Four Seasons Hotel Boston

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Neighborhood: The Back Bay

Style: Contemporary Classic

Atmosphere: Lively

274 Rooms

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Since it opened in 1985, the Four Seasons Boston has been the place for the establishment to drink tea. New as it is, it feels completely part of its blue-blooded home, next to Beacon Hill and overlooking the Boston Public Gardens. From its entrance lined with fountains, to its massive staircase, to the dainty writing desks and striped upholstery in the guest bedrooms, much of the hotel perfectly echoes nineteenth-century residential. There are maritime oil paintings on the walls. (Very Boston—fleets of ships, and the sea crashing against the rocks. In this town, you’re never allowed to forget about their harbor.) And most of the windows offer views of the park, which allow you to gaze at the most universal New England attraction—the dramatic changes of season. Daffodils in spring, hydrangea in summer, and of course the blazing foliage and thick snowfall for which this part of the country is particularly famous.

But, as is the case in a startling number of Four Seasons hotels, what distinguishes the Four Seasons Boston is its restaurant. Granted, Boston is a city not well known for its food; in fact, Esquire food editor Rosenbaum TK has slammed it as city of anti-cuisine. But Boston is desperately trying to rid itself of that title, and Aujourd’hui has been in the forefront. It’s not the most cutting-edge—call it Boston haute, French with some Asian twists—and its also not the cheapest, but it says something when some seventy-five percent of the customers are locals in desperate search of a decent dish. But for a real local flavor, the Bristol has the market cornered. Whether it’s afternoon tea or chowder, the Bristol will give you an authentic—and surprisingly appetizing—nibble of the city’s heritage.

If you’re tragically hip, the Four Seasons may not be your place to stay—after all, its ambience is a hundred years out of date. But if you’re that hungry for cutting edge, you shouldn’t be in Boston anyway, and everyone here harbors a secret fondness for the antique. Four Seasons is your chance to eat and sleep in a bit of Boston history. But if you’re really allergic to Chippendale, you might want to book a room there for your mother and check yourself into the XV Beacon next door. Just remember to meet her at the Four Seasons for dinner.