The trendy one
NINE ZERO
You don’t really go to Boston for boutique style — it’s more about roaring
fires and grandfather clocks — but for those who must have their signature
restaurants and flatscreen TVs, Nine Zero is where to check in.
The design is all about sharp corners, dark wood and polished floors. Despite
this, the rooms are charming and the top four floors have floor-to-ceiling
windows with stupendous views across Boston Common to the Charles River.
There are stylish touches everywhere, right down to the minibar — trendier
than you’ll ever see in London or New York, with a cool martini-making kit.
Boutique-hotel hoarders will also love the Mario Russo toiletries (with a
choice of shampoos, no less). The restaurant and bar, Spire, is where
everybody goes of a Saturday night, to people-watch... or to snare a rich
Bostonian husband.
Doubles from £99, room-only; 00 1 617 772 5800, www.ninezero.com
The romantic one
ELIOT HOTEL
Nobody makes as big a fuss as they should about the Eliot — it’s not
fashionable, it’s not new and it doesn’t have a celeb bar scene. But it is
possibly the loveliest hotel in the city, with the look of a Henry James
novel and staff who make you feel instantly at home.
The Eliot housed residential apartments back in the 1920s, home to Harvard
profs and local writers, and each floor has a distinct style: gilt mirrors
and antique tallboys on one; velvet throws and art-deco tables on another;
and toile de Jouy alongside Chinese porcelain vases on a third.
Modern touches include WiFi, and there’s a jogging map for health-conscious
travellers. The rooms overlook lovely Commonwealth Avenue — it was inspired
by the Champs Elysées.
Doubles from £128, B&B; 00 1 617 267 1607, www.eliothotel.com
The flash one
XV BEACON
Known for being the most expensive hotel in Boston, XV Beacon amounts to more
than just its rack rates. The location is excellent: five minutes’ walk from
North End, where you can buy oysters straight off the boat, and a minute
from Boston Common, ideal for an amble in the spring sunshine.
Inside, you gad about the hotel in old-fashioned elevators with grille doors
(modernised to travel at speed). The rooms are furnished with four-poster
beds draped with simple white linen.
When the sun’s shining, hang out on the great roof terrace, with views across
the city. When it’s chilly, make for the Federalist, Boston’s original
fashionable hotel bar and restaurant. Book a table for beef wellington or
just stop by for a fearsome martini.
Doubles from £166, room-only; 00 1 617 670 1500, www.xvbeacon.com
The budget one
HOTEL 140
Boston isn’t a city where you can pick and choose between affordable chains,
so to find a cheap place with character is rare, but Hotel 140 fits the
bill. It’s housed within the oldest YWCA in America, built in 1866. There’s
a touch of the hostel about the lobby — people milling round pin-boards,
brusque staff — but there are also lovely architectural features, such as
the sweeping spiral staircase and beautiful marble floors.
Rooms are immaculate but spartan, with decent beds, modern pine furniture and
an olive-and-terracotta colour scheme. Guests “do their own thing”, which
translates as self-service breakfast in the cafe, free internet access and
no room service. But it’s not sterile, just simple — and the location, off
Newbury Street, is fantastic.
Doubles from £56, room-only; 00 1 617 585 5600, www.hotel140.com
The offbeat one
BEACON HILL HOTEL AND BISTRO
Owner Peter Rait is like a proud father to BHHB, the only hotel in Beacon Hill
— a historic neighbourhood so well preserved that residents have to get
planning permission to change a doorknob.
“The locals love this place,” he says. “It’s not unusual to see Senator John
Kerry sitting eating steak-frites next to a guest from the UK.” That’s
because the bistro is as popular as the hotel; get a table for weekend
brunch if you can.
The 13 rooms upstairs have a guesthouse feel. Each is different, but a New
England theme runs throughout: mahogany sleigh beds, wooden shutters and
quilted throws. Bedrooms are named after members of Peter’s family — Yaniv
is small but sunny, while Jake is a huge suite with a lovely bathroom in the
eaves.
Doubles from £138, B&B; 00 1 617 723 7575, www.beaconhillhotel.com
I want to go
Getting there: British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com)
flies direct to Boston from Heathrow; returns from £278. Or try Ebookers
(0800 082 3000, www.ebookers.com). Aer Lingus (0818 365000,
www.flyaerlingus.com) flies direct from Dublin and Shannon.
