Fairmont Copley Plaza ★★★★★

The grande dame of Copley Square

The Copley Plaza opened in August 1912 on the site of the original Museum of Fine Arts, and its architect was Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, the man behind The Plaza in New York and the Willard in Washington, working here with the Boston architect Clarence Blackall. The seven-storey building of limestone and buff brick is Renaissance Revival with French and Venetian accents, and it was a pioneer of its day, one of the first hotels with air conditioning and a working credit card system. Every American president since William Howard Taft has stayed or dined here, Frank Sinatra sang in the Oval Room, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton spent a honeymoon in the house, and John Singer Sargent borrowed an elevator operator as the model for one of his murals. The hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America and has been run by Fairmont for decades.

Peacock Alley, the Oval Room and the ballroom

The lobby known as Peacock Alley is the reason to walk in even without a reservation: 5,000 square feet of Italian marble columns, gilded coffered ceilings and Second Empire crystal chandeliers. The Oval Room and the Grand Ballroom continue the scale, and OAK Long Bar + Kitchen occupies the space of the old Oak Bar, once fitted out like a British gentlemen's club, with seasonal cooking and cocktails under the panelling. Afternoon tea is served in partnership with the Courtyard Tea Room next door.

383 rooms, a Gold floor and a dog in the lobby

The 383 rooms and 17 suites are individually decorated in a classic register with curated art, and the Fairmont Gold floor adds a private lounge with breakfast, evening hors d'oeuvres and dedicated service. The hotel's Canine Ambassador program, begun with the celebrated Catie Copley, continues with Cori Copley, a black Labrador who greets guests in the lobby; guests' own dogs are welcome too, with an in-room menu of their own. A 3,000-square-foot rooftop health club with city views is free to guests, and massages can be arranged.

Between Trinity Church and the Public Library

Trinity Church stands next door and the Boston Public Library faces the hotel across Copley Square, with the Boston Marathon finish line painted on Boylston Street a few steps away. Newbury Street begins two minutes' walk to the north, the Prudential Center and Copley Place are five minutes away, and Back Bay station, for Amtrak and the Orange Line, is three minutes on foot. The Public Garden and Boston Common are about ten minutes away along Boylston Street. Check-in is at 4 pm and check-out at 11 am, and valet parking is available.

Why we selected it

Our brief for Boston starts with the landmarks of Back Bay, and the Copley Plaza is the first name on that list: the building, the lobby and the guest book all belong to the city's history. We recommend it to travelers who want a grand hotel in the classic sense, to couples marking an occasion, and to anyone who wants to step out of the door directly onto Copley Square.