5 Best Hotels in Boston, Massachusetts

The posh yet homey 16-room Inn @ St. Botolph follows an edgy hotel model—no front desk, no restaurant, no keys, and no valet (there is, however, an office on-site that is staffed 24/7). Guests can book and pay online, eliminating the need for agonizingly slow check-ins or long lines. Each room feels like the chicest city apartment you never had, decorated in black, white, and chocolate tones by local design luminaries. The four-poster beds are heavenly. Every room also comes with a full kitchen, Frette robes, and flat-screen TVs. Set on a quiet residential street lined with flowering trees and brownstones, the inn is a short walk from the South End, Copley Square, and Back Bay.

On a residential street three blocks from Harvard Square, this four-story gray clapboard guesthouse is a bargain. It has two small porches, hardwood floors, and Oriental carpets, making it homier than a hotel, and there's a real sense of conviviality among guests, mostly Europeans and visiting parents or professors. The inn maintains a giving library, which means you can take home that book you didn't quite finish. The small, superclean rooms are refurbished with bright new paint, flat-screen TVs, and original art. The limited off-street parking is a real coup in car-clogged Cambridge. So is the green and guilt-free solar thermal water-heating system. As a nice added touch, the hotel will mail postcards anywhere free of charge.

Located in the heart of Boston's most fashionable shopping street, a homey feel and personalized service are at the soul of this elegant and historic 1882 brownstone. The only boutique hotel on Newbury Street, it features natural pine flooring, blue Victorian furnishings, and prints from the Museum of Fine Arts. Guest rooms have a modern look, with some boasting bay windows and others with decorative fireplaces. Limited on-site parking is available for $30 and requires a reservation. Check out the tiny French bistro, La Voile, downstairs.

This small property, part of a small brand of hotels, has a fresh, contemporary style with lots and lots of yellow accents along with complimentary Wi-Fi, plush pillow-top beds, and marble bathrooms with walk-in glass showers. The on-site gastropub, the Trophy Room, serves dinner daily and brunch on the weekends. In the afternoon, the hotel puts out pineapple-infused water, coffee, and sweet treats. The inn sits on one of the South End's prettiest streets, and is easy walking distance from shops, restaurants, and Back Bay T Station. As far as South End lodging goes, this may be your best hotel bet, despite slightly cramped quarters. Try to snag a sun-lighted corner room with a number ending in 08.