Expert recommendations for the top accommodations in four price ranges: budget ($), moderate ($$), expensive ($$$), and luxury ($$$$).
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Harborside Inn
“This location is unbeatable for it’s proximity to all that is happening downtown. It’s mere steps from Quincy Market and the new waterfront.”—Mara Vorhees, author, Lonely Planet Boston. A recent renovation and expansion upgraded every facet of this great value hotel. Rooms are usually 20-30 percent below competing hotels. 185 State Street; tel. +1 888 723 7565 or +1 617 723 7500. www.harborsideinnboston.com
Hotel 140
Opened in 2005; 54 rooms spread across three floors of the 140 Clarendon Building; while the Boston YWCA headquarters lend a bit of an industrial feel, the combination of value and location make it a top choice; fitness center and complimentary Internet. Stuart Street Grille on site. 140 Clarendon Street; tel. +1 617 585 5600. www.hotel140.com
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Charlesmark Hotel
“Nice contemporary style; feels like a hip spot with its bold red–and–white color scheme in the public areas and bright lights. This is not the Back Bay of brownstones and antiques.”—Mara Vorhees. 40 small rooms; great location within sight of Copley Square; complimentary continental breakfast; premier movie channels; redone in 2002. Charlesmark Lounge on site. 655 Boylston Street; tel. +1 617 247 1212. www.thecharlesmarkhotel.com
John Hancock Hotel & Conference Center
Closed to outside guests during April’s Boston Marathon as it hosts a slew of John Hancock Insurance–sponsored runners and their trainers. “The rest of the time it’s quite the little find for business travelers and value-minded tourists in search of a convenient Back Bay address.”—Marie Morris, author, Frommer’s Boston. In the shadow of the John Hancock Tower; historic building; former clubhouse of the University Club of Boston; 64 rooms; complimentary Wi-Fi. 40 Trinity Place. tel. +1 617 933 7700. www.jhcenter.com
The Chandler Inn Hotel
“A fantastic location between the South End’s trendy Tremont Street and Back Bay.”—Marie Morris. Ask for one of the updated Eric Roseff-designed deluxe guest rooms with plasma televisions, iPod docks, and marble bathrooms. Complimentary Wi-Fi; 55 rooms. 26 Chandler Street; tel. +1 617 482 3450. www.chandlerinn.com
Newbury Guest House
“Impeccably maintained; the quintessential Boston townhouse.”—Marie Morris. Located on Boston’s swankiest shopping street; hardwood floors, stained-glass doors, and comfy lobby furniture make it a home away from home; has on-site parking by prior arrangement; complimentary continental breakfast; 32 rooms. New French café downstairs. 261 Newbury Street; tel. +1 800 437 7668. www.newburyguesthouse.com
Bulfinch Hotel
“The flatiron-style building has a unique triangle-shape and the décor captures the flavor of the old industrial neighborhood but with modern walnut furniture and clean lines.”—Mara Vorhees. 79 rooms; close to the North End and the TD Banknorth Garden; part of the Bulfinch Triangle neighborhood reborn after the massive highway relocation project known as “The Big Dig;” opened 2004. Flat Iron Tapas Bar and Lounge on site. 107 Merrimac Street; tel. +1 617 624 0202. www.bulfinchhotel.com
82 Chandler Street Bed and Breakfast
“The location and price are the selling points here, but even if the rooms are no-frills they’re happily white-glove clean.”—Paul Eisenberg, editorial director, Fodor’s New England guides. Small bed-and-breakfast offers three rooms and two studios; ask for the room on the top floor with the fireplace and bay windows. 82 Chandler Street; tel. +1 617 482 0408. www.82chandler.com
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Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro
“There are two beautiful townhouses here that yield a dozen rooms and a suite. They get a ton of natural light if you like that kind of thing. The rooftop deck is a find and you’ll actually want to sit there.”—Paul Eisenberg; mere steps from the Public Garden and Boston Common at the foot of Beacon Hill. Beacon Hill Bistro on site. 25 Charles Street; tel. + 1 617 723 7575. www.beaconhillhotel.com
Jurys Boston Hotel
“They’ve done a great job converting a police headquarters into a fine hotel.”—Mara Vorhees. A $64 million renovation blends the Irish hospitality of the Jurys Hotel chain with modern amenities: complimentary Wi-Fi, a state of the art gym, and a host of business services; 225 rooms. Stanhope Grille, Cuffs—An Irish Bar and Il Barista Coffee Bar on site. 350 Stuart Street; tel. +1 617 266 7200. www.jurysdoyle.com/boston-hotel
The Fairmont Copley Plaza
“A jewel-box of a building with a ‘your wish is my command’ type of service.”—Marie Morris. Spoiling visitors for nearly 100 years, the Fairmont Copley Plaza is the high-water mark for service; Catie Copley (a dog) is available for walks and petting. Ambience is old Boston: marble columns, ornate chandeliers, and gold leaf; 383 rooms, including 18 suites; The Oak Room restaurant and The Oak Bar on site. 138 St. James Avenue; tel. +1 617 267 5300. www.fairmont.com/copleyplaza
Nine Zero Hotel
“Modern flair and edgy design are at play here with bold colors and striking textures and very modern furniture.”—Mara Vorhees. 190 eco-friendly, modern, high-tech rooms with complimentary Wi-Fi, cordless dual-line phones, and WebTV; encourages guests to bring their pets. KO Prime restaurant on site. 90 Tremont Street; tel. +1 617 772 5800. www.ninezero.com
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The Liberty Hotel
Housed in a former jail, the Liberty Hotel is one of the newest additions to Boston’s hotel scene. Guests do time in 298 rooms and suites tricked out with mahogany and steel; many original “furnishings” including iron catwalk and steel bars in the lobby and meeting spaces. Alibi Bar, Clink Restaurant, and a new restaurant tentatively called Scampo Restaurant on site. 215 Charles Street; tel. +1 617 224 4000. www.libertyhotel.com
Charles Street Inn
“Rooms are individually decorated; they capture that old-fashioned Boston-Brahmin feel of nineteenth-century well-to-do Boston.”—Mara Vorhees. Nine large rooms decorated in tasteful Victorian antiques; 1860 townhouse; complete with DSL and complimentary Wi-Fi; in the heart of Boston’s charming Beacon Hill neighborhood; mornings start with breakfast and a paper delivered to your door. 94 Charles Street; tel. + 1 617 314 8900. www.charlesstreetinn.com
