The Ritz-Carlton, Boston ★★★★★

Between the Common and the theatres

Avery Street is a short block that runs from Tremont Street, along the edge of Boston Common, to Washington Street and the marquees of the Theater District. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston occupies it almost entirely, a modern tower with a bronze-lit entrance and doormen at the revolving door. On one side lie the Common, the Public Garden beyond it and the start of the Freedom Trail; on the other, the Boston Opera House and the Paramount Center, the shops of Downtown Crossing and the restaurants of Chinatown. Few luxury hotels in the city put both a park and a night at the theatre this close to the lift.

Rooms and suites by the Rockwell Group

The 193 rooms include 43 suites, each with one and a half bathrooms, all reworked by the New York studio Rockwell Group in leather, wood and steel with a palette of blues and greys, damask carpets and Tivoli Audio systems on the nightstands. The rooms to ask for face the Common: from the upper floors the view runs across the treetops to the gold dome of the State House on Beacon Hill, and in the corner suites that dome sits in the middle of the bedroom window. Bathrooms are lined in warm marble with deep soaking tubs and separate showers. Club Level rooms open onto a lounge with leather armchairs, a wine dispenser and the same view.

Artisan Bistro and Avery Bar

Artisan Bistro, off the lobby, works from breakfast to dinner with a menu built on New England staples, lobster rolls and a short-rib sandwich among them, and it is the natural place for a pre-theatre supper. Avery Bar is the evening room: mid-century in spirit, with leather chairs gathered around a raised fireplace, a serious cocktail list and a late crowd coming back from the shows across the street.

Equinox next door

Instead of a small hotel gym, guests use the Equinox Sports Club that shares the building, a fitness club on a scale few hotels can offer, with an indoor pool, basketball courts, a full timetable of classes and a spa for massages and treatments. It is a decisive advantage for anyone who travels with a training routine, and a rare one in a downtown luxury hotel.

Why we selected it

The Ritz-Carlton, Boston carries a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star rating and the service standards of its name, but what earns it a place here is the combination of a Common-side address, a theatre district at the door and a fitness club that no rival can match. It welcomes families and dogs, its concierge handles the theatre tickets, and it makes a natural base for a first visit built around the Freedom Trail and Beacon Hill.