The Newbury Boston

Character and identity

Set on the corner of Newbury and Arlington across from the Public Garden, this 286-room hotel occupies the 1927 building that housed America's first Ritz-Carlton, reopened in May 2021 after a two-year overhaul. The design pairs landmark bones (wainscoting, herringbone floors, antique chandeliers, a sculptural lobby staircase) with a curated, lived-in art collection running from a Hemingway portrait to Elise Ansel canvases. Contessa, Major Food Group's first Boston outpost, crowns the 17th floor with retractable glass walls and Northern Italian cooking. Downstairs, The Street Bar handles New England classics, and a guests-only library in indigo invites lingering. Service is warm and competent without ceremony.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The defining proposition here is a landmark Back Bay address paired with one of the city's hardest-to-book restaurants, wrapped in suites that are unusually large for the neighbourhood. Spring for a park-view room or, better, a Grand Suite on the Public Garden side; book Contessa the moment your stay is confirmed, and request a bedroom set back from Arlington Street for quiet.