Downtown Crossing Hotels

When you check in, you can choose rooms looking out on the cityscape or on the historic and verdant Boston Common. Go with the latter. If you go in the fall, you’ll wake up to sweeping views of the changing leaves in America’s oldest public park. It’s pretty unbeatable. The hotel is attached to an Equinox gym, and guests are welcome to use the facilities as well as the spa (where therapists are particularly good at sports massages). Aside from the sumptuously comfortable interiors and amenities, the real draw here is the hotel’s walkability factor. You’re only a few steps away from the boutiques of Newbury Street and the charming cobblestoned roads of Beacon Hill, home to many of the city's best restaurants. If you’re traveling with littles in tow, the toy-laden red wagon in the lobby means you don’t have to bring half the playroom on your trip, and Boston Common makes a great playground.

Right on the water in scenic Rowes Wharf, this hotel manages to give a subtle nod to Boston’s colonial past by way of décor—heavy, dark wood, a billowing American flag in the lobby, and windows overlooking the harbor in practically every room. Guest rooms are traditional and comfortable, with blue accents underscoring the hotel’s proximity to the sea. Even the rooms that don’t overlook the harbor have a great view (of the city skyline), and the deep tubs are a welcome relief after long days of historical sightseeing. Summer is the season to visit, as the location is right by the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a lush green space with flower gardens and water fixtures perfect for an early beat-the-summer-heat run, and the hotel hosts live music and movie screenings on its deck. Conveniently, guests have the option to avoid the traffic and take a scenic water taxi to the hotel’s marina from Logan airport.