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.

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