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In-Depth Information
especially good if you're driving from the west—you leave the turnpike before
downtown traffic shatters the peace in the back of the minivan. See p. 92.
•
Best for Travelers with Disabilities:
The
Royal Sonesta Hotel,
5 Cambridge
Pkwy., Cambridge (
&
800/SONESTA
), trains its staff in disability awareness and
offers 18 rooms (some of which adjoin standard units) equipped for the hearing,
ambulatory, and vision impaired. A wheelchair ramp for use in conference rooms
is available. See p. 96. The Westin chain (
&
800/WESTIN-1
) is particularly
attentive to the needs of travelers with mobility issues; check out the
Westin
Copley Place Boston,
10 Huntington Ave., and the
Westin Boston Waterfront,
425 Summer St. See p. 89 and p. 80.
•
Best Lobby for Pretending That You're Rich:
The
Boston Harbor Hotel,
Rowes Wharf (
&
800/752-7077
), overlooks the harbor on one side and displays
a museum-quality collection of paintings, drawings, prints, and nautical charts in
its grand public spaces. See p. 71.
•
Best for Eco-Sensitive Travelers:
Listing hotels that aren't going “green” might be
quicker. Every large hotel chain is boosting its environmental awareness, with
Hyatt
and
Kimpton
on the cutting edge. Boston's
Lenox Hotel,
61 Exeter St.
(
&
800/225-7676;
see p. 86);
Seaport Hotel,
1 Seaport Lane (
&
877/
SEAPORT
); and
Colonnade Hotel,
120 Huntington Ave. (
&
800/962-3030
);
are especially sensitive but by no means the only earth-friendly properties in town.
•
Best Pool:
The
Sheraton Boston Hotel,
39 Dalton St. (
&
800/325-3535
), has
a great indoor-outdoor pool with a retractable dome. Across the river, the
Royal
Sonesta Hotel,
5 Cambridge Pkwy., Cambridge (
&
800/SONESTA
), has a simi-
larly enjoyable arrangement. See p. 89 and p. 96.
•
Best Views:
Several hotels offer impressive views of their immediate surroundings,
but for a picture-postcard panorama of Boston and Cambridge, head to the upper
floors of the
Westin Copley Place Boston
(
&
800/WESTIN-1
). See p. 89.
3 Downtown
For the purposes of this chapter, “downtown” means most of the
Freedom Trail
and
the neighborhoods defined in chapter 4 as the
Waterfront, Faneuil Hall Market-
place,
the
Financial District,
and
Downtown Crossing.
The few accommodations
in the moderate price category are mostly bed-and-breakfasts; for information about
B&Bs, consult the agencies listed on p. 69.
THE WATERFRONT & FANEUIL HALL MARKETPLACE
At all hotels in these neighborhoods,
ask for a room on a high floor
—the Big Dig
is more or less complete, but construction continues throughout this area.
VERY EXPENSIVE
Boston Harbor Hotel
The Boston Harbor Hotel is one of my favorites
for its luxurious accommodations, top-notch service, abundant amenities, and great
location. The landmark arch at the center of the 16-story brick complex connects the
busy marina off the lobby to the Rose Kennedy Greenway and the Financial District.
The clientele runs to demanding—and satisfied—business and leisure travelers who
enjoy sensational views of the harbor or of the skyline and Greenway from the plush
guest rooms, which start on the eighth floor. After a $12-million refurbishment com-
pleted in 2007, they have residential-style mahogany furnishings, work desks, muted
