A Tour of Boston’s Must-See Luxury Hotels
March 20th, 2009
The Colonnade
The Back Bay’s most prestigious address houses Boston’s only rooftop pool, a seasonal luxury that complements the Colonnade’s modern aesthetic. Rooms are outfitted with pillow-top beds, flat-screen televisions, marble baths, and floor-to-ceiling windows for spectacular views of the bay and the Copley Square vicinity. Despite its modern and tech-friendly updates in its guest rooms, the hotel strives to maintain a classic ambience with its 1940s-inspired French restaurant, Brasserie Jo. The restaurant is one of the city’s preeminent destinations for French fare, and hotel patrons will appreciate its well-stocked bar.
The Liberty
If the Liberty exudes distinct personality, it’s all because of the Massachusetts penitentiary system. The building used to function as the Charles Street Jail, and features of its past life persevere in the hotel’s updated décor. In fact, the renovated lobby houses a few relic jail cells, and its bar is cleverly called Clink. Most guest rooms are contained in a new facility, an adjoining 16-story tower, and have little in common with their penal predecessors. Thanks to a $120 million renovation, the Liberty promises to be Boston’s premier ironically-named luxury hotel.
Boston Omni Parker House
This hotel encapsulates the dark-wood and whiskey glamour of old New England, and, owing to a $30 million restoration, now caters to the modern audience with unique style. The property originally opened as a hotel in 1855, and neighbors many of the city’s Revolutionary War-era landmarks. City Hall, Boston Common, and the Old South Meeting House are all located within a block of the Omni Parker. One of its best features is its classic bar, which boasts a fireplace and stained glass windows and serves a selection of fine whiskeys and Boston crème martinis.
The Hotel Commonwealth
The Commonwealth’s multi-tiered complex contains some of Boston’s best dining and shopping: its bottom floor is a retail promenade, housing jewelry stores, clothing boutiques, a photography gallery, and assorted other luxury outposts. The hotel’s restaurant, the Great Bay, is an acclaimed destination for all things seafood, while other on-site eateries offer more casual dining. Perhaps most enticing are the hotel’s guest rooms, which are outfitted with Frette linens, L’Occitane toiletries, and complimentary DVD libraries for in-room viewing.
The Fairmont Copley Plaza
This gilded hotel dates back to 1912. Its façade and lobby interior are both distinct and unmatched in the Boston area; two golden lions welcome patrons at the main entrance, while the interior features gold moldings, tiered and sculpted ceilings, an array of French decorative antiques, and elaborate chandeliers. Its Oak Room Steakhouse and Oak Bar are among the city’s most elegant venues, and the bar even offers a drink called the “Engaging Martini” that’s served with a spiffy, expensive diamond. In spite of this, the Fairmont’s greatest draw is the fact that guests can book walking or jogging time with its resident pup, a black lab named Katie Copley.
The Boston Harbor Hotel
This aptly named harbor-adjacent hotel prides itself on its universally high marks; Conde Nast’s Traveler Gold List named it as one of the world’s finest places to stay. It’s safe to say they were wowed by their rooms’ views, since the hotel’s wide bay windows overlook the marina’s many yachts and sailboats. Furthermore, the hotel is a veritable drinker’s paradise. Its on-site draws include a wine tasting restaurant that matches wines to menu items and a Scotch bar that offers an array of fine single malts. It’s also the home of the Boston Wine Festival, a tasting event that runs from January to April every year.
Luxury doesn’t have to mean paying top dollar. In order to get the absolute best rates on these and other Boston hotels, click here.
Categories: Destination Guides
