10 of the best hotels in Boston, from a glamorous five-star property to budget-friendly options

05.01.2024 - 09:17 / nationalgeographic.com / Art

In the 19th century, Boston was nicknamed ‘The Hub of the Solar System’ such was its importance at the heart of the young American nation. Ask any of the passionate locals — especially Red Sox baseball fans — and they’ll say it’s still an accurate description. The star at the centre of this particular galaxy is a compact 400-year-old downtown, home to a collection of historic sites that form the core of the Freedom Trail, and the harbour where the Boston Tea Party protest took place 250 years ago. You’ll find most of the best hotels in the Back Bay or South End areas, both flanking the downtown and close to the culinary and cultural action.

Best for: all-rounder
Anchoring the oceanfront Rowes Wharf, this heavyweight hotel is the host venue for the Boston Wine & Food Festival, a three-month event that kicks off every year in January. It’s also home to one of the city’s finest seafood restaurants, Rowes Wharf Sea Grille, which serves a memorable lobster fried rice. The bright, recently renovated rooms have blue tones and maritime art that pay tribute to the setting; the ones marked with even numbers have a guaranteed sea view. There’s an enormous pool beneath reception, hotel boat trips out to the harbour islands and live music on a floating barge every evening. Add the fact that the Children’s Museum and Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum are within easy walking distance, and you have a true all-rounder. Rooms: From £485. 

Best for: bargain hunters 
In Boston’s lively South End, the Revolution styles itself as a ‘boutique micro-hotel’, akin to a luxury hostel. All guest rooms are private, but there’s a remarkable range of shapes and sizes available, from ‘quads’ — four bunk beds, each with its own privacy curtain and USB port — to spacious loft suites with kitchenettes. The prices remain low across the board, largely because 70% of the rooms rely on shared bathrooms, but even these are no great compromise: the showers are connected to handy in-room indicators showing when they’re occupied, so guests don’t have to queue. The onsite restaurant hits the right notes with its classic Cal-Mex menu, from shrimp quesadillas to roast chicken fajitas, while the basement has a cafe and co-working space perfect for nomadic types. Rooms: From £85. 

Best for: active trips
The Whitney sits at the confluence of three key neighbourhoods: buzzy West End, pretty Beacon Hill and scholarly Cambridge, a quick stroll across adjacent Longfellow Bridge. This 65-room boutique property has made a name for itself with its impossibly comfortable mattresses — they come from a small local supplier and are frequently sold to guests at check-out — and Sardinian restaurant Peregrine, where highlights include the paella-like seafood fregola.