Boston Hotels for Every Taste

With no more than seven rooms on a floor, XV Beacon provides a welcome escape if you're looking for something intimate. The lobby's fireplace, mahogany walls and slightly worn marble staircase give it the appeal of a genteel living room. The private town house vibe extends to the sixty rooms, each individually designed with contemporary highlights but all including gas fireplaces, oversized windows and stark white marble bathrooms stocked with amenities from Boston-based Fresh. Sandwiched between a condo and an office building, the hotel has little by way of views, but guests need go no farther than the upstairs roof deck to take in an incredible panorama of Boston from the Jacuzzi, a chaise longue or the small gym. Double rooms from $495. 15 Beacon St.; 877-982-3226; xvbeacon.com.

From 2001 through last year, Boston was blessed with two Ritz-Carltons. But the company sold the historic property that fronts the Public Garden to the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces (see below) so that it could focus on perfecting the 193-room Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common. Ritz-Carlton immediately spent $11 million renovating the young hotel: new upholstered wall coverings and carpets spiffed up the hallways; the lobby was reconfigured to accommodate a lounge and dining area, dubbed the Gallery; a landscaped rooftop garden terrace was added. Because of the building's L shape, you won't have a straight-on park view; for the most desirable sliver (through almost floor-to-ceiling windows), ask for a room closer to Tremont Street. Double rooms from $405. 10 Avery St.; 800-241-3333; ritzcarlton.com.

The new owners of the 273-room Taj Boston quickly made it clear that the beloved hotel would change virtually in name only. Appealing more to traditionalists than to modernists, the richly appointed decor — upholstered furniture, fabric wall coverings and heavy, tasseled drapes — continues to reflect Boston's European influence. Also remaining: many of the dedicated staff, some of whom have worked at the historic 1927 property for years (more than sixty in the case of doorman Norman Pashoian). Regulars know that the bathrooms in the old wing are much smaller than those in the new, that table number 11 in the Bar is the most coveted and that corner suites ending in 09 overlook the Public Garden. But what really keeps the clientele faithful is the hotel's address, just steps from the city's finest boutiques and galleries on Newbury Street. Double rooms from $695. 15 Arlington St.; 877-482-5267; tajhotels.com.

At the 273-room Four Seasons Hotel Boston, brand elements and authentic local touches make a winning combination. Guests familiar with the chain's Philadelphia establishment will recognize the iconic redbrick exterior, and the imposing staircase in the lobby will remind fans of the London hotel. Unique to Boston, though, are architectural prints of the city; the white columns in the hallways; the gold doorknobs, similar to those in Beacon Hill mansions; and the swans in the adjacent Public Garden. With a 2.5-to-1 staff-to-guest ratio and seventy-six suites (more than any other luxury hotel in the city), the Four Seasons is popular with families and executives alike. Double rooms from $425, suites from $795. 200 Boylston St.; 617-338-4400; fourseasons.com.

When the Boston Harbor Hotel opened, twenty-one years ago, its location was both a blessing and a curse. On one side of it were uninterrupted views of the harbor; on the other was an aboveground freeway and, subsequently, years of noisy Big Dig construction as the road was moved underground. Now, regardless of whether you're looking at the city or the water, all 230 spacious, recently renovated accommodations have a New England maritime flair, as seen in such accents as captain's desks and model schooners. Customer service exceeds expectations: the staff will print your departure-day boarding pass as you check in, and they'll call you by name throughout your stay. Double rooms from $325. 70 Rowes Wharf; 800-752-7077; bhh.com.

Unlike at some of its other acquisitions, Kimpton didn't have much to retrofit two years ago when it bought the Nine Zero Hotel, whose 190 rooms had oversized tan leather headboards and masculine striped and plaid fabrics. The most noticeable differences include dog treats in the guest rooms and the lobby, as well as KO Prime, a global interpretation of a classic steak house from Boston celebrity chef Ken Oringer; expect Okinawan sweet potato with fried shallots, North African — spiced skirt steak and filet mignon with chimichurri sauce. Double rooms from $299. 90 Tremont St.; 866-906-9090; ninezero.com.

If the walls of the Charles Hotel could talk, they'd probably solve the Middle East crisis and the subprime-mortgage debacle. The 294-room hotel, in Harvard Square, near the prestigious Ivy League school's gates, attracts its share of high-powered politicians, professors and celebrities. An Americana theme — quilts and custom-made Shaker-style cherrywood desks — evokes a bygone era, while the gratis com-puter stations on each floor and the TVs embedded in the bathroom mirrors speak to modern urbanites. Join the khakis-and-blue-blazer set downstairs for a country breakfast at Henrietta's Table, a martini at the sultry Noir bar, a regional Italian meal with a New England twist at Rialto or performances by jazz greats at the Regattabar. Double rooms from $299. 1 Bennett St., Cambridge; 800-882-1818; charleshotel.com.