Where should you stay in Boston?

Six areas are compared: Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Downtown, the Seaport, the North End and Fenway / Kenmore. Each starts level, then gains or loses points against your answers — walking distance to the historic core, the density of restaurants, water views, how residential the streets are, how the area behaves by season, and how easy it is to reach from Logan or the convention centre. The budget slider shifts the weighting rather than filtering: an area that is expensive across the board loses points at the lower settings.

These are editorial judgements from our own reporting on Boston hotels, not a price database. They are a starting point for a decision, not a substitute for checking a specific hotel.

Most first-time visitors do well in Back Bay or Downtown: both put you inside walking distance of the Freedom Trail, the Public Garden and the main transit lines, which removes most of the friction from a short stay.

The Seaport is newer, flatter and more spacious, with water on one side and a strong restaurant scene. It suits work trips and anyone who wants modern rooms; it is a longer walk to the historic sights.

Rarely, and parking is one of the more expensive parts of a stay. Boston rewards walking, and the T covers the rest. A car only starts to make sense if you are planning day trips out of the city.