Number of guests: Varies
Bed and bath: Varies
Why we love it: Oversized rooms, dog-friendly, Blue Ribbon Sushi
Every city hotel exists somewhere on the spectrum from “center of everything tourists want” to “where locals actually live.” And while those two extremes don’t often intersect, they actually do here at the Hotel Commonwealth. It’s one of those rare hotels that feels part and parcel of its neighborhood—and considering this imposing building takes up an enormous city block and contains not one, not two, but three of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, it’s safe to say that Kenmore Square is the Hotel Commonwealth. The hotel is on the larger side, so there’s always a unique mix of comings and goings here, from Boston University parents to business travelers to Red Sox fans (the hotel sits a scant five-minute walk from Lansdowne Street). The Serta mattresses are comfy, the service is warm, and when you’re here, you feel like you’re really staying in a neighborhood, and not just a hotel, if you catch my drift.
Distance from Fenway: Three-minute walk
Things to do nearby: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, MFA Boston, Charles River Esplanade, Emerald Necklace, Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks