart of the chic Back Bay neighborhood, just steps from Symphony Hall, Newbury Street, Copley Plaza, Fenway Park, and much more. It is also just 15 minutes from Logan International Airport.
In a cutting-edge 61-story skyscraper, the hotel is actually situated on Back Bay, steps from Copley Square and the city’s best shopping on Boylston and Newbury Streets. Major cultural attractions are within a short walk, from sports stadiums to concert halls and world-class art institutions.
The Four Seasons One Dalton Street’s 215 hotel rooms and suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows. For dining, Zuma has arrived in Boston at One Dalton Street in a space that is as much a feast for the eyes as the menu is for the palate. The dishes themselves are designed to be shared from Zuma’s three open kitchens: the main kitchen, sushi counter, and robata grill. Also located on the second floor is One + One, with its floor-to-ceiling windows open for breakfast and lunch.
2. Four Seasons Boston
Overlooking the famed Public Garden and Beacon Hill and within easy reach of every notable business, entertainment, and cultural attraction, the older of the two Four Seasons in Boston is characterized by elegant simplicity and old-world Boston charm.
The 273 guest rooms, including 77 suites, are classic in design, spacious, and sumptuous, featuring bay windows that open for fresh air. Many offer views of the Public Garden, Beacon Hill, and the gilded dome of the State House, while some overlook a landscaped plaza and city streets.
Modern New England design uses a simple neutral palette with gentle accent colors. The contemporary furniture and décor reflect iconic Beacon Hill influences. For business, all rooms have a glass-topped desk, a high-back chair, and dual-line phones with voice mail and high-speed Internet access. Ensuite marble bathrooms include a bathtub and shower with premium toiletries.
The cuisine of Four Seasons Hotel Boston has earned national awards and a stellar reputation across New England. Innovative menus are served flawlessly in the hotel’s restaurants and at banquets and special events.
“Boston’s living room,” the Bristol Lounge provides a comfortable setting for dining and conversation at any time of day. Tables offering views of the Boston Public Garden line the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a fireplace warms the spacious room during the winter.
A resort-like escape in the city, Four Seasons features elegant recreational amenities ranging from a 24-hour Health Club to a 44-foot (13-meter) heated indoor swimming pool and whirlpool with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Public Garden. Enjoy a selection of massage therapies in our private treatment room or in the privacy of your guest room. Special treatments, including our signature face-firming massage, therapeutic body treatments, and hot stone massage, are perfect remedies after a long day. The men’s and women’s locker facilities each offer a dry sauna and a steam room.
3. The Ritz-Carlton Boston
The five-star Ritz-Carlton Boston is one of the most elegant and stylish hotels in central Boston. It is also one of the best places to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points, and it has the best hotel club lounge in Boston. The hotel is located in the theatre district. The Chinatown T station is right around the corner of the building, and the Boylston station is nearby. This is a huge plus since Boston can be a tough place to navigate by car, so public transport is a great way to get around (even for the luxury traveler).
The lobby of this Ritz-Carlton is surprisingly small but feels boutique, in a good way. The hotel’s recently restyled Avery Bar takes its inspiration from the classic cocktails of Prohibition-era and 1950s America, while the newly opened Artisan Bistro provides healthy, seasonal fare.
Rooms are classy and recently refurbished following a $13 million USD redesign completed in 2017. Deluxe amenities include marble soaking bathtubs; an enhanced entertainment package that offers Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Pandora on large-screen, smart TVs, and dramatic city and park views.
If you are staying in a regular guest room, you have to pay for access to the Equinox gym. The sports facilities at this gym are very good, with a full-size pool, but it is a pain to have to pay extra for this if you are not in a club room. Club rooms get lounge access and gym access for free.
If you are a Platinum Bonvoy member, expect free high-speed internet and free access to the health club (which is great), but no other upgrades and no free breakfast. Platinum status should also guarantee late check-out at this Ritz-Carlton.
4. The Newbury Boston
With its enviable Back Bay address, The Newbury Boston is a wonderful blend of an iconic landmark hotel with contemporary luxury style thanks to a beautiful and sensitive top to toe renovation. We fell head over heels for this area and were swept up in the most charming welcome and gorgeous interior of this fabulous hotel.
