XV Beacon
Stately city stay
Beside beautiful Boston Common
From the moment you’re greeted by the brass-buttoned bellhop by the door, you can tell that XV Beacon takes its traditional values seriously. Set in a peaceful, leafy stretch of Boston’s historic centre, this classic hotel hides original cage elevators, art deco furnishings and impeccably friendly service behind a beautiful Beaux Arts façade. Whatever you do, don’t miss the wine list…
Facilities
Rooms
Sixty-three, including five suites.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Check-in, 3pm.
More Details
Rates are room-only, but an a la carte breakfast can be purchased at the hotel for $25-40 per person.
Also
Rather than the conventional ‘do not disturb’ door hangers, XV Beacon has opted for a much more civilised system of deterring unwelcome intrusions – a little dial by the doorway can be set to ‘privacy’, ‘service’ or ‘off’ with a twist of your wrist.
Fitness Center
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pet Friendly
On-Site Restaurant
Room Service
At the Hotel
Gym, CD library, free WiFi throughout, valet parking, free shoe shining, house car (for drop-offs within a two-mile radius). In-room massages can be arranged through the concierge. In rooms: flatscreen TV, CD player with iPod dock, gas fireplace, minibar, Nespresso machine, turn down service, Fresh toiletries.
Our Favourite Rooms
The suites are great for size, sights and sofas, but we were drawn to Room 907 and its fellow Executive Classic Rooms, which are spaciously arranged and beautifully decorated, with Louis XV-inspired furniture, floor-length hanging mirrors and antique desks. All XV Beacon’s rooms are classically styled with high ceilings and art deco flourishes complemented by techy touches – huge flatscreen TVs and iPod alarm clock docking stations. Studios and suites have whirlpool bath tubs too.
Poolside
There’s no pool, but the XV Beacon is crowned with a landscaped rooftop garden – prime position for watching the Fourth of July and New Year's fireworks.
Spa
There's no spa, but XV Beacon's concierge team have a directory of wellness wizards to hand. There is, however, an on-site fitness suite, available by appointment 24 hours a day, with free weights, Woodway treadmills, Hydrow rowing machine, functional Cybex trainer and peloton bike. Private trainers and in-room yoga can also be arranged.
Packing Tips
All you really need to have stashed in your baggage is two names: Fernando (the doorman) and Mark Fisherman (the driver). Between them, they know everything there is to know about Boston and its surroundings.
Also
XV Beacon offers all its guests a premium chauffeur service around town, as well as a set of personalised business cards for use during their stay. Aside from the 11th floor fitness centre, the property is fully ADA compliant.
Children
Extra beds are US$35 a night. There are high chairs available in the restaurant and babysitting with a local nanny can be arranged (US$40, plus US$15 an hour, with a three-hour maximum), with 24 hours notice.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Some of the tables in Mooo feature high-backed chairs for two to four. Grab one of these if you want extra privacy. Of course, for total seclusion, you can book an ultra-romantic private dining session in the Wine Cellar.
Dress Code
No one’s judged for jeans but decor alone demands a demure elegance, and we wouldn’t touch the wine list without a cocktail dress.
Hotel Restaurant
Set on Boston's Beacon Hill, Mooo may be a steakhouse by vocation, but that doesn’t prevent it from offering up a fantastic selection of lobster, stone crab and oysters in its warm mushroom-toned interior. Private dining can be arranged in the Wine Cellar, a vaulted chamber built around the foundations of a 1722 mansion and featuring a 2000-year-old Roman mosaic.
Hotel Bar
Whether you fancy a $17,000 1876 Château d’Yquem, a bottle of Hedisieck bubbly plucked from the wreckage of a Swedish schooner at the bottom of the Baltic in 1907 (a more modest $15,000), or a more economy tipple, lively, jazzy Moo Bar can deliver.
Last Orders
Breakfast, 7–10.30am; lunch, 11.30am–2pm; dinner, 5.30pm–10pm. The Mooo bar mixes its last martini at 10pm.
Room Service
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available daily from 7am to 9pm, and there’s an all-day menu that can be ordered at any time.
Planes
The nearest airport is Logan International, three miles from the hotel. Private car hire starts at approximately US$145. Though the hotel does not do airport pick-ups, they can arrange drop-offs for a flat fee of $40.
Trains
South Station is two miles away and the hotel can sort out your transfers for free. Taxis cost around US$7–$10 each way.
Automobiles
The hotel is centrally located in downtown Boston, near Boston Common. There's valet parking for US$60 per day.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Newbury Street is the local shopping hub, but more culturally minded visitors can check out the Freedom Trail, a 2.5mile red-brick path that can take you through Boston’s monuments and architectural marvels in the space of an afternoon. To sample Boston’s musical heritage, head to the Beehive (+1 617 423 0069) on Tremont Street for a live jazz session. For those who savour the great outdoors, walking and jogging trails are in close proximity to the hotel and just a few blocks are the Boston Common and Charles River bike paths, contact the concierge staff to arrange some wheels.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
