Fodor's Expert Review The Eliot Hotel

One of the city's best small hotels, located on posh Commonwealth Avenue, expertly merges the old blue-blood Boston aesthetic with modern flair (like contemporary rugs mingling with crystal chandeliers); everyone from well-heeled Sox fans to traveling CEOs to tony college parents have noticed. The smallish rooms are smart, not stuffy, and feel a bit French country and a bit Soho chic. The majority of rooms are one-bedroom suites; all have marble-topped bar areas and flat-panel TVs. In most rooms, there are Italian marble walk-in showers. Rooms ending in 02 have views of Comm. Avenue; those ending in 04 and 08 are larger corner rooms. Downstairs, chef Ken Oringer's Uni is a spacious, lively izakaya, garnering rave reviews for its contemporary Asian cuisine.