The hotel is deeply sophisticated, with a timeless class and elegance. The furnishings are beautiful, the fabrics luxurious, and you never feel far from a restful park view. Entering the hotel from the street, you walk under a sea of lightbulbs that make you feel like a celebrity. You then climb a small but wide-lit staircase cementing the feeling that you are inherently more glamorous than you should be after your flight!
There are 286 rooms, of which 90 are very large suites. All the rooms are spacious, and even the smaller rooms include separate seating areas, Nespresso machines, and marble bathrooms with walk-in rainforest showers. Airy, bright, and light-filled, the design is more contemporary and stylish than I’d been expecting for a historic hotel.
The huge fitness center is open 24/7, there is valet parking available, and you can borrow bicycles to explore the city on two wheels. There are also in-house boutiques at the hotel, which include the jeweler’s Tiffany, but while this adds a certain exclusivity, this hotel is firmly embraced by locals and visitors alike and isn’t at all stuffy.
We loved the décor, adored the restaurant and bar, and were simply wowed by the staff who wonderfully welcomed us. The location was also ideal, and I’d recommend a stay here on your next foray to Boston.
5. Kimpton Nine Zero
Winning the best boutique hotel in Boston, we just love Kimpton’s Newly Renovated Downtown Boston Hotel for its style and its value. Yes, some of our other hotels offer more facilities, but for fun and bang for the buck, this Kimpton is hard to beat. As Boston embraces its role as a premier travel destination with international appeal, the city’s downtown scene is flourishing as a social, cultural, and innovation hub. At its epicenter sits Kimpton Nine Zero Hotel, capturing the vitality of Boston’s modern renaissance and taking inspiration from its illustrious history to give rise to something entirely fresh.
Step inside, and you’ll discover this chic, design-forward boutique hotel with luxe touches like skyline views, a celebrated food, wine, and cocktail program, and generous in-room amenities. Walk outside our doors, and you’ll find yourself at the crossroads of three distinct but equally vibrant neighborhoods: Beacon Hill, Downtown Crossing, and the Financial District, and steps from Boston Common and the historic Freedom Trail.
6. Mandarin Oriental, Boston
The luxury Mandarin Oriental, Boston, adds another fine facade to undoubtedly one of the most desirable addresses on Boylston Street. This hotel redefines luxury, blending the simple beauties of Oriental style with Bostonian elegance.
With the most spacious average room size in Boston and a Back Bay address that cannot be matched, there are plenty of ways to make yourself at home in the luxurious 136 guestrooms and 12 suites at the Mandarin Oriental, Boston. Each has been designed with remarkable attention to detail and features soaking tubs, designer linens, and state-of-the-art technology.
Enjoy inspired dining in the heart of Boston’s most desirable neighborhood. Bar Boulud is a French-inspired bistro and wine bar featuring brasserie fare, seasonal New England dishes, and signature Charcuterie.
The Five-Star Spa at Mandarin Oriental, on the hotel’s 4th floor, is a peaceful space that promotes tranquility and health through a holistic approach that pays close attention to the needs of body, mind, and spirit. This magnificent 16,000 ft² Spa (probably the best in the city) features extensive heat and water experiences and blissful relaxation areas and is a meditative space designed to balance energy and restore calm.
The Spa Cafe’s menu features signature therapies as well as a host of luxurious treatments that have been culled from around the world, including many that we offer exclusively. Guests can choose from an array of body treatments, facials, massages, and hydrotherapy sessions, as well as manicure and pedicure services. The Spa’s facilities also include a high-tech fitness center and a beautiful Spa Cafe, which serves delicious and healthy fare in a relaxed bistro setting.
7. Boston Harbor Hotel
A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts LEGEND Collection and Boston’s only Forbes Five-Star waterfront hotel, the Boston Harbor Hotel is located on the historic Rowes Wharf. Luxurious accommodations offer sweeping views of Boston’s cityscape or breathtaking waterfront, a contemporary spa and fitness center, world-class dining, and a 34-slip marina.
The exquisite John Adams Presidential Suite brings a new level of luxury to Boston with grand views of Boston Harbor, magnificent accommodations, and personalized service. Located inside Boston Harbor Hotel’s iconic rotunda, often referred to as the gateway to the city, the John Adams Presidential Suite boasts 4,800 ft² of the most luxurious living space the city has to offer.
