The Best Hotels to Book Near South Station, Boston

Fans of both waterfront and urban hotels will love this grand 80s landmark, facing Rowes Wharf on one side and the city on the other. Take a harbor cruise from the nearby dock or follow the Harbour Walk to the aquarium. This contemporary classic excels in scenic views from all over including light-filled, calming rooms in coastal tones – think duck egg blue and sand. The Rowes Wharf Sea Grille is the place for breakfast feasts including elevated omelets with added asparagus and spinach.

Looking across to the Silver Line Bus Station, this multi-room Seaport District grande dame also fronts Boston’s famous seafront with added charms – including an indoor heated pool and complimentary bicycles for waterfront wheeling along Seaport Boulevard. Art lovers can stroll the easy 10 minutes to reach the Institute of Contemporary Art. Cozy seating areas just made for watching the water make spacious rooms appealing as do soft blues and bold orange accents. Start each day with bountiful breakfast mains – from bacon, sausage and eggs benedict to New England cheeses and buttermilk pancakes.

A mid-century modern listed building turned design-led boutique beauty in the lovely restaurant-lined South End district of the city, nudges coastal Back Bay. Spot the historical figures in the lobby pop art mural on your way up to your industrial-chic room – simply styled with layered textures for coziness, black and white city scenes above beds and playful gold letters spelling out songs by Boston bands. Breakfast on oversized muffins and coffee from the lobby cafe as you read up on a Boston classic from the nearby bookshelves.

Neighboring the leafy Public Garden in popular Back Bay – the first public botanic garden in the US – this refined stalwart with a neoclassical façade soothes guests in rooms and suites bathed in soft blues, greys and creams. Families visiting in winter should book a Fireplace suite sleeping four. Dine on the rooftop among the floral, glass-roofed loveliness of Contessa and dish up northern Italian classics, dry-aged florentine steak and weekend brunch staples with an Italian twist – from florentine benedict to carbonara scramble with pancetta and pecorino.

A smart redbrick townhouse hotel among the cobbled, lamp-lit streets of coveted Beacon Hill has uniformly decorated, sleek rooms in dark blue, bright white with brass and leather – some with hill views while others overlook the Charles River. Breakfast in style on Sicilian-style eggs, Spanish tortillas and all-American staples like buckwheat pancakes smothered in sweet, smokey maple syrup. Walk it off with a wander along Charles Street to the Public Garden and admire the architecture as you head en route to Boston Common.

Tucked between the North End and Beacon Hill, this triangular boutique beauty is housed in the landmark Flatiron Building, a five-minute walk from TD Garden. Foodies will love the Italian restaurants close by in the North End and the food stalls in Quincy Market – but you’ll no doubt appreciate the classic bacon, eggs and toast plus saccharine nut and fruit-topped waffles on offer here, too. Industrial-chic rooms are softened with cable-knit throw pillows and plaid bedding – and families or groups will love the two double-bed rooms.

Overlooking the famous red brick Faneuil Hall with Quincy Market inside, large traditional rooms swathed in shades of brown provide respite from the buzz of some of Boston’s best restaurants and street life. Standard Plus rooms add bijou balconies with that famous Faneuil Hall view. Sip a complimentary coffee in the deeply dramatic red and black – almost gothic – lobby before enjoying a more down-to-earth breakfast of eggs and toast.

Bright suites with modern, sharp-angled four-poster beds and neat kitchenettes bring this 19th-century corner brownstone – ​​in the Back Bayside of South End – right up to date. Brown is the thing here, perhaps mirroring the New England chocolate available in the lobby. The Museum of Fine Arts and Symphony Hall are both under a mile (1.6km) away so it’s ideal for strolling to after a light breakfast of soft bagels and yogurt served in the lounge.