Boston Top 10 Attractions
Mix history and legend with cultural pursuits, sporting events, wining and dining in the heart of Boston. We truly love our city, and are proud and delighted to share it with you. Most of us grew up here and know all the best haunts, retreats, sites and it-spots. Speak with our accommodating concierge team about putting together a custom itinerary catered to your tastes or take a look at our insider’s Top 10 list, which combines just the right amount of sightseeing, arts and culture, cuisine and entertainment, sports and leisure. Boston awaits!
Shop Charles Street
Browse anything from specialty nuts and artisan chocolate to artist stationery, designer handbags and Edwardian brooches. Exclusive Charles Street is the go-to in the lovely historic Beacon Hill district (one of the city’s oldest) just north of Boston Common, lined with vintage lanterns and Federal-style brick row houses with bistros and bakeries, toy stores and niche boutiques — like avant-garde accessories or hand-tooled cowboy boots in suede, calfskin and alligator. Walk the quaint cobblestone alleys, join the locals’ scene over local-brew cappuccino and croissants, peruse Mid-Century Danish Modern furniture, pick up some Boston theme collectibles and end the day at one of the 17 restaurants and bars.
SPOIL YOURSELF AT THE SPA
Luxuriate at New England’s exclusive Bella Santé and indulge in a little me time. Consistently ranked a “best of Boston” day spa, the Newbury Street flagship location focuses on restorative relaxation and results-oriented med spa treatments. Book an invigorating dry body brushing followed by a coconut oil custom massage. Or try the Exhale Spa package — a pore-cleansing facial, manicure and massage with aromatic oils — or a tension-releasing hot stone massage. End with a Dazzle Dry vegan nail polish mani or pedi.
CATCH FENWAY PARK FEVER
There’s nothing more quintessentially Boston than an afternoon game at the ballpark with cheering fans and the aroma of hotdogs wafting in the stands. Fenway Park, home to the Red Sox, is less than two miles from Fairmont Copley Plaza and our concierge team is at your service to arrange tickets, transport and behind-the-scenes tours. The year-round baseball venue dates to 1912. Tours include the famed left-field wall, the Green Monster. Afterwards, it’s a short walk to lunch at Kenmore Square and the Beantown landmark, the Citgo Sign.
SAVOR FARM-FRESH FARE
Foodies, and pretty much everyone, delight in the gleaming offerings on display at the long-running, community-minded Boston Public Market. Some 35 vendors pedal their New England-produced wares daily year-round in the big warehouse: seasonal fresh produce, meats, smoked fish, farmstead cheeses, home-spun confections, baked goodies, honey, maple syrup and, in Hopster’s Alley, craft beer. Sample the award-winning hard cider and catch a foodie demo, tasting or lecture on, say, Asian street food cuisine or preparing grass-fed beef, in The Kitchen. Reserve for the free one-hour tour.
VISIT THE COLONIAL ERA
Boston’s foremost art museum displays globetrotting genres, artists and eras from ancient to contemporary, especially noteworthy for its impressive European and Asian collections. But the star of the show is the Art of the Americas, housed in a four-story wing with 53 galleries focusing on Colonial Boston. Standouts include paintings by John Singleton Copley and John Singer Sargent. A revered institution since 1876, this place is a Boston Bucket List must. Don’t miss the local 18th century works on level one depicting New England Colonial life in vivid detail, in particular the authentic period rooms designed by distinguished Salem architect Samuel McIntire and 1786 oil portrait of Son of Liberty Paul Revere, he of revolutionary riding fame.
THE ESPLANADE
A treasured, tree-filled oasis, the riverside Charles River Esplanade is a favorite of locals and visitors alike: a 17-mile-stretch in all, just 10 minutes on foot from the hotel. Watch the sailboats glide and rowers paddle under arched footbridges from a shaded bench or jog the three-mile greenbelt from Boston U. to the Museum of Science. Cycle, rollerblade or rent kayaks or paddle boards, especially in summer and autumn when the fall colors are in fiery display. Take in a free concert, movie, show at Hatch Shell or join a city festival. The expansive city vistas are postcard-perfect at sunset.
dine on SUSHI AND SAKE
Dramatic and inventive, Oishii Boston delivers “high concept” sushi and sophisticated Japanese fusion fare to adoring fans in a Tokyo lounge ambiance. Set in the South End’s SoWa district, this elegant, minimalist den is a perfect match for its artsy environs. Embark on a food odyssey with master chef Ting Yen of delicate, fresh and wildly creative offerings — gleaming sashimi, hand-crafted tofu and velvety seared tuna — paired with premium sake and wines. Continue the evening at lively Japanese tavern Hojoko over sake, frozen cocktails, and, if you have any room left, udon, salmon rolls and Wagyu short ribs.
exercise with a VIEW
Nurture mind-body balance with a restorative Saturday yoga class, then relax on the sun deck with a fresh sea breeze and view of the downtown Boston skyline. Our loft-style rooftop health club is open 24/7 round-the-clock for your convenience and outfitted with latest TechnoGym fitness equipment. Lift weights and train on the cardio machines by the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the quaint Back Bay neighborhood, stretch and warm up. There’s ample elbow room in our 3,000-square-foot modern gym.
GO ON A VINTAGE TREASURE HUNT
Looking for a 40s party frock or Eisenhower-era cardigan? Treasure hunters rave about the South End’s SoWa Vintage Market, a locals requisite open Sundays year-round. Eclectic and original, this is a collection of 30-some specialty merchants offer an enticing array of costume jewelry, objects d’art, vintage couture, antique glassware, old cameras, collectible vinyls, and Mid-Century Modern furniture and home decor. Walk from the hotel and snack on farmers’ goodies at the market’s food truck assemblage.
RAISE YOUR GLASS on THE WATERFRONT
The oldest part of an historic city, Boston’s North End, Little Italy, is a top destination. Get lost amid the cobblestone streets, then watch the local color at a window seat in America’s oldest bar, the Bell in Hand Tavern, established by town crier Jimmy Wilson back in 1795. Tuck into New England clam chowder and a cold pint of hard cider. Hit the wharves, marinas and seafood spots of downtown’s waterfront, tour historic sites and frigate museums, and take a gander at the Navy’s oldest commissioned warship, the USS Constitution, better known as Old Ironsides.