Omni Parker House

The Omni Parker House has been a Boston institution since 1855 and is the hotel most closely tied to the city's culinary history. Its restaurant, Parker's, is the birthplace of both Boston cream pie and the Parker House roll. The building has an Italianate style inside, with rich wood panelling and carved mouldings in the public rooms.

Room categories include Deluxe, Traditional and Signature rooms and suites. Traditional rooms have decor inspired by nineteenth-century style, and Signature rooms have one king or two full-size beds with a sitting area and work station. Rooms come with robes, coffee makers and flat-screen televisions, and some suites can be connected for families. Note that rooms may not accommodate five or more guests.

Parker's Restaurant is the hotel's full-service dining room and the place to try the cream pie and rolls in their original setting. Parker's Bar and The Last Hurrah, a pub, are the hotel's bars. Facilities include a fitness centre with Peloton bikes, 23,000 square feet of meeting and event space and valet parking with in-and-out privileges, which is expensive but convenient downtown.

Practical policies are worth knowing. Check-in is at 4pm and check-out at 11am, guests must be 21 or older to book a room, and a credit card and photo ID are needed at check-in. Dogs and cats under 25 pounds are allowed for a one-time fee, and service animals are welcome free of charge. The hotel suits history enthusiasts, couples and families who want a central base, and prices are mid-range to upper mid-range.

Even if you are not staying, a slice of Boston cream pie at Parker's Restaurant is a pleasant way to see the historic interiors. Parking is charged per night with a late exit fee if you leave the car beyond the following afternoon, and there is an early checkout fee, so confirm your dates carefully. A $100 per night incidental hold is placed on the card at check-in, which is worth knowing if you are on a tight travel budget.

The hotel stands on School Street downtown, which makes it a convenient base for sightseeing on foot, including the Freedom Trail. Boston Logan International Airport is about 2.5 miles away, roughly ten minutes by car outside rush hour.