Where to Stay - Boston 2009 - page 76

EXPENSIVE
Onyx Hotel This plush boutique hotel opened in 2004 on a side street near North
Station and TD Banknorth Garden, within easy walking distance of downtown, Beacon
Hill, and the commuter rail to the North Shore. The 10-story hotel is contemporary in
style, decorated in soothing jewel tones with sleek lines and high ceilings that make the
decent-size rooms feel even bigger. Each unit in the hotel, an eco-friendly Kimpton
property, holds a large work desk and has a well-appointed bathroom. The best accom-
modations are the top-floor suites, but any room with a floor-to-ceiling window feels
like a mini-palace. This neighborhood is in transition, but it's improving quickly.
155 Portland St., Boston, MA 02114. & 866/660-6699, 800/KIMPTON, or 617/557-9955. Fax [phone]. www.
onyxhotel.com. 112 units. $209-$349 double. Extra person $25. Rates include evening cocktail reception. Children
under 18 stay free in parent's room. Weekend, family, and other packages, AARP and AAA discounts available. AE,
DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $38. T: Green or Orange Line to North Station. Pets accepted. Amenities: Lounge; exer-
cise room; access to nearby health club; 24-hr. room service; massage; same-day dry cleaning; rooms for those w/lim-
ited mobility. In room: A/C, TV w/pay movies, high-speed and wireless Internet access, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer,
iron, safe, umbrella, robes.
MODERATE
Bulfinch Hotel One block from North Station, the Bulfinch is as appealing for
its design as for its convenient location and relatively reasonable rates. Every room in
the 1904 building is different, with architectural details that enhance the “budget
boutique” feel. Rooms are on the small side, but custom furnishings create the illusion
of more space. Plush fabrics in cool neutrals and earth tones (including suede head-
boards), flatscreen TVs, and marble bathrooms set off the contemporary, uncluttered
design. The nine-story hotel, which opened in 2004, offers business features such as
work desks and cordless phones. The best units are junior suites—oversize doubles—
known as “nose rooms” because they're in the pointed end of the triangular building;
each has windows on three sides of the king-size bed.
107 Merrimac St., Boston, MA 02114. & 617/624-0202. Fax [phone]. www.bulfinchhotel.com. 80 units, most
with shower only. $169-$399 double; $199-$489 junior suite. Children under 18 stay free in parent's room. Pack-
ages, AAA, AARP, and military discounts available. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $25 in nearby garage. T: Green or
Orange Line to North Station. Pets accepted; $50 fee. Amenities: Restaurant and lounge (tapas); exercise room;
concierge; room service; same-day dry cleaning; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room: A/C, TV, high-speed
Internet access, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
Holiday Inn Boston at Beacon Hill At the base of Beacon Hill, this 15-story
hotel attracts both businesspeople and travelers with business at adjacent Massachusetts
General Hospital; the staff is especially sensitive to the needs of patients and relatives.
The location is convenient to downtown, within walking distance of the Back Bay, and
not far from East Cambridge. The good-size guest rooms have contemporary furnish-
ings and plenty of business amenities; all were refurbished in 2007. Each unit has a pic-
ture-window view of the city, the State House, or the parking structure—ask for a room
on a high floor, facing Blossom Street if possible. The building is part of a small retail
complex with a Whole Foods supermarket, a drugstore, and a handful of shops.
5 Blossom St., Boston, MA 02114. & 800/HOLIDAY or 617/742-7630. Fax [phone]. www.hisboston.com. 303
units, some with shower only. $160-$290 double; from $390 suite. Extra person $20. Rollaway $20. Children under
18 stay free in parent's room. Weekend and corporate packages and 10% AARP discount available. AE, DC, DISC, MC,
V. Valet or self-parking $36. T: Red Line to Charles/MGH. Amenities: Restaurant (American); lounge; outdoor heated
pool; small exercise room; access to nearby health club ($10); concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; room service until
10pm; coin-op laundry; laundry service; executive-level rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room:A/C, TV
w/pay movies, wireless Internet access, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.