Boston Harbor Hotel

Boston Harbor Hotel stands on Rowes Wharf on the downtown waterfront and describes itself as the city's only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond waterfront hotel. It is a full-service luxury hotel, and its Harbor View rooms and waterfront seafood restaurant make the most of the setting.

Rooms are divided into Harbor View and City View categories, plus suites and specialty suites. If the harbour is the reason you are staying here, it is worth paying for a Harbor View room, as the outlook is the defining feature of the property. Ask at booking about room size and bed configuration if you are travelling as a family, since suites offer more space.

For dining, Rowes Wharf Sea Grille is the hotel's waterfront seafood restaurant, and The Dark Bar is an indoor bar that hosts live piano events. Harbor Tea is the hotel's afternoon tea service, a good choice for a special occasion even if you are not staying, and in-room dining is available. The Dandelion venue is also linked from the hotel's website. The wellness area includes an indoor pool, recovery pods and halotherapy salt saunas, which are welcome after a long day of walking the Freedom Trail.

The hotel suits couples, business travellers and anyone celebrating an occasion. Families will find the pool and central location useful, although prices are firmly at the top end of the Boston market. As a general tip, book well in advance for summer and autumn weekends and for graduation season, when downtown hotels fill quickly, and check whether a package or advance-purchase rate is available.

Booking afternoon tea or dinner at the Sea Grille is a good way to experience the hotel without staying, and if you are a guest, the wellness facilities are worth building into your schedule rather than treating as an afterthought. Rates vary widely through the year, so it is worth comparing midweek and weekend prices.

The hotel's position on the downtown waterfront, which is also home to the New England Aquarium on Central Wharf, makes it a convenient base for the harbour and the historic centre. For reservations, the hotel has a dedicated phone line as well as its general enquiries number, and it publishes a Manage Reservation page for changes to existing bookings.