Hotel
Boston Harbor Hotel
A luxury hotel on Rowes Wharf, described as the city's only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond waterfront hotel, with harbour-view rooms and an indoor pool.
A restored landmark hotel at the corner of Newbury and Arlington Streets, overlooking the Public Garden, with fireplace suites and the Contessa rooftop restaurant.
Good to know
The Newbury Boston occupies a landmark building at the corner of Newbury Street and Arlington Street, looking over the Public Garden, and it has been hosting guests and events for nearly a century. Restored and reimagined, it is now a luxury hotel that holds a Forbes Travel Guide Four Star rating for 2026, AAA Five Diamond status and two Michelin Keys. It is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
Rooms range from guest rooms to suites, collection suites and accessible suites. The hotel highlights its suites with wood-burning fireplaces and rooms with views over the Public Garden, so if you are paying for a special stay, ask for a garden-facing room when you book. Fireplace suites are a seasonal treat in the colder months.
The best-known part of the hotel is Contessa, its rooftop restaurant by Major Food Group, and as a general tip a table there is worth reserving well ahead. The Street Bar is the hotel's bar, and The Library is another of its spaces. Private dining is available, and the hotel also offers an art tour of its collection and a neighbourhood guide for guests.
The hotel suits couples, honeymooners and travellers for whom location and style matter more than price. As a general tip, look out for packages, such as fireplace suite offers, advance-purchase discounts or third-night-free promotions, which can make a stay better value. Business travellers will find meeting and event spaces, and the hotel hosts weddings.
If you are celebrating, mention it when you book, and ask whether a fireplace suite or a garden-view room is available for your dates, as these are the rooms the hotel itself highlights. Rates tend to be highest on autumn weekends, so midweek stays can be better value. Car parking in Back Bay is expensive, so consider arriving by taxi or public transport.
The location is very convenient. The Public Garden, bounded by Arlington Street, is directly across the road, with its Swan Boats in the warmer months and Boston Common beyond, and Newbury Street begins at the hotel's door. Back Bay sights such as the Boston Public Library and View Boston, both on Boylston Street, are within walking distance.
At One Newbury Street, at the corner of Newbury and Arlington Streets, Boston, MA 02116.
It holds a Forbes Travel Guide Four Star rating for 2026, AAA Five Diamond status and two Michelin Keys.
A rooftop restaurant at the hotel by Major Food Group.
Yes. Some suites have wood-burning fireplaces.
Yes. Public Garden views are available in some rooms.
The hotel has run packages such as fireplace suite offers, advance-purchase discounts and third-night-free deals.
Yes. The Street Bar is the hotel's bar, and The Library is a lounge.
The Public Garden is across the street, and Newbury Street begins at the hotel.
Tour operator
Amphibious sightseeing tours that cover central Boston by road before splashing into the Charles River, departing from the Prudential Center, Museum of Science and Aquarium.
Thing to do
A 2.5-mile marked walking route linking 16 official historic sites, from Boston Common through downtown and the North End to Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.
Café
A North End pastry shop on Hanover Street, founded in 1946, best known for its many varieties of cannoli as well as cookies, cakes and Italian…
Attraction
Boston's encyclopaedic art museum on Huntington Avenue in the Fenway, with collections ranging from ancient Nubia and Japan to American art and late evening opening on…