Where to Stay When Visiting Boston

Back Bay is where you stay if it's your first visit and you want everything within a 15-minute walk. Newbury Street runs eight blocks of brownstones, cafes, and shops from the Public Garden to Massachusetts Avenue. Boylston Street parallels it one block south with the Boston Public Library at Copley Square and the Prudential Center. Commonwealth Avenue is the leafy spine in the middle, lined with mansions and statues. The Green Line stops at Arlington, Copley, and Hynes get you anywhere fast. Stay near Copley Square if you want the action. Stay closer to the Public Garden if you want quieter mornings and a five-minute walk to Beacon Hill.

Best for

First-time visitorsshopperscouples who want walkable everything

Walk times

Public Garden 5 min
Boston Common 10 min
Fenway Park 20 min

Skip if: You want quiet at night or a local feel. Newbury gets crowded on weekends.

Local tip: Book a room facing Commonwealth Avenue, not Boylston. Boylston has bus traffic and sirens until late. Comm Ave is silent after 10 pm.

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$246per night

Beacon Hill

Cobblestones, gas lamps, and the Boston of postcards

Luxury $280-$520/night

Beacon Hill is a 10-block hill of red brick rowhouses behind the State House, and it looks the same as it did in 1850. Charles Street is the main drag with antique shops, wine bars, and bakeries. Acorn Street is the most photographed lane in America, all cobblestones and ivy. Mount Vernon Street climbs past Louisburg Square where the residents put real candles in the windows in December. The Red Line stop at Charles/MGH puts you a five-minute walk from Boston Common. Hotels here are smaller and pricier than Back Bay, but you get a quieter neighborhood and the prettiest streets in the city.

Best for

Couplesrepeat visitorsanyone who wants charm over convenience

Walk times

Boston Common 5 min
Faneuil Hall 12 min
North End 18 min

Skip if: You have heavy luggage. The hill is steep and the sidewalks are uneven brick.

Local tip: Eat at the Sevens Ale House on Charles Street for a real neighborhood pub, not a tourist version. Cash works, no reservations.

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$314per night

Seaport

Glass towers and harbor views, all built in the last 15 years

Luxury $240-$460/night

Seaport sits across the Fort Point Channel from downtown and feels like a different city. Seaport Boulevard is the main spine with restaurants like Woods Hill Pier 4 and Mastro's. The Institute of Contemporary Art is on the water at the end of Northern Avenue. The harborwalk runs a mile along the water with views of the airport and downtown. Hotels here are new, big, and have rooms with full harbor views you cannot get anywhere else in Boston. The Silver Line bus from South Station gets you in and out fast. The trade-off is that nothing is historic and the streets feel empty on Sunday mornings.

Best for

Business travelersfoodiesanyone who wants a harbor-view room

Walk times

South Station 10 min
Faneuil Hall 20 min
ICA museum 8 min

Skip if: You came to Boston for the historic stuff. Seaport has none of it.

Local tip: Walk the harborwalk to Fan Pier at sunset. The view of downtown across the water is the best free thing in the neighborhood.

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$269per night

Cambridge

Across the river, cheaper, and full of college energy

Mid-range $170-$340/night

Cambridge is its own city across the Charles, but the Red Line connects it to downtown Boston in 15 minutes. Harvard Square is the obvious base with bookstores, the Harvard campus, and Mount Auburn Street running west toward the river. Massachusetts Avenue connects Harvard Square to Central Square in 20 minutes on foot, and Central has the better cheap restaurants and bars. Memorial Drive runs along the river with paths and benches. Hotels here are 20 to 30 percent cheaper than Back Bay for similar quality, and you can walk along the river to MIT in 30 minutes. You trade central Boston access for a more local, less polished feel.

Best for

Budget travelersfamiliesanyone visiting Harvard or MIT

Walk times

Harvard campus 2 min
Charles River paths 5 min
MIT 30 min

Skip if: You want to be in central Boston after dinner. The Red Line stops running at 12:30 am.

Local tip: Eat dinner in Central Square, not Harvard Square. The food is better and a third cheaper. Try Craigie on Main or Little Donkey on Mass Ave.

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$190per night