Beneath the unmistakable arches of the Boston Harbor Hotel, three first-class Boston restaurants provide the perfect blend of delicate fare, scenery, and ambiance. Meritage Restaurant + Wine Bar takes the unique approach of matching wine and food with a dynamic, sensory-evoking menu that offers guests an unforgettable culinary experience while simplifying the art of pairing. From outdoor terrace dining and summer nights filled with live music to the chic yet casual dining room bursting with imaginative food and cocktails year-round, Rowes Wharf Sea Grille is one of the most exciting spots to dine on the waterfront. Rowes Wharf Bar, rich with Boston tradition and heritage, plush and opulent yet inviting and bathed in warm tones, mahogany, and alluring lighting, the bar envelops guests in the pleasant, collegial spirit of a private club.
Nestled beneath the dramatic archway of the Boston Harbor Hotel on the scenic, historic waterfront, the Rowes Wharf Health Club and Spa is ideally located for convenience and pleasure. Recognized as a premier wellness location in the heart of Boston, the Rowes Wharf Health Club & Spa invites you to experience one of the most luxurious health and fitness centers in New England, where state-of-the-art facilities, including a 60-foot lap pool and unmatched amenities, converge.
Additional services and facilities include an on-site, fully equipped business center, 15,000 ft² of meeting space, wedding and event facilities, chauffeur service, valet and self-parking, services and amenities for pets, and more.
8. Kimpton Onyx Hotel
This is the second-best Kimpton in Boston and, again, offers a unique boutique charm. At Kimpton Onyx Hotel, expect to be welcomed like family by genuine staff who freely dole out warmth, real connections, and that “wicked smart” mindset.
Rather than simply passing off your keys, members of our team operate by the Boston-backed philosophy of creating a destination “where everybody knows your name.” This West End boutique hotel has been carefully curated for authenticity, meaning our guests tend to be laidback yet polished and always ready to enjoy the finer things in Boston.
9. Fairmont Copley Plaza
Fairmont Copley Plaza sits steps away from the Boston Public Library, historic Beacon Hill, the Freedom Trail, and Newbury Street. This Boston hotel offers 383 lavish guestrooms, including 17 elegant suites and Fairmont Gold level, complete with a private lounge and special amenities for guests. Fairmont Copley Plaza provides a complimentary rooftop health club overlooking Back Bay and is home to one of the hottest drinking and dining destinations in the city, OAK Long Bar + Kitchen.
10. XV Beacon
Situated atop historic Beacon Hill, XV Beacon is conveniently located near the Financial District, State House, Newbury Street shopping, Faneuil Hall, the Theatre District, and a variety of museums.
The hotel has 63 spacious rooms and suites, each with a king or queen-size bed. All rooms have fireplaces and built-in mahogany wall units that contain in-room entertainment systems and private bars. Unique room features include an in-room private safe, complete stereo system, digital satellite music with surround-sound speakers, iPod Home docks, Flat-screen television, three telephones, two telephone lines, a speakerphone, and a cordless phone (each guestroom has a privately assigned phone number), high-speed internet access, windows that open, private bar with premium spirits, Lefroy Brooks bathroom fixtures, and heated towel racks, fresh flowers, crystal glassware, lighted makeup mirror, hairdryer, and custom packaged toiletries.
Dining facilities include Mooo…., a contemporary steakhouse with a bar that stocks Boston’s finest collection of single malt scotches, vintage Armagnacs, and Cognacs. The bar offers late-night food service until closing.
XV Beacon offers a variety of exercise options. An in-house exercise room which includes free weights, stair climber, cross trainer, treadmills, and stationary bikes; Fitcorp Health Club, across the street from the hotel, extends full membership privileges to guests during their stay for only $15 USD per day; and private exercise may be arranged in guestrooms.
11. InterContinental Boston
InterContinental Boston is located on Boston’s waterfront, adjacent to the financial district, and convenient for historical landmarks, including the North End and the Boston Tea Party Museum. In addition to its excellent location, Intercontinental Boston also features a very nice gym and pool.
While this is a good quality classic InterContinental, it does feel a little corporate and is designed for conferences, so it is the opposite of a boutique hotel. The hotel has a huge 424 guestrooms and 38 suites, and there is a Club InterContinental Lounge on the 11th floor. If you want to redeem and book on IHG points, at the time of writing, this hotel cost 70,000 points per night.
Other IHG hotels in Boston include Kimpton Nine Zero Hotel, Kimpton Onyx Hotel, and Hotel Indigo Boston Garden.
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