When looking at the best historic hotels in Boston, I suggest you stay at America’s longest continuously operating hotel—the Omni Parker House. It has been welcoming guests since it was founded by Harvey Parker in 1855.
A basic rule of thumb I have for lodging in any city is location, location, location. I must stay in the city center. I want to walk out my door and have the city and all its charms (and historic sites) at my feet. The Omni Parker fit the bit perfectly. It’s right on the Freedom Trail so one can just follow the red line throughout the city to get to it, which turned out to be perfect for locating it, especially when wandering back in the dark after dinner. Its location meant it was within walking distance of most of the city’s main attractions…notably the historic ones!
The hotel itself is sumptuous and filled with old-world charm. The common spaces hearken back to the 19th century with their wood-paneled rooms and crystal chandeliers.
You can sink into a comfy chair in the lobby and feel as if a literary great might walk past you. Due to its proximity to the Boston Athenaeum and Old Corner Bookstore, many authors met there. Indeed, it was the home of the Saturday Club—a 19th century men’s social gathering. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson Sr., Charles Dickens, James Russell Lowell, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Oliver Wendell Holmes all graced the Parker House Hotel. Writers gave birth to the idea for the Atlantic Monthly there and Dickens previewed A Christmas Carol to his fellow authors.
You don’t have to be a famous writer, celebrity, or noted politician (although all types have called the Parker House a temporary home) to be treated like a VIP. The staff is gracious and welcoming. There wasn’t a need of mine that wasn’t filled or a request that wasn’t met. From every wish I had made ahead of time to every need I had while there, someone quickly and efficiently attended to my requirements.
I had arrived disheveled and stressed from traveling for six hours that morning due to a rather chaotic departure from my home airport. The young man at the front desk greeted me with a calming demeanor and soothing voice that immediately relaxed me. He checked me in quickly, but first got me a water and attended to my needs. Within minutes I was in vacation mode.
When I got to my room, I found a special treat waiting for me. In one of my previous communiques with the hotel…
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