Where to Stay - Boston 2009 - page 83

Eliot Hotel This exquisite hotel combines the flavor of Yankee Boston with
European-style service and abundant amenities. On tree-lined Commonwealth
Avenue, the red-brick building looks more like a classy apartment building than a
hotel, with a romantic atmosphere, subtle geometric and floral patterns on the rugs
and upholstery, and top-notch business features. Almost every unit is a spacious suite
(16 rooms are standard doubles) with antique furnishings, down comforters, and
authentic botanical prints. French doors separate the living rooms and bedrooms in
the suites, and all bathrooms are outfitted in Italian marble. The neo-Georgian 1925
building is near Boston University and MIT (across the river), and the location con-
trasts pleasantly with the bustle of Newbury Street, a block away.
370 Commonwealth Ave. (at Mass. Ave.), Boston, MA 02215. & 800/44-ELIOT or 617/267-1607. Fax [phone].
www.eliothotel.com. 95 units, 8 with shower only. $235-$395 double; $355-$545 1-bedroom suite for 2; $580-$890
2-bedroom suite. Extra person $30. Children under 18 stay free in parent's room. Packages available. AE, DC, MC, V.
Valet parking $36. T: Green Line B, C, or D to Hynes Convention Center. Pets accepted. Amenities: Restaurant (eclec-
tic); sashimi bar; free access to nearby health club; concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage;
babysitting; laundry service; same-day dry cleaning; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room: A/C, TV w/pay
movies, wireless Internet access ($10/day), minibar, hair dryer, iron, umbrella, robes.
The Fairmont Copley Plaza The “grande dame of Boston” is a classic old-
fashioned grand hotel, with opulent public spaces that recall the days when traveling
was an event, not an ordeal. Built in 1912, the seven-story Renaissance-revival build-
ing faces beautiful Copley Square. The spacious, painstakingly maintained guest
rooms have a residential feel, with plush draperies and upholstery and custom furnish-
ings, including oversize desks and pillow-top mattresses. Rooms that face the square
afford better views than those that overlook busy Dartmouth Street; my favorites are
theme suites celebrating local treasures such as the Boston Symphony. Known for
superb service, the Copley Plaza boasts countless details (inventive weekend packages,
a resident black Lab guests can book for a walk or run) that have made it a favorite
with generations of Bostonians and visitors.
138 St. James Ave., Boston, MA 02116. & 800/257-7544 or 617/267-5300. Fax [phone]. www.fairmont.com/
copleyplaza. 383 units. From $289 double; from $899 suite. Extra person $30. Weekend and other packages available.
AE, DC, MC, V. Valet parking $39. T: Green Line to Copley or Orange Line to Back Bay. Pets accepted; $25/day. Ameni-
ties: Restaurant (steakhouse); lounge (Oak Bar, p. 238); exercise room; access to nearby health club ($15); concierge;
tour desk; courtesy car; business center; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; same-day dry cleaning; concierge-level
rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room:A/C, TV w/pay movies, high-speed Internet access ($14/day), mini-
bar, hair dryer, iron, safe, umbrella, robes.
The Lenox Hotel The Lenox was the latest thing when it opened in 1900, and
in its second century, it echoes that fin-de-siècle splendor everywhere, from the ornate
lobby to the spacious, luxurious accommodations. The high-ceilinged guest rooms are
large enough to contain sitting areas, and custom-designed wood furnishings and
marble bathrooms add to the anything-but-generic vibe. My favorites are the 12 cor-
ner units with wood-burning fireplaces; rooms on the top two floors of the 11-story
building enjoy excellent views. The central location makes the hotel popular with
business travelers, and its relatively small size and accommodating staff make it a wel-
come alternative to the huge convention hotels that dominate this neighborhood. As
a rule, though, those larger competitors have more extensive fitness facilities.
61 Exeter St. (at Boylston St.), Boston, MA 02116. & 800/225-7676 or 617/536-5300. Fax [phone]. www.
lenoxhotel.com. 212 units, some with shower only. $225-$425 double; $395-$545 junior suite; from $695 1-bedroom
fireplace suite. Extra person $40. Children under 17 stay free in parent's room. Corporate, weekend, and family pack-
ages available. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet or self-parking $41. T: Green Line to Copley. Amenities: Well-regarded